’Pemi Aguda presents One Leg on Earth, featuring Lena Valencia

“Dark fantasy meets workplace drama in this immersive debut novel and delightfully fresh take on the pregnancy-as-horror-story trope.”—Oprah Daily

One Story is thrilled to welcome author ’Pemi Aguda for a reading and discussion of her debut novel One Leg on Earth. Set in Lagos amidst a spate of mysterious drownings of pregnant women, the novel follows twenty-three-year-old Yosoye who, after discovering she herself is pregnant, finds herself on a collision course with an inexplicable force that is as seductive as it is deadly.

’Pemi will be joined in conversation by Lena Valencia. Their discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A and signing. This event is part of the One Story Writers’ Conference and is free and open to the public.

This event takes place at Poets House, and books will be available for purchase. You can also reserve a book by ordering the "book bundle" option.

About the author:
'Pemi Aguda is the author of One Leg on Earth, and Ghostroots, a National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner finalist. She is from Lagos, Nigeria.

About the moderator:
Lena Valencia is the author of the short story collection Mystery Lights (Tin House Books), which was longlisted for the Story Prize, named a Best Short Story Collection of 2024 by Electric Literature, and a Best Horror Book of 2024 by Esquire. Her fiction has appeared in BOMB, The Baffler, Electric Literature, the anthology Tiny Nightmares, and elsewhere. Her writing has been supported by the Elizabeth George Foundation and the Convent Arts Fellowship. She holds an MFA in fiction from The New School and is the director of educational programming at One Story. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

About the One Story Writers' Conference:
The One Story Writers’ Conference features five days of workshops, craft lectures, panel discussions, readings, and community-building against the backdrop of the scenic Manhattan waterfront. For more information about One Story, visit our website.