Complex Metaphors and Naming features poet and Mississippi State University professor Saddiq Dzukogi in conversation with poet and fabric designer Star Zahra, whose sophomore collection, Girls and the Silhouette of Form, won the 2025 Association of Nigerian Authors/KMVL Prize for Poetry. Dzukogi was also a finalist for the ANA Prize for Poetry in 2012, 2014, and 2016. The interview was recorded in March 2025.
Girls and the Silhouette of Form deepens her exploration of womanhood, form, and memory. Beyond writing, she creates textile art that engages cultural preservation, sustainability, and the composite African experience.
Four Poems from Girls and the Silhouette of Form | Star Zahra (Masobe Books)
Four Poems from Girls and the Silhouette of Form | Star Zahra (Masobe Books)
Four Poems from Girls and the Silhouette of Form | Star Zahra (Masobe Books)
Zahra’s literary journey began early. Her debut collection, The Dance of Dawn (2018), published when she was just seventeen, went on to be adopted as a set text at the University of Abuja and other institutions. With Girls and the Silhouette of Form, she not only expanded her poetic voice but also made history as the first female poet published by Masobe Books, the vibrant publishing house founded by Othuke Omniabohs.
So, I understand what it means to come into the peace of wild things – like lakes – who do not tax themselves with the afterthought of thoughts.