Ayanna Lloyd Banwo

Port Angeles, Trinidad. In the sun-drenched alleys, the shouts of merchants mingle with the chirping of birds. There is a smell of spices and ripe fruit. Under shady trees rests Fidelis, the island’s ancient cemetery. Here, Emmanuel works as a gravedigger. The young Rastafarian has left home to find his father. Yejide’s family is descended from the Corbeaux, the raven vultures who stand guard at the gate between the world of the dead and the living. They can speak with the dead and ease the way into the other world. When Emmanuel and Yejide meet, a magical love story begins where life ends.

Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, born in Trinidad in 1980, is pursuing a PhD in Creative and Critical Writing at the University of East Anglia. Her previous writings include short stories. When We Were Birds (2023) is Banwo’s first novel. She lives in London.

Language: English