The Throne

"The Throne distinctly brings to life the much-needed conversations focused on educating and entertaining its audiences. It candidly addresses a potpourri of so many contemporary topics usually buried in the traditional abyss of shrouded discourse; inclusion, women's empowerment, gender equality and equity, change in traditional cultures, marginalisation, male chauvinism, patriarchy, discrimination, sexual orientation, etc., all of which emerge with refreshing simplicity."

Fatou Taqi (Ph.D.)

Lecturer,

Department of Language Studies and Institute for Gender Research and Documentation Centre, FBC, University of Sierra Leone

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Oumar Farouk Sesay was the resident playwright of Bai Bureh Theatre in the '80s. Several of his plays were performed in the then City Hall, and he won accolades among his peers. After that, he veered into journalism and wrote for several local and international newspapers. He has been published in many anthologies of Sierra Leonean poets; Lice in the Lion's Mane, Songs That Pour the Heart, Kalashnikov in the Sun, and AFRIKA IM GEDICHT. His first volume of poems, Salute to the Remains of a Peasant, was published in 2007 in America, followed by four more collections of poetry; The Edge of a Cry, Broken Metaphor, Before the Twisted Rib, 400 Years of Servitude, and There Were an Eden. Some of his poems are translated into Spanish and German.

Farouk's Novel Landscape of Memories was first published in 2015 and republished in 2018 by Sierra Leone Writer's Series.

The King of Norkorba's demise unleashes a flurry of rituals and intrigues to determine the successor to the throne. Bonke, the eldest son of the King who lives abroad, is the ancestors' favored choice. The elders use ancient rituals to lure him home amidst celebration and funfair. However, the discovery that he is in a same-sex marriage goes against the customs of the land and stalls the crowning ceremony. The impasse emboldens his sister Bura to challenge his suitability to take the throne. Bura's gender makes her unfit for the throne in the patriarchal town of Norkorba. The standoff adds to the tension and thickens the plot. Eventually, a successor emerges to resolve the conflicts.