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I am such a huge, huge fan of The Millions, an online magazine covering all things literature. It's one of my favourite websites to visit and get lost in.  So imagine my shock late last night when I was reading their Guide to Artistic and Literary Tumblrs, Part III and I saw African Book Covers on the list. I was surprised they knew my tumblr existed and really excited that it made it on a list with really cool tumblrs. 

It's pretty amazing that something I love and enjoy doing gets a mention on The Millions. I have so much fun looking for different African book covers, and always get excited when I find them - whether they are classics or new. Here's to celebrating and appreciating the African book cover, and sharing it along the way. So thank you for the mention Millions. 





Check out the list and links to all the other Tumblrs mentioned here . If you haven't already, my tumblr, African Book Covers. 
11:05 1 Comments
"To celebrate the African novel and its adaptability and resilience, Kwani Trust announces a one-off new literary prize for African writing".  

April 2012, Kwani? announced its call for submission of unpublished fiction manuscripts from African writers across the continent and in the Diaspora. One year later, the long list of 30 has been selected from 280 submissions and 19 African countries. Congratulations to all longlisted authors!!!

Kwani? writes:

'The longlist of 30 has been selected, without the author’s name attached, by a panel of 9 readers, made up of writers, editors and critics from East, West and Southern Africa, as well as the UK and the US. The longlist represents 10 African countries and showcases literary fiction across and between a range genres from fantasy to crime to historical fiction. Kwani Trust’s Managing Editor, Billy Kahora said: 

“This longlist begins the actualization of a long-held Kwani? ambition - to build a significant novel series of new original voices across the continent. To replicate the work we’ve been doing for the last 10 years with the short fiction form, creative non-fiction, spoken word and poetry in East Africa when it comes to the novel form.”
The longlist has now been passed to our panel of judges, chaired by Sudanese novelist Jamal Mahjoub. Working with him will be deputy editor of Granta magazine Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, leading scholar of African literature Professor Simon Gikandi, Chairman of Kenyatta University’s Literature Department Dr. Mbugua wa Mungai, editor of Zimbabwe’s Weaver Press Irene Staunton and internationally renowned Nigerian writer Helon Habila. The manuscripts will be read and debated anonymously by this high profile panel, as the judges look for new voices that explore and challenge the possibilities of the ‘African novel’.

A shortlist will be announced at the beginning of June 2013 and the three winners announced at the end of June 2013. The top three manuscripts will be awarded cash prizes totaling Ksh 525,000 (c. $6000). Kwani Trust’s Executive Director, Angela Wachuka said:
“This prize speaks to a core pillar of our institution; the identification, development and production of literary talent. Our short story competition in 2010 introduced 15 new voices from Kenya, and this prize aims to increase opportunities for contemporary writers on the continent and elsewhere when it comes to the novel.”
In addition, Kwani Trust plans to publish 3-5 of the longlisted manuscripts by April 2014, and will be appointing an in-house editor to work with authors through this process. The Trust will also be partnering with regional and global agents and publishing houses to secure high profile international co-publication opportunities'.

You can find out more about the Kwani? Manuscript Project here.
09:29 No Comments
It's either I'm starting to like short stories, or this is a just a really good collection. Out May, Love is Power or Something Like That is a new collection of nine short stories by A. Igoni Barrett. I would also like to say a big thank you to Chatto & Windus for providing me with a review copy.

Nigeria forms the backdrop of this collection in which an ailing old woman, an internet fraudster, an impoverished young boy, a corrupt police officer, a commuter, a wealthy civil servant and a traveller all show us the different ways love, or "something like that" manifests itself. 

