Having fun with Jerome, Jack and Yelfa….

Jerome and Jack, the Times’ Africa correspondent and photographer just spent two days with me in Djenne getting involved in Magic. They were here to do a story about the manuscript library, and therefore they met Yelfa, Grand Marabout de Djenne and archivist in the BL project, a figure well known by now to readers of this journal. A new batch of manuscripts had just arrived at the library, including another love talisman. When Yelfa explained that such talismans are still made in Djenne, and that he himself does this sort of work, this proved too much of a temptation for our foreign correspondent who decided he wanted one made for him, with the very specific intention of making his beloved girlfriend Clem not only love him madly forever but also come and live with him in Nairobi, a decision she had found difficult to make.