Introduction

For over a decade, Will This Be A Problem?  has been dedicated to showcasing the rich world of speculative fiction by African writers. From the beginning, our vision was ambitious: we wanted to extend beyond Kenya, compensate writers fairly for their work, and see our publications gracing the shelves of local and international bookstores.

With each passing year, we have worked tirelessly toward these goals—welcoming stories from an ever-growing list of countries, awarding prizes to our top stories, and building relationships with our writers that extend beyond the page. 

Now, with our fifth anthology, we are thrilled to announce the realisation of these founding ambitions. Every writer and artist involved will be paid, and our contributors now include voices from nations that had not previously submitted. Most excitingly, Issue V will be available in print—paperback and hardcover!

Achieving these milestones, however, brought an unexpected challenge: to sustain this level of quality and support, we would need to sell Issue V. Historically, WTBAP? has offered all stories free to read, so we found ourselves questioning if this change might affect the spirit of accessibility that has always defined us.

Fortunately, a solution emerged organically. The quality of this year’s submissions was so high that we were left with incredible stories we couldn’t fit into the anthology but were extremely reluctant to let go of. From this abundance, a new idea was born. Going forward, our flagship publication, Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology will be a paid release. Alongside it, we’re launching Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine, a digital publication that allows us to share more stories freely while still paying our writers. 

With this evolution, we are excited to expand our offerings, support African SFF writers, and stay true to the spirit of WTBAP, bringing speculative fiction from Africa to an ever-growing audience. While the first issue is strictly fiction, we aim to expand the catalogue to include interviews with writers, book reviews and essays in future editions. 

This premiere issue of Will This Be A Problem? The Magazine features a curated selection of works that complement Will This Be A Problem? The Anthology, offering a unique reading experience. The stories presented here run the gamut of speculative fiction and fantasy: winged mythical creatures, spaceship adventures, magical maps, enchanted markets, and cave-dwelling giants. However, they are not copies of worn-out tropes – they are stories rooted in the human experience. Here, you will find the universal themes of family with parents and children, love and hate, and the conflicts of culture and tradition. 

Showcased in this issue are: an unconventional guide to discovering and navigating a mysterious otherworld by Florence Onyango, a treacherous tale of rejection, betrayal and ancient mysteries on the shores of Lake Turkana from Anyango Midamba, a trippy sci-fi adventure featuring irreverent siblings and talking planets by Mwenya Chikwa, a gut-wrenching exploration of just how haunting intergenerational trauma can be by Franscine Machinda, and a moving portrayal of a girl and her ghosts by Peace Mundia.

This magazine would not be possible without the assistance of my co-editors, Amadin Ogbewe and Akal Mohan, Peter Marco’s brilliant illustrations and Kevin Rigathi’s excellent art direction. Special thanks to Shiro Mutero, who fought for these stories’ rights!  

The continuation of this magazine depends on the enthusiasm of its readers, and we are deeply grateful for your support. If you have downloaded the first issue, I thank you.

Olivia Kidula