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Curandera explores the darker elements of shamanism, desire and friendship. In the mountainous town of Gethsemane, 17th century Cape Verde, a mysterious woman''s arrival sparks a series of strange events that will leave the town''s inhabitants changed - men sporadically blind in the afternoons, children disappearing and reappearing without warning and infertile women pregnant with the memories of past births. In present day London, a quartet are brought together by their fascination with ritual, miracles, and a life beyond the mundane. Botanist Therese lives with Azacca, a Haitian musician who leaves offerings, Peruvian drifter Emilien who is haunted by the past and adventurous Finn, who is increasingly drawn to living life on the edge. With the past and present beginning to blur into one, Curandera is a story of rebirth and redemption, a mythic tale of recalibrations across time.
About the author
Irenosen Okojie is a Nigerian British author whose work pushes the boundaries of form, language and ideas. Her debut novel, Butterfly Fish, and short story collections, Speak Gigantular and Nudibranch, have won and been nominated for multiple awards. Her journalism has been featured in The New York Times, the Observer, the Guardian and the Huffington Post. She was a Contributing Editor for The White Review and a co-presenter of the BBC's Turn Up for The Books podcast. She has also judged various literary prizes including the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Gordon Burn Prize and the BBC National Short Story Award. She was a judge for the 2023 Women's Prize for Fiction. Vice Chair of the Royal Society of Literature, she was awarded an MBE For Services to Literature in 2021. She is the director and founder of Black to the Future festival.
