Is there any relationship more proverbial than the one between a writer and their desk? The location of laboured love, where words, dreams and fantasies flow from the tip of a pen or tap of a keyboard. Sitting down at his beloved desk, essayist Emmanuel Iduma contemplates the smooth wooden surface, his altar for creating stories. He remembers past kitchen tables, dusty library corners and even, as a child, working atop a collapsible ironing board. From Charlotte Brontë's mahogany davenport to Chinua Achebe's modest bureau, the desks of inspiring authors and poets are uncovered and, in between sentences, the rituals of writing arise. Waking in the early morning, Emmanuel walks through the streets of Lagos, stares longingly out of the window, daydreams and brews coffee before returning once again to his intimate workspace.

Tremendous appreciation to Sara Serpa for the track from her album Intimate Strangers, which draws inspiration from Emmanuel Iduma’s book, A Stranger’s Pose (2018). Introduction and outro voiced by Johnny Vivash. Editing and sound design by Tobias Withers. Soundscape by The God in Hackney. Artwork by Karel Martens. Produced by the Extra Extra team.

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