Boys Are Not Stones Anthology

Boys Are Not Stones Anthology is a collection of artistic prowess of writers across Africa and beyond who understand the plight of the boy-child and gave their voice to the course.

Cover Art by Stefn Sylvester

According to Jamiu Ahmed, a co-initiator of The Boy Child Day campaign and co-editor of this anthology,

"The first objective of humanity is selflessness. Being altruistic and selfless is showing unselfish concern for the welfare of others.

"The society have been wired such a way that it has considered the boys as lifeless as a stones, everyone has forgotten they are humans like every other being, with their own pains, fears, emotions and insecurities.
It's unfair and biased of the society to neglect them, because they deserve every single care, attention and support just like every other humans.

Hundreds of entries was received for the anthology. And after a rigorous work by the editors: John Chizoba Vincent, Stefn Sylvester and Jamiu Ahmed, poems that meet the standard were selected, others, declined.

Below is the list of published writers and their corresponding works in this anthology:

- THIS IS THE LAST by BETT RICKCARD KIPRUTO

- BOYCHILD by AYEYEMI TAOFEEK

- VOICE OF THE BOYCHILD by BUIKEM NWACHUKWU

- A CERTAIN TIME by ANTHONY ALEXZ
- FREEDOM by BIYI COLE

- BOYS ARE NOT STONES by ODILIGI HENRY

- STILL LEAVE ME A BOY, OH! GOD!  by UDE IBIAMUFIEM

- ROCKY BONES by NWOKEABIA IFEANYI JOHN
- BLACK BOYS by WISDOM DAVID
- WANDERING VOICES by EZEOKWUOHA CHIDOZIE
- BROKEN MASCULINITY by ONWUZURUIKE CHIDERA

- AKANNI, MY SON by MCCOY MAJOR GOLDING
- A BOY IN THE MARKET by OJEIKHODION EMMANUEL
- BOYS ARE NOT STONES IN BETWEEN STONES by ISOBOYE KALAIWO DANAGOGO
- VOICE FOR BOYS by MUSA OMOBOLAJI DAVID
- THIS FLAT CHEST HAS A HEART by AGI NUEL OYI

- NO MORE PLASTIC BALLS by WILSON WAISON TINOTENDA
- UNREASONABLE JUSTICE by RAYMOND MAYOWA
- BOYCHILD: NOT A MANTLE FOR SLAVERY by TIJANI SUCCESS OLADOTUN
- BOYCHILD by SANDY P
- HEAR OUR VOICE by OCHONOGOR IFEANYI EXCEL
- LETTER TO A BOY by DRE SHEDRACH
- BOYS ARE NOT STONES bY CHANDA JOHN

