THE HALF GOD OF RAINFALL

84pp., hardback, d.w., London, 2019

When young Demi is angry, rain clouds gather; when he cries, rivers burst their banks. His mother, Modupe, is both proud and concerned, as she knows that Gods often act like men.

"For 21st century readers who have fallen into the rhythm of the courts, this is mythopoetics at its best. By the strength of its careful braiding of song and swift slashes through a cross-pantheon of Yoruba and Greek deities, The Half-God of Rainfall stitches us into a single breath of wonder and shared delight at the journey of OluDemi Modupe. Inua Ellams possesses an intuitive and fluid grasp of the eternal virtues and heroic narratives that constitute our transglobal imaginations" Major Jackson, author of The Absurd Man: poems and Roll Deep: poems

"Part Homeric-style epic, part female-focused revenge tragedy. Each line feels as though it’s carved into stone―solid, striking, glinting with beauty, but steeped in hard-edged truth. A true story for the ages, as well as for the politics of the present day" Bridget Minamore, British poet and journalist

Poet, playwright, performer and graphic artist Inua Ellams was born in Nigeria in 1984. He is an ambassador for the Ministry of Stories and has published four books of poetry: Candy Coated Unicorns and Converse All Stars, Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales, The Wire-Headed Heathen and #Afterhours, and the play, Barber Shop Chronicles.