Blackbird Books Publishes 'Exhale: Queer African Erotic Fiction'—a Must-Read

South African publishing house Blackbird Books has, in collaboration with HOLAAfrica!, recently published Exhale: Queer African Erotic Fiction. The delightfully risqué anthology is a compilation of stories from queer African writers across the continent. Both fresh literary voices and established ones such as the notable Nakhane, give the project a delicious mixture which is sure to cater to everyone's literary needs.

READ: Here are 5 Contemporary South African Books by Queer Writers You Need to Read

Sometimes you just want to read really imaginative and well-crafted stories about sex (this is where you clutch your pearls in fake horror). This is exactly what this latest anthology offers and more so for the LGBT community whose sexual experiences are continually seen as less important and even taboo from those of heterosexuals. The stories are diverse, compelling and most importantly, earnest.

Below is a brief excerpt from the anthology:

"They kissed. Softly at first, then desperately. Things fell all around them, loudly. It sounded as though a few things broke as well. Neither of them could ignore their need for long enough to care, or to check the extent of the damage they were causing. Remi couldn't remember the last time she was so completely present with another woman. She was so absorbed by her and into her and so oblivious to anything else but her body, her sounds and her smell."

The writers featured in Exhale: Queer African Erotic Fiction are: Mercy Thokozane Minah, Mubanga Kalimamukwento, Fiske Nyirongo, Lawrence Mashiyane, Tshegofatso Senne, Akou Midadje, Nakhane Toure, Cisi Eze, OluTimehin Adegbeye, Kabelo Motsoeneng, Lady Nwadike, Yvonne Ethagene and Von ZiGo.

You can purchase Exhale: Queer African Erotic Fiction here.