Nathaniel Bivan’s ‘Boys, Girls And Beasts’ Reimagines Impact Of Terrorism On Humanity

Nathaniel Bivan, a journalist, has written a book that looks at terrorism and its impact on the security of humanity

Titled ‘Boys, Girls, and Beasts’, the fictional book follows the story of Jaka, a boy who is captured by a militia in a fictional United Nations of West Africa.

The militia, which originated from outside Earth, plans to take over and rule the planet, which it believes is its own.

But Jaka would regain his senses after undergoing an initiation that earns him an elite status in the terror group.

But his redemption comes at a price. The government of the UNWA would seek to use him, even as he flees a past that haunts him.

The beast nature within him would continually sabotage his attempt to become completely human again.

According to Bivan, the novel was inspired by the Boko Haram insurgency and the attempt by the terror group to forcefully rule Nigeria and West Africa by gaining territories.

Nathaniel Bivan is an independent solutions and conflict journalist. He was Arts Editor for Daily Trust until 2021 and a Features Editor for HumAngle Media for half a decade.

His work has taken him to conflict zones in Plateau, Kaduna, Niger, and Borno states.

He has mentored journalists across Nigeria and West Africa. Notable among these mentorships and trainings are those sponsored by the Solutions Journalism Network on the continent, spearheaded by Nigeria Health Watch. He is the author of five books, including a novella, The World Has Eyes (2011), Flowerblind (2018), a children’s illustrated storybook, 20 Love Letters to the  Christian Fiction Writer (2024), a chapbook, and his debut novel, Boys, Girls and Beasts, also released in 2024.

He is the publishing director for Room Three Press, a publishing house where he currently leads a project aimed at planting between 5 to 10 ‘container’ bookstores by the end of 2027 for children and  teenagers.