Winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, Africa

It was midnight. The little village of Susa slept in darkness in the heart of the forest farms, among the tall trees. The mahoganies and sapeles stood tall in the dark sky, providing a canopy over the village and deepening the density of the pitch-dark night. From a distant cluster of neighboring villages, Adu heard a dog bark. Another dog howled. In this village midnight was a dangerous time. It was better not to be awake or hear noises….

In this haunting tale the power of light struggles with the power of darkness to claim the life of Adu, the “grief child”.