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<p>In a fast-paced world where everything seems to blur into the indistinct, the notion of release, of letting go, becomes a necessity. This is the spirit of <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/download/con-scio-magazine-exsolvo-issue-4-vol-2-dec-2024/"><strong>Cá»ÌN-SCÌÒ MAGAZINE Issue 4, Volume 2, December 2024,</strong> as embodied by our theme, <strong>EXSOLVO</strong></a><strong>.</strong> With this Latin word meaning “to loosen” or “to release,” we journey through narratives and imagery that explore the unshackling of burdens, the freedom of creative expression, and the essence of letting go.</p>



<p>A sense of liberation thematically binds the works within this edition, each showing what it means to set oneself free, or in some cases, to be bound. A central part of this edition is undoubtedly <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/features/interviews/the-future-of-african-poetry-fills-me-with-so-much-urgency-a-con-scio-magazine-interview-with-adedayo-agarau/" data-type="post" data-id="41917">our conversation with the celebrated Adedayo Agarau</a>, acclaimed poet, editor, and educator. Adedayo reflects on the intersections between his craft and his personal experiences. He speaks candidly about the themes that have shaped his work, grief, familial memory, cultural specificity, and the responsibility he feels toward his audience. Through his words, we glimpse the transformative power of storytelling, poetry’s force, and the capacity of literature to offer release and resonance.</p>



<p>In the poetry section, you will encounter Hillary Ofukocho Anfofun’s deeply layered piece, <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/poetry/akpabanas-banquet-a-con-scio-poem-by-hillary-ofukocho-anfofun/" data-type="post" data-id="41982">Akpabana’s Banquet</a></em>, where myth and justice intertwine in a dance of reckoning. The award-winning poem paints strong imagery of needed justice for societal recklessness. My poems, <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/poetry/slum-transition-two-con-scio-poems-by-s-sueddie-vershima-agema/" data-type="post" data-id="42029">Slum and Transition</a>, </em>capture the resilience born in the shadows of displacement and give a shot at grief. Thus, one sees the keen interplay of the duality of displacement and survival. Somewhat similarly, Oluwatobi Ezekiel Poroye’s <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/poetry/a-table-where-i-am-the-breakfast-a-con-scio-poem-by-oluwatobi-ezekiel-poroye/" data-type="post" data-id="41996"><em>A Table Where I Am</em> <em>The Breakfast</em> </a>invokes the visceral interplay between personal and national identities in a gripping dance of grief and resilience. On another note, Marial Awendit’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/poetry/rwanda-a-con-scio-poem-by-marial-awendit/" data-type="post" data-id="42000">Rwanda</a></em> chronicles a nation’s rebirth with meditative and charged undertones. And Jakky Bankong-Obi’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/poetry/sweetness-ruin-gummosis-a-con-scio-poem-by-jakky-bankong-obi/" data-type="post" data-id="41974">Sweetness &; Ruin</a></em> unfurls a lyrical exploration of the delicate balance between allure and destruction. Abosede’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/poetry/a-passage-through-time-a-con-scio-poem-by-abosede-ogundare/" data-type="post" data-id="41992">A Passage Through Time</a></em> quietly blends reflection with memory, while Amy Shimson-Santo’s work here explores the intimate and transformative moment of life’s fragility. Ismail Bala’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/poetry/blue-top-a-con-scio-poem-by-ismail-bala/" data-type="post" data-id="41989">Blue Top</a></em> and Derek Ehiorobo’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/poetry/gods-waiting-room-a-con-scio-poem-by-derek-ehiorobo/" data-type="post" data-id="41985">God’s Waiting Room</a> </em>invite readers into deeply personal spaces where human connection and introspection bloom. In all, these poems carry on the spirit of commitment early African writers are known for and act as an extension of some of the thoughts Adedayo pursued in his preceding conversation.</p>



