Few Are Roaming
A collection of Short Stories
Few Are Roaming explores the breakdown of sanity and spirituality in a world that is already broken down–a world like Nigeria.
The anthology takes its title from the Nigerian phrase, “many are mad, but few are roaming”–a saying used to mock those visibly insane while acknowledging a deeper truth: we are all mad, just quietly so. In a society that reserves the label of “madman” for those who roam the streets, Few Are Roaming turns the lens inward, displaying the hidden madness embedded in everyday life. These fifteen stories interrogate the archetype of the madman in African fiction, asking: what happens when we stop laughing at the madness outside, and start recognizing it in our own homes, relationships, and culture?
Across fifteen narratives, we explore insanity through multiple angles; from love stories gone wrong and the prosecutions of everyday market life to bold ventures into Afrofuturism and fantasy. In this anthology, madness and anger become sisters, reflecting what it means to live, love, and lose one’s footing in a country where many are mad, but few are roaming.
These collection showcases three emerging literary voices who refuse to look away from the madness woven into everyday survival, and who hope to instead start bold, new conversations about the world we have come to accept.
Meet the writers
Damilola Omotoyinbo
Damilola is a Nigerian Creative Writer and Software Engineer. Through our residency, she received mentorship towards, and secured admission to a fully-funded Masters of Fine Arts program in the US. Few Are Roaming is her first print publication. She is also a fellow of the Emma Bombeck Writers’ workshop and the Ebedi International Writers' Residency. She is the winner of the 2023 Writivism Poetry Prize, the joint winner of the SEVHAGE-KSR Hyginus Ekwuazi Poetry Prize, a finalist for the 2022 African Writers Awards, She was shortlisted for the 2024 Bridport Prize. She has received Pushcart and Best of the Net nominations. Damilola also received the 2026 DC Stanfa Memorial Writers’ award at the University of Ohio. She has work published in POETRY Magazine, Poetry Ireland, Prairie Schooner, SwanPink, Lolwe, Olongo, NND Poetry Column, The Deadlands, Agbowó, Midnight & Indigo Lit, and elsewhere. Damilola has an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry.
Chidera Udochukwu
Chidera is a Nigerian writer and pharmacist of Igbo descent. Through KNH's residency, she wrote a short story called ALKALINE, which was the runner up in the 2024 K & L FICTION PRIZE, and was shortlisted for the 2024 AKACHI CHUKWUEMEKA PRIZE FOR LITERATURE. Few Are Roaming is her first print publication. Before working with KNH, she won second prize in the 2023 AS ABUGI PRIZE and the 2024 IKENGA SHORT STORY PRIZE. She was also shortlisted for the 2023 The Green We Left Behind CNF contest organized by the Arts Lounge Literary Magazine. She was top 10 in the 2023 LIGHT poetry contest. She is the inaugural winner of the 2023 monthly writing contest for the Hilltop Creative Arts Foundation, Lagos chapter. She won the 2022 Movement of the People Poetry Contest, the 2022 Shuzia Songs of Zion Poetry Contest, the 2022 Shuzia Prose Contest.
Roseline Mgbodichinma
Roseline is a Nigerian writer, poet and blogger who is passionate about documenting women's stories. Few Are Roaming is her first fiction print publication. She is currently pursuing a law degree and actively freelancing. She is a Contributing fiction editor for barren Magazine, a Nairobi fiction writing workshop (NF2W) scholarship recipient, and a SprinNG alumna. Before working with KNH, Roseline won the audience favourite award for the Okada books and union bank campus writing challenge, she is the third prize winner for the PIN food poetry contest. Her work has been published on Isele, Native Skin, Down River Road, Amplify, JFA human rights mag, Blue marble review, Kalahari Review, Indianapolis review, the hellebore and elsewhere.