As evidenced by a section called “for” in the middle of this début pamphlet, Akila Richards is a poet in conversation with the world – a world that discriminates, a world that marginalises. The poems in that section make visible the quiet dignity of folk who rarely make the headlines. Versatile in tone, the impassioned protest of A Lived Life sits alongside the silent despair of Deliverance. Elsewhere, Akila celebrates her heritage in The Givers, eschews the cult of shame in Amoral Deity, and recasts Soyinka’s A Telephone Conversation at a German border entry in A Crossing Conversation. Throughout her often experimental work, the quality of witnessing and the ability to extract beauty from the mundane is remarkable, making Ritual for a Mango both celebration and dirge, a true reflection of human existence.
“Akila’s poems inspire us to challenge more, love better, and do better – to hold each other to account as human beings. They are shaped through rhythm, overlaid with imagery – they are rich.” – Kadija Sesay
