🏛️The Speculative Circle – A Newsletter of Imagination & Justice
A Community for Readers Who Believe Stories Can Heal
“Lateness is different from never. A debt acknowledged changes everything.”
Join Ibekwe Paul Chukwuemeka on a Journey of Memory, Justice & Speculative Repair
Author of The City He Never Returned To, I write at the intersection of personal history and national imagination. Here, the conversation continues beyond the final page.
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📖 About the Author
Ibekwe Paul Chukwuemeka was born in Nigeria to parents who survived the civil war. His father, from Umuoti-Inyishi, and his mother, from Obodo-Amaimo, inspired The City He Never Returned To. He is the founder of Akajiofo Press, now based in Brussels.
His work operates at the intersection of personal history and national imagination—dedicated to the “speculative repair” of African history and the amplification of unreturned voices.
“I believe literature can do more than recount the past; it can imagine the architecture of repair.”
“THE CITY HE NEVER RETURNED TO” takes an unexpected turn in this special edition. Described as “A story of time, funny, and larger,” this version by HEARTYFALL CHANNEL CREAM explores memory through a different lens—one that intertwines temporality, unexpected humor, and expansive perspective.
What happens when a serious story meets a touch of the unexpected? How does humor change our relationship with loss and memory?
Experience this unique literary approach
Discover why “funny” can be profound in context
Explore what “larger” truly means in storytelling
Ready for a narrative that defies expectations?
Unlock Your Potential – Get This Special Edition
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Free members receive monthly public essays and announcements. Paid members get exclusive in-depth content, early access, and community features.
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What is “speculative repair”?
It’s the belief that by truthfully remembering our past—especially histories of trauma—we can imagine and build just institutions for the future. This theme runs through my novel and all my writing.
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