ZamaShort #19 Illegal Carpentry by Uchechukwu Nwaka
ZamaShort #19 Illegal Carpentry by Uchechukwu Nwaka
Things have never been the same since a Glutton God was summoned through a Sentient Gate and wreaked havoc. Life is a daily struggle for Akachi taking care of her ailing sister Akunna. But Akachi has a plan. Determined to become a proficient Carpenter able to craft and pass through Sentient Gates into other worlds, even though she was rejected entry into the Royal Carpenters. She will become the best illegal Carpenter she can and cure her sister, or die trying.
“‘Illegal Carpentry’ is a perfect blend of ambition, familial love, perseverance, hope, and magic, set in an incredibly riveting world.”
— Oluwatomiwa Ajeigbe, Ignyte Award winner.
“In ‘Illegal Carpentry’, Nwaka builds a world of gods, gates, and forbidden craft, but beneath the fantastical premise is a story about the things we do to survive and the people we are willing to do them for. Nwaka uses this fantastical world to channel familiar realities, bringing us into a world where even the gods have demands to make of the vulnerable, and love, however genuine, cannot always protect us from the systems that keep us trapped. ‘Illegal Carpentry’ reminds us that sometimes, the things we do to save the people we love are also the things that bind us to their suffering.”
— Nana Sule, author of Not So Terrible People.
Released: 1st November 2026.
Available Here:
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The ZamaShort imprint series is solely focused on the amazing powerhouse that is the short story. We give each short story its own publication so that it may be read and enjoyed fully as a stand-alone publication. As per the StoryTime Publishing mandate initialised in 2007, ZamaShort continues to champion and add to the ever-growing canon of African literature excellence and diversity.