In the opening story The Worst Thing That Happened an ailing old woman, who has to make her way yet again to an operating room, travels across town to visit her daughter. But what she feels on arrival is abandonment in spite of "all the years she had given, the sacrifices, the worrying, the love" (p.16). In The Dream Chaser, all is not what it seems, as a young boy spends his days in a cyber cafe pretending to be a woman online. The Shape of a Full Circle, shows another young boy, but in different circumstances - he is responsible for his family. The title story takes us into the world of a corrupt, abusive police officer trying to understand his different actions as a police officer and a family man. My Smelling Mouth Problem tells of the daily troubles a young commuter faces getting around Lagos as a result of literally his smelling mouth. The Little Girl with Budding Breasts and a Bubblegum Laugh might be a mouthful of a title, but it tells of forbidden love.  From pre-Independence, through Nigeria's many coup d'etats, the Nigerian Civil War, and even the "War Against Indiscipline" (WAI) a family's story is told in Godspeed and Perpetua. This isn't a rags-to-riches story, but one of a man who goes from being a wealthy senior civil servant to a lesser version of himself. Through it we see the impact all these events have had on him, his wife, and their relationship (with each other and also with their daughter).

These different characters and stories show that whether real or fake, right or wrong, one thing that cannot be denied is love's presence in people's lives. Love really is power, or something like that, but what we do with it is an entirely different story. And one that I think this collection of stories captures quite well. 

4.5 out of 5
11:29 2 Comments
I've recently returned from a trip to a few places on the East Coast of America and Canada. While I was there I saw some gorgeous bookstores, which I just couldn't ignore. And I might have treated myself to a few books. 

So once I sort through my photos, I am going to feature the amazing bookstores I visited - from Bridge Street Books in D.C. to A Different Booklist in Toronto. Although I'm sad I didn't have time to check out any of New York's amazing bookstores (does MoMa count?), I was in book heaven. Let's be honest, I was like a kid in a candy store.

I am also so grateful to my friend, who showed me around Toronto and took me on what I am going to call a bookstore crawl. He even helped me out in searching for books by African authors in every store we went to. 
Can't wait to read my new and (mostly) pre-loved books
"For Ngugi wa Thiong'o" at the Museum of African Art, D.C.
MoMa Design and Book Store, NYC


11:59 No Comments

The 'Meet' Series will be a chance for me to interview anyone I would love to meet that is involved with African literature.

So I absolutely love Zimbabwean literature, and I really, really loved this novel when I read it a few months ago. So I am extremely happy to announce the next person in the series is Bryony Rheam author of This September Sun, published by amaBooks in Zimbabwe and Parthian in the UK. Enjoy!!! 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself (where you’re from, what you do, interests and hobbies, any fun details)
I was born in Kadoma in Zimbabwe and spent my early years moving around the country quite a bit.  My dad was in mining and in 1982 we moved to a mine near Bulawayo.  I went to school in Bulawayo until I left Zimbabwe in 1993, after completing my A levels.  After that I spent some time travelling and working in the UK and then went back to study there in 1994.  When I finally finished university, I worked for a year in Singapore and then returned to Zimbabwe where I worked for the next seven years.  My partner and I moved to Zambia in 2008, which is where I currently live. 

I have two children who take up most of my time (in a good way!) but of course I enjoy getting some time to myself.  I have always loved reading and my idea of a perfect day is to spend it absorbed in a book. 

I love anything to do with the 1920s, 30s and 40s.  I enjoy collecting old bits of furniture from this period and things like crockery and books.  I was certainly born in the wrong age and often wish I could escape into the past, where I believe I live my parallel existence!  For exercise, I do yoga which I thoroughly enjoy.

What was the first piece you ever wrote?
If by ‘ever’ you include my childhood, it was probably a story about fairies.  I have always wanted to be an author so I used to write quite a bit as a child.  When I was about eleven, I wrote a book of short stories about a mischievous dog called Merlin.  My first published piece was a children’s story in The Chronicle – a Bulawayo based newspaper when I was about 13. It was about a Warthog named Winston.  My first published story as an adult was ‘The Queue’ in Short Writings From Bulawayo in 2003.

What draws you to writing?
I really don’t think I can answer that question!  I’ve always been a very shy person and found a way of expressing myself through my writing.  People are often surprised that I am the author behind my work.  When you are quiet, people often underestimate you.

What do you do when you are not writing?
I am an English teacher, for my sins.  I’d love to be a full-time writer.
13:11 1 Comments
If you're a book lover and based in Lagos, there's a new book club just for you:

"The Lagos Book Club is a free club catering to young women living in Lagos and those who have moved back to Lagos after living outside the country. The main criteria: be open to discussions and like good books".

