Adigun the Novel

Synopsis

The Coming Of Age Of The African Male Child

The phenomenon of human trafficking, though as old as human society, is receiving global attention and considerable political effort is being applied to the fight against it . The focus of these efforts has been primarily on female children in general, including African female children trafficked for purposes of prostitution and other forms of indentured servitude. Trafficking of the African male child has received far less attention, despite the simple fact that it exists.

The pressures of poverty and the inherent psychological damage of colonialism have resulted in a brisk trade of young African boys and men under the auspices of narcotics smuggling. The perpetrators have created a pathway for the African male child, whose solution to the inadequacies of the continent is escape to the ‘greener’ pastures of the Americas, Europe or anywhere away from the continent of Africa. They prey on the dreams and desires of these gullible children who seek a better life on other continents. They offer alternatives to the common avenues for illegal migration – stowing away on merchant vessels, walking miles into the Sahara, or visa violations – exploiting the reality that the coming of age of the African child has become indistinguishable from the desire to reach western world.

The book, Adigun, is the author’s rendition of this reality, while conveying the beauty of the African tradition and picturesque natural environment; showing the world the disparate elements of the coming of age of the African male child. The title character,

in his mid-teens felt constrained to head out to the foreign land and was lured into a trap by evil adults. The author clearly highlights the harsh reality of the journey and the truth that awaits the trafficked.

Adigun, is an intriguing novel, playing across three continents, that illustrates the delicate inter-play of diverse cultural influences in a sprawling narrative that spans several decades. This story captures the enduring power of friendship, family and human bonding that survives (and often conquers) cultural dislocation.

Meet the Author

Gbenga Sokefun, is a multi-talented Nigerian-American author, lawyer and industrialist. He has always remained around the creatives, despite other career goals. Born in 1965 into a family of very creative people. His father, the late Remi Sokefun was a pioneer broadcaster, with WNTV, the first TV station in Africa and was controller of programs when television started in Lagos, Nigeria. His mother is a celebrated chorister and a lover of the church hymnal classics. Both parents had very strong influences in his thirst for creative expression . He spent many years as a legal practitioner and worked as an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. His creative zeal got him to move from the administrative and legal side of music into the production and management of musical talents. He was instrumental in the development of his sister, TY Bello’s music career and indeed gifted her, her first professional camera. He was amongst the pioneers of the present day Afro beat genre. He founded Question Mark Records with his friend Kevin Luciano Gabriel, a label that birthed the international career of the likes of Asa, Mode9, Silver Sadih, to mention a few. Gbenga’s passion for law and writing triggered his interest in creative writing. Adigun is his first attempt at organizing his many stories into a full fledged fiction novel. His style uniquely delivers fiction as real as it could, painting fiction with a brush so real you can feel it. In this book, he attempts to showcase the very diverse nature of the Nigerian culture whilst still addressing a very terrible social plague, human trafficking. In the book Adigun, he utilized near-life characters and introduces scenes with breath taking graphics, illustrated life artist’s brush on canvas.

Off work, he is an avid golfer, a sailor,

a lover of animals and enjoys equestrian sports, particularly polo.

Meet the Editor

Maxwell Marshall has built a diverse, multi-disciplinary professional career born of his fundamental interest in seeing the transition from “good idea” to “impact on reality”. Based on his innate qualities and experience, he has functioned as Team-Member, Collaborator, and Leader over the past 22 years as an architect, consultant, and social entrepreneur in enterprises that include Program Development, Capacity Building, Communications, Training, and Business Process Management.

Maxwell’s literary interests make him an avid reader and his forays into writing include his blog, The Domestic Inmate on Medium, and his upcoming children’s book series.

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Synopsis

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