Men Under Pressure

At this year's African Book Festival, Bisi Alimi hosted a conversation on the topic of men under pressure with JJ Bola and Fikri Anil Altintas.

How can men take responsibility—both individually and collectively—especially when racialized perceptions simultaneously cast them as potential threats? A conversation on responsibility, solidarity, and reimagining masculinity as a shared social project.

But the three men could not agree on how—or even whether—men could be allies and need to talk. So, the conversation continues, moderated by Celia Parbey.

JJ Bolais a writer, poet, mental health social worker, and UNHCR ambassador from Kinshasa, DR Congo. He is the author of the nonfiction book*Mask Off: Masculinity Redefined*, which was translated into German as*Sei Kein Mann*.
Fikri Anil Altintas isa poet and novelist. In October 2025, the ARD documentary “Toxic Masculinity – Where Does the Anger Toward Women Come From?” was broadcast, which addresses violence against women. He volunteers as a #HeForShe Germany ambassador for UN Women Germany. His new children’s book (co-authored with Paul Brodowsky), “30 Real Boys – Brave, Emotional, and True to Themselves,” is scheduled to be published in August by Hanser.
Bisi Alimi isa British-Nigerian gay rights activist, public speaker, blogger, and HIV/LGBT advocate who gained international attention when he became the first Nigerian to come out on television. He has written many controversial opinion pieces, including “Men Can’t Be Feminists.”