Award-winning Cameroonian journalist and gender and disability rights advocate, Comfort Mussa, is set to publish her debut novella, The Shape of Unbroken Things, in August 2026, in what publishers describe as a groundbreaking step towards making literature accessible to all readers.
The book will be published by Bakwa Books, a Cameroon-based publishing house known for promoting African literature and multilingual storytelling. The novella, which will also be released in French under the title Ce Qu'on Ne Brise Pas, is a young adult story that explores identity, resilience, friendship and inclusion through the lives of two teenage girls.
The story follows Iya, a young girl struggling to rebuild her life after losing a limb through amputation. As she adjusts to a new school, she faces isolation and discrimination. Along the way, she develops a close friendship with Mambo, whose mother lives with hearing and speech disabilities. Together, the two girls support each other, finding hope through friendship, creativity and self-discovery.
What makes the publication unique is its strong focus on accessibility. According to Bakwa Books, The Shape of Unbroken Things is more than just a work of fiction. It has been designed to ensure that people with different abilities can enjoy the same story.
The novella will be published as a bilingual English-French tête-bêche edition, allowing readers to begin the story from either end of the book depending on their preferred language. It will also be available in English and French Braille editions, as an electronic book, while an audiobook version is expected to follow.
The Braille editions are being produced in partnership with Coco Bertin and the Inclusive Vocational Training Institute, reflecting the publishers' commitment to making literature accessible to readers with visual impairments. Bakwa Books says the project demonstrates that books can be created for people who read with their eyes, hands, ears and hearts.
Comfort Mussa is widely known in Cameroon for her journalism and advocacy work. She is the founder of SisterSpeak237, a platform dedicated to amplifying underreported stories while promoting gender equality and disability inclusion. The Shape of Unbroken Things marks her first venture into fiction.
The 86-page paperback will be published in August 2026 with ISBN 979-8-9872914-7-4.
Founded in 2011 by writer Dzekashu MacViban, Bakwa has grown into one of Cameroon's leading literary platforms through Bakwa Magazine, Bakwa Books and BakwaCast. The publishing house has released works by renowned African writers, including Mongo Beti, Hemley Boum, Nana Nkweti and Bate Besong, while continuing to champion innovative, multilingual and inclusive African storytelling.
With The Shape of Unbroken Things, Comfort Mussa not only makes her literary debut but also contributes to redefining accessible publishing by ensuring that readers of different abilities can experience the same story in formats that meet their needs.
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