Anesu Ngwenya
anesungwenya143@gmail.com
Blerds: When Two Worlds Collide
A long read about black culture and anime. It explores a range of issues including anime’s popularity in the black community, black fans and their struggle in fandoms and the way black people are represented within anime. It also looks at how black culture and anime have inspired each other (think Megan Thee Stallion and Samuel L. Jackson). Anesu Ngwenya spoke to content creators, cosplayers and other black creatives for the story.
Image Credit: Anesu Ngwenya
Behind The Scenes: The Ins and Outs of Fandom Culture (podcast)
This self-hosted podcast episode discusses why people enjoy being in fandoms. Anesu Ngwenya is joined by Meredith Hrebenak (a mental health counsellor) and Awais Hussian (a former stan, or “stalker fan”) to discuss their own experiences with fandoms and how fans can partake in a healthy and safe way. By the end of this podcast, the listener will have got to grips with fandom culture and see a side of it that is not discussed in mainstream media.