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Being an English speaker, I can only read Francophone African literature that has been translated into English - I guess that is a good enough reason to finally learn French. Although I am aware of the fact that there are many, many more books out there not translated that I am missing out on, it's still nice to know that there are a number of translated works that enable me to really explore and experience the variety of Francophone African literature out there.  Here's a look at some Francophone African novels translated into English (a list of Alain Mabanckou, an author whose works I've been dying to read, can be found here). 

Benin and Burkina Faso

Cameroon
 




Congo


Cote d'Ivoire






Djibouti
DRC

Guinea

Mali and Senegal


09:07 8 Comments
African Lives: An Anthology of Memoirs and Autobiographies will be published in March 2013. Here's a synopsis: 

African Lives lets Africans speak for themselves - telling stories of struggle and achievement that have the authenticity of lived experience. The anthology presents selections from the work of many of Africa's finest writers and most significant personalities from across the continent spanning several centuries. Enhancing the material, Geoff Wisner's introduction and biographical notes provide important context for the selections and also highlight the challenges that African memoirs pose to the preconceptions of Western readers. The result is a book that is both an absorbing read and a valuable resource for courses on Africa.

North, West, East, Central and Southern Africa are all covered in this anthology and looking at the partial contents, there are a few of the memoirs that I have on my shelf (Aminatta Forna's The Devil That Danced on Water, Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone, and Binyavanga Wainanina's One Day I Will Write About This Place), many I'd love to read (Nawal El Saadawi's A Daughter of Isis, Leila Abouzeid's Return to Childhood, Emmanuel Dongala's Hollywood, Pirated Videos and Child Soldiers), and ones I've never even heard of but would still love to read (Emilie Ruete's Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar, Jamal Mahjoub's Salamanca, and James R. Mancham's Paradise Raped). 

African Lives might just be the first book of its kind - permission fees make doing this pretty difficult - and I wait in anticipation for its release. To find out more, check out  Geoff Wisner's Peerbackers page (the project needs support towards the cost of permission for some of the works by some amazing African writers), as well as his Twitter and Facebook pages.
09:51 No Comments
I woke up this morning to the most beautiful (and unexpected) surprise and I have just been smiling non-stop ever since. I am sure it's no secret, I absolutely love book covers and I have confessed a number of times that I do sometimes judge a book by its cover. I've looked at cool book covers, different book covers in different countries, and even the African Writers Series. A few months back I started a tumblr dedicated to just that - African book covers. I started it because I wanted to show the diversity and variety of African literature cover designs. It was my ode to African book covers. And now my ode to book covers has made Africa is a Country's Summer List: Africa Tumblrs. 
























On my tumblr, Apostrophekola for Africa is a Country writes: 
"I know there are some out there that think the last full book written by an African is 'Things Fall Apart' and that Africans only write short fiction during the Caine Writing Awards. When you meet such, just direct them to this beautiful tumblr where the author has extensively curated the front covers of books written by Africans, past and present. Whether you are seeking nostalgia (African Writers Series or Pacesetters) or just want to be informed about African authors, this is a tumblr for you". 
To say I was shocked and excited to find out I was on the list is an understatement, and reading that put the biggest smile on my face. I have to say I am also honoured to be on a list with some photo tumblrs I think are ridiculously cool. 


Please do check out my tumblr, African Book Covers.
10:45 No Comments
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About me

Founded in 2011, bookshy represents two things: the young me who was so shy I escaped through books, and the older me whose shelf is always one book shy of being full.

bookshy is a space where I celebrate, promote and recognise contemporary African literature - although sometimes I go back in time to commemorate the greats. It is about the books I love, the books I have read and the books that I am dying to read.

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      • What About Francophone African Literature?
      • Future Release - African Lives: An Anthology of Me...
      • African Book Covers is on Summer List: Africa Tumblrs
      • Meet ... Chibundu Onuzo
      • Book Review: Sue Nyathi's 'The Polygamist'
      • Book Review: Chris Abani's 'Becoming Abigail'
      • Port Harcourt is World Book Capital 2014
      • My Not-So-Secret Wish: African Writers Series
      • Bobo Omotayo's: London Life, Lagos Living Documentary
      • Even More LGBT African Literature
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