- FATHER by PETRONELLA NYIRENDA
- WHEN GOD CREATED A BOY CHILD by TEMIDAYO OPEYEMI JACOB
- HIDDEN TEARS by RILDWAN OLADEJO
- VOICES FOR THE VOICELESS by MUHAMMAD AUWAL IBRAHIM
- THE GOD IN ME by OBASA OLUWAFUNMILAYO
- EVERY DROP OF TEARS by SOKUNBI TAIWO
- I AM A BOY by FRANCISCA OGECHI OKWULEHIE
- REVISITING BOYHOOD BY ADESINA AYOBAMI IDRIS
- SALIM THE HUNGRY by TAJ LUTALO
- DEMIGODS OF AGONY by AYOUBA TOURE
- SOME BOYS ARE BITTER STRUGGLES by VILLAGE WRITER
- HOW I BECAME THE STREET BOY by ONAH EDWIN CHINWENDU
- BEFORE WE GET DOOMED by EMMIASKY OJEX
- THE BOY CHILD by PRICELESS PEN
- FOR THE BOYS SEARCHING FOR PLACES by SIMEON AKALA
- LIVE AND LETS LIVE by QUAYYIM ABDUL-HAFEEZ ADEDIMEJI
- BEYOND THE LIGHTS: DREAM OF A BOYCHILD by ALEXANDER IZANG HARUNA
- ADAMS OF PAIN by TOCHUKWU DANIEL
- BOYS ARE NOT STONES by TESTIMONY JESUTOFUNMI
- BRO by PETER IJEOMA
- MEN DRY OFF TOO by BOLAJI AJAYI
- GIVE HIM TONE by JUDAISKY CARES
- SHADES OF FEELINGS by BILL IVANS
- A HOME FOR A BOY by ONAFOWOKAN TAOFEEK
- BOYS BEAR SCARS TOO by I AM EMMANUEL
- TRAVAILS OF A BOY CHILD by JOEL UDO
- BOYS CRY TOO by ELIJAH OLASUNKANMI ODETOKUN
- THE BOY CHILD by CHANDA CHONGO
- MAMBO TUNAHITAJI UNLEARN by MARYAM ABDULLAHI
- 100 DEGREE by MANDHLA MAVOLWANE
- MY CRY by RICHARDS O. SILAS
- FOR ALMAJIRI BOYS WHO LEARN GOD ON WOODEN BLACK SLATES by ADESINA AJALA
- BOYHOOD by ADENIRAN JOSEPH
- DEAR BOY by AHMAD ADEDIMEJI AMOBI
- DONT BIRTH BOYS HERE by ONYINYECHI OKORIE
- I AM A BOY by DAVID AJELETI
- FOR THE BOYCHILD by PASCHAL AMUTA
- TO BE by WISDOM OTIKOR
- I AM A MAN by OPIA-ENWEMUCHE MAXWELL ONYEMAECHI
- HIDDEN WOUND by DANLADI NENGAK PRECIOUS
- THE YEN OF A BOYCHILD by OLIVE CHINYERE AMAJUOYI
- I WAS TAUGHT THAT YOU ARE A MAN by ANDREW IFEATU JENNIFER
- BE A MAN by AMBASSADOR DANIEL AMAKOR
- HE by KRISTIANA BAWA
- WITHERED PETALS by DIPE JOLA
- BOYS HAVE TEARS TOO by OKEKE CHUKWUWIKE GODWIN
- MY ADVENTURE WITH MISFORTUNE by AKINTAYO YUSUF HALIMAH, OLUWATUDIMU
- THE BOYCHILD by MARYAM ABDULLAHI
- I'M A LITTLE BOY, NOT GOD by AKINBOADE ELIJAH AKILOLU
- BROKEN VOICES by EMMANUEL ADEDAYO OMOTOYOSI
- THE BOY CHILD by AJAKAYE RASHIDAT OLAMIDAYO
- BOYS ARE HUMANS TOO by FRANCA MARTINS IGWE
- BOYS ALSO HAVE SCARS by OLANIYI OLOLADE
- HOW I BECAME A MAN by KOLADE MALIK ADEMOLA
- FOR THE BOYCHILD by ALUGA, LUPER MICHAEL
- HOW DOES A BOY REWRITE THIS TALE? by RAPHAEL ADURA
- BOYS ARE NOT STONES by OPTIMISTIC POET
- VOICE FROM THE NORTH by MUHAMMAD AUWAL IBRAHIM
- JUST BECAUSE I AM A BOY by KYENSHAK POLYCARP
- WOES OF THE BOY CHILD by MICHAEL KWAMENA ANNOBIL
- A PORTRAIT OF ABATI by ABDULLAH SALISU
- WHAT'S AMISS by Y R HUMBLE
- SHACKLES AND SHEKELS by ADESHINA AJALA
- LETTER TO MY SON: HOPE OF A PRISONER by AZI OLIVER ATSEN
- SUICIDE NOTE by STEPHEN M. MUTUKU
- BOYS, NOT ALIENS by OJO ADEWALE IYANDA
- AFTER THE RAIN by AKINBOADE ELIJAH AKINLOLU
- STARTING OVER by THERESA AMORI
- BOYS ARE NOT STONES by PRECIOUS CHIJIOKE
- LIFE OF A BOY CHILD by PRISCILLA C. ABONYI
- INTO THE WIND by YETUNDE MORENIKEJI