The Markas

This anthology is an outcome of literary writers' reaction to the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-eastern part of Nigeria. Lives therein have not only been extensively disrupted by the group's violent tactics and the mind-numbing levels of physical destruction and thousands of deaths, but also in the dislocation of millions of people, with most of them seeking refuge in urban centres, especially Maiduguri, for safety. These refugees, classified as Internally Displaced Persons and in camps guarded by Nigerian soldiers, have received worldwide attention. Writers in the affected areas and elsewhere in Nigeria have responded in their poetry, short stories, and non-fiction some of which are collected here.