The Arts-Muse Fair

—Sirajo Abdulazeez Illo Literature possesses the ability to transport readers to uncharted territories of the mind, where mystical realms intertwine with the fabric of reality. Umar Abubakar Sidi, a renowned poet and a helicopter pilot with the Nigerian Navy, has firmly established his presence in the African literary landscape through his work in which we find him seamlessly merging elements of sufism and surrealism together. With two critically acclaimed poetry volumes, The Poet of Dust and Like Butterflies Scattered About By Art Rascals, Sidi has captivated readers with his evocative metaphors, concise imagery, and insightful explorations of the enigmatic. Now, with the impending release of his debut novel, The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus, by Masobe Books, Sidi is adopting the guise of a novelist to take readers on another journey delving into mystery. We do not have to read excerpts from The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus before we, readers of Umar Abubakar

  The face of Badi’atul Jamal, maiden of pure incense, mermaid with the tail of the golden fish, lady of the lavender mist, princess of the light of the skies, queen plenipotentiary, invader of the hearts of men, of male demons, of male spirits and androgynous ghosts, pops up before you. You stare. The tongues of your heart protrude like a chameleon’s, lick her smiles and kiss her dimples. A silent, invisible spear emanates from the heart of her eye and pierces your heart. The cast iron armour, a protective charm Audu Baduku, the half-demon, half-human, crippled cobbler wizard gave you, is helpless as the spear drives through your heart with the ease of a needle piercing a lump of wool. As the spear sears your heart, your countenance changes. You are surprised. A mere spear penetrating a charm of Audu Baduku, the interpreter of the language of the invisible spirits, guardian of the shrine of blood and skulls, the master, discoverer of the seventy-seven condensed mediums of sorcery? Sud