April's book is Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria, a travel memoir by Noo Saro-Wiwa. It was published in 2012 by Granta. It was named one of the 10 best contemporary African books by the Guardian in 2012, chosen by the Financial Times Life & Arts as one of their Pick of the Crop and also by the Sunday Times as Travel Book of the Year 2012. It can be found in most major bookstores in Lagos.

Noo Saro-Wiwa was born in Nigerian in 1976 and raised in England. She has written travel guides for Rough Guide and Lonely Planet.

The first meeting is scheduled for Saturday April 27th. Venue, TBC, but it'll be in a cafe on Lagos Island. If you're interested in joining do send an email to lagosbookclub@gmail.com for more details and to also reserve a spot. 

What's there not to love? A place where book lovers can meet, share their interests and discuss books. And it's free :). If I was in Lagos, I'd definitely be there. So send an email, get a copy of the book (if you haven't already read it, it's a great book) and enjoy!!!
14:45 1 Comments
As someone who does gender and development, I was intrigued when I heard about Vuto. The novel is inspired by A.J. Walkley's experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi in 2007. In an interview on Daniele Lanzarotta's blog, A.J. Walkley says that she "loves to tackle topics that make people think, from LGBT issues to abortion (Choice) to women's rights (Vuto)". 

During her time in Malawi she encountered several customs including the "two week rule" of birth - a father will only acknowledge his child if it survives the two-week point. This tradition forms the basis of her book, and in the same  interview questions she asked herself before writing the novel, "What if one woman refused to follow this tradition? What would happen to her?". 

Here's a synopsis of Vuto:

Vuto is only 17 when her third child dies, mere days after birth. Malawian tradition prevents men from considering a child their own until it's lived for two weeks. Frustrated at not being able to speak to her husband, Solomon, about all three of the children she's had to bury alone, Vuto forces him to acknowledge the dead baby. Her rejection of tradition causes Solomon and the village elders to banish Vuto from the only home she's ever known. 

Vuto seeks refuge in the hut of U.S. Peace Corps volunteer Samantha Brennan, where Solomon discovers his wife has not left  as she was told, leading him to attack both women. Disregarding her oath to remain uninvolved in village politics, Samantha interjects herself into the centre of the conflict, defending Vuto and killing Solomon in the process.

The women go on the run from Vuto's village and the Peace Corps, encountering physical, ethical and cultural struggles along the way.

A.J. Walkley has started a Kickstarter campaign to get Vuto published (she has a publisher but needs help with printing costs etc.) so I thought I'd share it.  You can check it out here. It ends May 9th.
00:08 No Comments
www.graspingforthewind.com
Nnedi Okorafor, author of Zahrah the Windseeker, Who Fears Death and Akata Witch has a forthcoming novel Lagoon scheduled to be published in March 2014. This will be the first of her three books to be published by Hodder & Stoughton. Lagoon will be Nnedi Okorafor's second adult novel. Here's a bit about her forthcoming novel:

When a massive object crashes into the ocean off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria's most populous city, three people find themselves running a race against time to save the country they love and the world itself ... from itself. Lagoon expertly juggles multiple points of view and crisscrossing narratives with prose that is at once propulsive and poetic, combining everything from superhero comics to Nigerian mythology to tie together a story about a city consuming itself.

At its heart a story about humanity at the crossroads between the past, present, and future, Lagoon touches on political and philosophical issues in the rich tradition of the very best science fiction, and ultimately asks us to consider the things that bind us together - and the things that make us human. 

                                                                                            - Synopsis from Hodder & Stoughton
17:50 No Comments
On April 9, the shortlists for the 2013 Commonwealth Prizes were announced. 21 writers made the Book Prize Shortlist, including Sarah House by Ifeanyi Ajaegbo (Nigeria), The Spider King's Daughter by Chibundu Onuzo (Nigeria), The Great Agony and Pure Laughter of the Gods by Jamala Safari (South Africa) and Sterile Sky by E.E Sule (Nigeria). The Book Prize is awarded for first best book published between 1 January and 31 December 2012. Regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £10,000.



