Fiction on the Fringes
™
Fiction on the Fringes ™
Experimental short stories in conversation with African people, art, and worldviews.
Our Who.
We are a women-led team of writers, researchers, and artists who care deeply about identity and representation in art.
Simi and Feyisayo, circa 2008
Simi and Feyisayo, circa 2023
Kokonut Head Media was born out of the liberating power of fiction that celebrates identity while pushing boundaries.
Growing up, sisters Simi and Feyisayo Aluko discovered the first wave of African fiction in secondary school, and have never been the same. For the first time, the stories they read reflected a world they recognized: their ways of doing, ways of speaking, and the everyday cultural forces they knew.
At university, their love deepened into a technical understanding of identity-based storytelling. Feyisayo pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing, going on to win a Tribeca Film Festival award for her work. Simi studied a minor in Theatre with a focus on playwriting, and was awarded the Sudler Prize for Achievement in the Arts, which was the highest honour at her school.
At the same time, they were building KNH through a digital blog. Coaching more than thirty writers across genres, they began to notice a trend that could distill the liberating force of the very fiction that had shaped them.
Ten years later, Kokonut Head Media has been relaunched with a sharper and more urgent mission: to usher in a new wave of African fiction that will affirm and transform young readers the way the first wave had transformed them.
Our Why.
At KNH, we believe that stories shape our collective imagination. That’s why it's our mission to pave the way for the next generation of African fiction greats.
Many years after the first generation of greats, we are hungry for a culture-shaping body of contemporary work. However, the economic forces acting against today’s industry are making it harder than ever for grounded work to reach the world.
Many African fiction writers face mounting pressure to Westernize their stories in pursuit of a global audience. In many cases, without a sustainable path to make a living while writing fiction in conversation with African people, ideologies, and art, emerging writers may begin to change their writing to survive.
KNH exists to build infrastructure to support the next generation of African fiction greats on their journey. Our goal is to ensure that writers who are committed to preserving our cultural soul in their work have a sustainable financial and artistic path to do so. By funding, coaching, and publishing writers who share our vision, we’re ushering in a new era of African fiction that inspires innovation while celebrating who we are.
Our What.
The primary vehicle this work is our Writers in Residence program. We identify emerging African fiction writers committed to grounded storytelling, and support them through the difficult early stages of their careers with financial stipend, editorial coaching, and a publishing deal.
Every story we publish adds to a growing body of work. By 2040, our goal is to have published 200 stories in a culture-shaping collection that reflects the nuance and diversity of African experiences.
Learn more about our Writers in Residence program here.
Your Impact.
If you share in our vision, there are a few ways to support our work.
Make a Donation
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, your contribution goes directly toward sustaining our Writers in Residence program, supporting emerging writers, and building the body of work this generation deserves. If you prefer, you can donate via Zelle using the handle @kokonutheadmedia
Make a Purchase
The best way to celebrate our work is to read it. Every purchase puts African fiction in more hands, and puts our writers on the map.
A limited edition collector’s paperback for Few Are Roaming’s first community of readers. Carefully crafted, bound, and packed. Delivery in July of 2026.