No One Dies Yet
Kobby Ben Ben
Jonathan Ball Publishers
Review: Karen Watkins
Ben Ben’s debut novel heralds his arrival as a new voice in modern African literature.
This inventive and emotionally charged psychological thriller is set in 2019 against the backdrop of Ghana’s “Year of Return”, 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghana for America.
Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo has welcomed the African diaspora to return and get to know the land of their ancestors.
Three American friends, Elton, Vincent and Scott arrive in the steamy equatorial country to reconnect with their African roots.
Their activities are told by their two combative local guides: witty and self-aware Kobby, a book reviewer who might be able to show them the underground queer scene, and Nana, who wants to protect the travellers from the dangers he sees through his religious beliefs and sense of tradition.
The sinister sub-plot unfolds with a series of murders that add suspense and intrigue to the story as they threaten to unravel the relationships of the characters.
The story drags at times and is unfocused, possibly because Ben Ben tackles multiple themes, from Ghanaian history to the tense relationship within the Fante and Ashanti ethnic groups and the complexities of queerness in this society.
However, it is worthwhile persevering. While the language and use of Twi without explaining and proverbs/folklore within is irritating, the vivid descriptions of the steaminess and urban chaos of Accra are superb.
Having visited Ghana’s south coast I expected a story about castles and slavery but got a book with a hook that is impossible to resist.
At times it’s a hilarious and irreverent read and should come with a content warning.
It’s a book that illustrates the tradition and modernity of this African country and is highly recommended to anyone interested in Africa and the black experience of being gay in this continent.