Tobiloba Afolayan Presents Shina! in Ibadan, a Nigerian Retelling of Samson and Delilah

Paperworth Books held a book reading and signing for Shina!, the second novel by Nigerian author Tobiloba Afolayan, at The Booksellers on Saturday, 11 April 2026. The event drew readers and book lovers from across the city for an afternoon of readings, conversation, and a signing session with the author.

The event was anchored by Kayode Sanni and moderated by Adedolapo Ogunwuyi, who also delivered a book review on behalf of Paperworth Books. In her review, she described the novel as “the best I have read this year” and said it challenged every expectation she had going in.

“If you think you already know this story, this book will prove you wrong,” she told the audience.

Shina! is a contemporary Nigerian retelling of the Samson and Delilah narrative. It follows Shina Adeyemi, a public activist and man of purpose whose secret makes him both powerful and vulnerable. Lilah, an ambitious journalist, enters his life and sets off a chain of events that tests love, loyalty, and the cost of truth in a country where both are scarce.

Tobiloba read from two sections of the novel during the event. The first placed Shina at the centre of a crowd in Ibadan, breaking open a government warehouse filled with hoarded emergency relief supplies. The second showed him on his knees in a private room, confessing to Lilah the prophecy spoken over him at birth.

Speaking during a conversation with Adedolapo Ogunwuyi, Tobiloba explained that the Nigerian setting came naturally.

“It was simply the only place I know well enough to write about honestly,” she said. “Right now, we need someone like Shina. We already have one in Very Dark Man. We just need more of them.”

On the character of Lilah, she noted that the decision to draw from Delilah directly, rather than from a specific Nigerian figure, came from the original text.

“Delilah could not have betrayed Samson without wanting something in return,” she said. “For someone with the drive and ambition of a journalist, that something could only be career defining.”

The evening ended with an autograph session. Shina! is published by Paperworth Books and is available for purchase at www.paperworthbooks.com.

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Laipo Magazine is the official publication of the Ibadan Book and Arts Festival, documenting literary events, book culture, and creative conversations across Nigeria.

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