Innocent Chizaram Ilo

Aug 25, 2020

I May Destroy You Wants You To Interrogate Your "Preference"

There are two things I was not expecting this year; a raging global pandemic and Michaela Coel gifting the world a television masterpiece. I May Destroy You which premièred 7th June and 8th June on HBO and BBC One, respectively, features Michaela Coel playing the lead act (Arabella Essiedu) a…

TV Series

6 min read

I May Destroy You Wants You To Interrogate Your "Preference"

Aug 3, 2020

POWERPLAY IN ONLINE SPACES (WHY DID YOU QUOTE THAT TWEET?)

POWERPLAY IN ONLINE SPACES (WHY DID YOU QUOTE THAT TWEET?) Kirsten Weir writes for the American Psychological Association’s Monitor On Psychology; power dynamics are present in nearly every social interaction. Regardless of the parties involved in any social interaction; parents/children, employer/employee, romantic and relationship partners, there is always a tendency for either party (or both) to engage in powerplay. This…

Twitter

5 min read

Feb 27, 2020

A LIST OF ESSENTIALS FOR THE NEWLY-DEAD

A LIST OF ESSENTIALS FOR THE NEWLY-DEAD By Innocent Chizaram Ilo Read the entire pamphlet thoroughly. Welcome To Death Portal 1. The first thing you really need to do right now is breathe. Yes, stretch your lungs until you fear they will snap. As absurd as this may sound, you have to…

5 min read

Oct 30, 2019

(THIS IS NOT) A REVIEW OF “THE HERBERT MACAULAY AFFAIR”

(THIS IS NOT) A REVIEW OF “THE HERBERT MACAULAY AFFAIR” By Innocent Chizaram Ilo Starring: Duke Elvis, Martha Orhiere, Saidi Balogun, William Benson Director: Imoh Umoren Genre: Historical Drama Release: October 25, 2019 Language: English Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes So yesterday I went to see “The Herbert Macaulay Affair”…

5 min read

Oct 2, 2019

WHY DO WE MYSTIFY THE BODIES OF OUR DAUGHTERS?

WHY DO WE MYSTIFY THE BODIES OF OUR DAUGHTERS? This is going to contain some deeply-embarrassing personal events of my not-so-interesting life. I grew up in Aba-- a bustling, congested, commercial town in southeastern Nigeria. My father, my mother, my brother, my two sisters and I, lived in a volatile…

6 min read

Sep 23, 2019

ABA

ABA Aba smells of mingled bursting hopes and shriveled dreams. On Monday mornings, the sky is stark blue with a sprinkling of white. Emenike, the roadside mechanic, is already sniffing the gallons of engine oil to decide the one he will adulterate. Mama Akara’s shop is tinged with the sizzling…

4 min read

Sep 2, 2019

Confidential

Confidential Innocent Chizaram Ilo DEAR GOD, We talked a year ago, on a Sunday, during the Thanksgiving Service for my husband’s successful prostate surgery. My husband Dele, my sons; Ade and Bolu, and myself were kneeling on the altar. …

2 min read

Aug 26, 2019

FOR TODAY AND ALL THE DAYS YOU DIDN'T BELONG

FOR TODAY AND ALL THE DAYS YOU DIDN'T BELONG INNOCENT CHIZARAM ILO The call comes in a few minutes before the end of my shift. "Is this the BBC?" The voice at the other end asks between gasps and short breaths. "Yes, Madam. This is the Durban Sub-Office. Who am I…

14 min read