For the Short Story Prize, 19 writers were shortlisted including A Killing in the Sun by Dilman Dila (Uganda), Fatima Saleh by Alexander Ikawah (Kenya), The New Customers by Julian Jackson (South Africa), No War is Worth Debating by Tobenna Nwosu (Nigeria) and Take Me Home United Road by S.A Partridge (South Africa). The Short Story Prize is awarded for the first best piece of unpublished fiction with regional winners receiving £1,000 and overall winner receiving £5,000. 

Regional winners will be announced May 14th and the overall winner will be announced at the Hay Festival on May 31st. You can read more about the writers and their stories here (Book Prize) and here (Short Story Prize).

Congratulations and good luck to all the shortlisters!!!
16:01 1 Comments
I absolutely love book covers, especially a beautifully designed one. It's also no secret, I judge books by their covers. I've admitted it a few times here - I even have a tumblr dedicated purely to book covers. There are a few authors out there who never disappoint with their book covers  - Alain Mabanckou is one, and Lauren Beukes to me is another. All her book covers, regardless of the regions are all amazing. So I decided to do my little ode to  the covers of Lauren Beukes novels. Because as much as I love the inside of a book, what can I say - I can be superficial sometimes.






The Hungarian covers of Moxyland and Zoo City are done by illustrator/designer Kira Santa, who has also done some cool artwork on a couple of characters from the novel. The US cover of Zoo City is by illustrator John Picacio. Joey Hi-Fi has also worked on quite a few book covers - the UK cover for Zoo City (black and white), as well as the UK, US, SA and international edition of Moxyland, and the SA Shining Girls covers.
00:25 1 Comments
Cultural differences, grief, love and religion. These are a few things Leila Aboulela touches upon in her debut novel The Translator. 

Sammar, originally from Khartoum, Sudan has been living in Aberdeen, Scotland for the last four years mourning the loss of her husband, Tarig. Sammar returned to Khartoum briefly with Tarig's body and their young son. But her mother-in-law blames her and she's not able to cope with him being gone. So she leaves her son and returns to Aberdeen. 

There Sammar, who works as an Arabic translator in a university in Aberdeen, is in mourning. She wears no colours, no perfume, no make-up, and there's very minimal furniture or things in her home. In fact, her mood over the four years in a way mirrors the cold, grey weather of Aberdeen. That is until she gets to know Rae, the Scottish Islamic Scholar who she does a lot of translation for. A bond grows, which remains unspoken, due less to culture and even race, and more to religion. He might be an Islamic Scholar and know a lot about Islam, but he is secular. Islam is a part of Sammar, it is how she lives her life, how she makes sense of everything. As her faith was stronger than the feelings she was developing for him, Sammar was struggling to deal with these new-found feelings and him not being Muslim. Sammar also feels torn about her son that she left in Khartoum. On a trip back to do some translation work, she now has the chance to return to her home to be with her son and hopefully reforge the bond. 

Khartoum is also described in stark contrast to Aberdeen. There might be power outages, and it might be hot at night, but compared to the coldness that Scotland offered Sammar for years, this is great. She is also able to be herself more here - she can say Insha'Allah (God willing) without it seeming weird, and if she wanted to she could  take out her prayer mat in the middle of a gathering without freaking the whole room out. 

Sammar was a very sad woman following the loss of her husband, who was just about living. 
I think Aberdeen and its greyness was the perfect landscape for Sammar's sadness. But I also loved how over the course of the book we got to see life slowly being restored into her. Like when she bought a henna coloured coat from the mall - the first bright thing she had worn in 4 years. Despite her sadness, I actually liked Sammar as a character. I understood her pain, her grief, her sorrow. Losing her husband must have been hard, and it must not have been easy to leave her son behind. But I also smiled when she was slowly emerging from her sad state of mind. I loved how strong she was in her faith, and could sense how torn she must have felt about her feelings for a Scottish secular professor. 

I thoroughly enjoyed The Translator. This was a short but powerful novel, which I would higly recommend.

4 out of 5.
13:34 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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