Toni Kan, a Nigerian writer, holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Lagos. A magazine editor at twenty-six, he left journalism to pursue a career in communications and public relations, and has worked in the banking, telecommunications, and publishing industries. He is the author of six books, including the story collection Nights of the Creaking Bed, and is editor of The Sunday Sun Revue, a literary supplement. He has received many accolades, including the Ken Saro Wiwa NNDC Prize and a writing fellowship from the Heinrich Böll Foundation. (updated 10/2010)

American Short Fiction, in choosing “The Harbinger” for its Best of the Web feature, wrote: “Kan’s story is a devastating exploration of honor, love, and the desperation of a family during a time of war. It’s told lyrically, in dreamlike sentences that pull you in from the first line. There are stories we like, stories we love, and stories that change us. . . . You’ll feel different after [reading “The Harbinger”]. Something in your heart or consciousness or stomach will, like it or not, change.”