<p>The stories in this edition continue the exploration of our thematic thrust, beginning with Gloria Ogo’s award-winning <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/short-story/the-in-between-a-con-scio-short-story-by-gloria-ogo/" data-type="post" data-id="41979">The In-Between</a></em> which transports readers to the liminal spaces of memory and existence, where the past is both a torment and a teacher. Amira Abdul-Azeez’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/short-story/saving-adanna-a-con-scio-short-story-by-amira-abdul-azeez/" data-type="post" data-id="42021">Saving Adanna</a></em> unpacks the complexity of maternal love amidst mental health struggles, presenting an evocative portrait of fragility and redemption. Then there is <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/short-story/neneh-a-con-scio-short-story-by-ekweremadu-uchenna/" data-type="post" data-id="42024">Neneh</a></em> by Ekweremadu Uchenna, which artfully blends memory, loss, and the cyclical nature of life, personifying trees as sacred totems of familial legacy. Sesugh Iorliam’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/short-story/i-do-a-con-scio-short-story-by-sesugh-iorliam/" data-type="post" data-id="42010">I Do</a></em> reflects on personal growth, fear, resilience, letting go and being rewarded in the face of imagined betrayal and heartbreak, while Ehighocho Ruth James’ <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/short-story/bestie-bestie-a-con-scio-short-story-by-ehighocho-ruth-james/" data-type="post" data-id="42013">Bestie, Bestie</a></em> probes the painful territory of unspoken love and friendship. MaryAnn Ifeanacho’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/short-story/through-thick-and-thin-a-con-scio-short-story-by-maryann-ifeanacho/" data-type="post" data-id="42018">Through Thick and Thin</a></em> contrasts ideals of beauty and identity, offering dual perspectives on self-perception. Together, these stories remind us that breaking free often requires a confrontation with the chains we did not know we carried.</p>



<p>The pictures in this edition are equally enthralling. Taiwo Bisola Owoeye’s <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/conscio/like-the-orange-orb-a-con-scio-photospeak-by-taiwo-bisola-owoeye/" data-type="post" data-id="42049">striking self-portrait</a> embodies the resilience and unyielding spirit under the sun’s piercing gaze. On the other hand, Adeniran Abdbasit Adeyemi’s photographs of <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/conscio/danfo-heartbeat-of-lagos-a-con-scio-photospeak-by-adeniran-abdbasit-adeyemi/" data-type="post" data-id="42034">Lagos’ iconic “danfo” buses</a> encapsulate the city’s bustling dynamism, while Caleb Ishaya Oseshi’s photos reflect the inseparability of humanity and technology in a world perpetually on the move, capturing <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/conscio/in-motion-in-touch-a-con-scio-photospeak-by-caleb-ishaya-oseshi/" data-type="post" data-id="42050">moments of connection in an increasingly digital worl</a>d.</p>



<p>In the final section of this issue, the essays offer a meditative counterbalance. Tola Ijalusi’s review of Aremo Yusuf Balogun’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/conscio/ori-exploring-yoruba-destiny-and-culture-through-spoken-word-poetry-a-con-scio-review-of-aremo-yusuf-baloguns-ori-by-tola-ijalusi/" data-type="post" data-id="42007">ORI</a></em> unravels the concept of destiny within Yoruba cosmology. In a separate piece, he also <a href="https://www.wrr.ng/conscio/for-fathers-who-went-like-this-a-poetic-journey-through-pain-history-and-hope-a-con-scio-review-of-adedayo-agaraus-for-boys-who-went-by-tola-ijalusi/" data-type="post" data-id="41968">reviews Adedayo Agarau’s <em>For Boys Who Went</em></a> while Taofeek Ayeyemi’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/features/essays/my-progenitors-tongue-as-a-fireplace-where-hyperbole-singes-the-feathers-of-euphemism-a-con-scio-essay-by-taofeek-ayeyemi-aswagaawy/" data-type="post" data-id="42069">My Progenitor’s Tongue</a></em> revels in the evocative power of language as a vessel for both expression and liberation. These essays invite readers to pause, think, and engage with the deeper undercurrents of our shared existence. There is also Edwin Mamman’s <em><a href="https://www.wrr.ng/features/essays/medicine-journaling-as-therapy-and-a-journey-to-well-being-a-con-scio-essay-by-edwin-mamman/" data-type="post" data-id="41961">Medicine</a></em> which reminds us of the well-regarded tradition of journaling as therapy.</p>



<p>In general, our theme, EXSOLVO, as explored in this edition calls for introspection and urges us to think deeply and embrace the transformative power of release. Whatever your thoughts, passions, or feelings are, there is something in this edition for you and a lot of room for release.</p>



<p>We are grateful to our many contributors for these gems. To my fellow editors, Kukogho Iruesiri Samson, Ehi-Kowoicho Ogwiji, and Jide Badmus, your dedication has been nothing short of inspiring. And to you, our cherished readers, we invite you to immerse yourself in these pages, to find both solace and awakening and perhaps to discover your exsolvo!</p>



<p class="has-text-align-right"><strong>S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema</strong></p>



<p class="has-text-align-right"><em>Fiction Editor, Cons-cio Literary Magazine</em></p>


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“A Call To Introspection”: An Introduction to ‘EXSOLVO’ — CỌ́N-SCÌÒ MAGAZINE (Issue 4, Vol 2, Dec 2024) by S. Su’eddie Vershima Agema
