A Small Silence
by Jumoke Verissimo
Imprisoned for ten years for his activism, Prof, as he is popularly known, returns from prison a broken man. Unable to relate to the country he once fought for, he resolves to live a life of darkness, pushing away friends and family, and embracing his status as an urban legend in the neighbourhood, until a knock at the door shakes his new existence.His new visitor is Desire, an enigmatic young woman who has grown up idolising Prof following a fateful encounter in her hometown of Maroko as a child. Tentatively, they form a complicated friendship, that grows from debates about life and politics, to their personal histories. However, the darkness of the room becomes a steady torment, as Prof's inability to face his demons threatens to drive Desire away from good.A Small Silence is an intimate and evocative exploration of Nigeria's political history, the alienating effects of trauma and the restorative power of the dark and silence.