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Last year, I showcased ten new releases to look forward to in 2015. Since then, the UK and US covers of Nnedi Okorafor's The Book of Phoenix were revealed and there are a few more books to add to that list. Here's to another great year of reading.



Day Four by Sarah Lotz
May 2015

Sarah Lotz returns with the chilling follow-up to The Three. In Day Four, four days into a five day singles cruise on the Gulf of Mexico, the ageing ship Beautiful Dreamer stops dead in the water. With no electricity and no cellular signals, the passengers and crew have no way to call for help. But everyone is certain that rescue teams will come looking for them soon. All they have to do is wait. That is, until the toilets stop working and the food begins to run out. When the body of a woman is discovered in her cabin the passengers start to panic. There's a murderer on board the Beautiful Dreamer ... and maybe something worse.








101 Detectives by Ivan Vladislavić
June 2015

What kind of Detective am I? Eardrum or typanum? Gullet or aesophagus? Pussy or pudena? A Detective needs a language almost as much as a language needs a Detective.

In this new collection of stories, award-winning author Ivan Vladislavić invites readers to do some detective work of their own. Each story can be read as just that - a story - or you can dig a little deeper. Take a closer look, examine the artefact from all angles, and consider the clues and patterns concealed within.

Whether skewering extreme marketing techniques or construction dystopian parallel universes; whether mounting a mother's loss or tracing a translator's on-stage breakdown,  Vladislavić's pitch-perfect inquisitions will make you question your own language - how it defines you, and how it undoes you.


Confession of the Lioness by Mia Couto (Translated by David Brookshaw)
July 2015

Mia Couto's latest novel is a dark, poetic mystery about the women of the remote village of Kulumani and the lioness that hunt them.

Told through two haunting, interwoven diaries, Mia Couto’s Confession of the Lioness (A confissão da leoa) reveals the mysterious world of Kulumani, an isolated village in Mozambique whose traditions and beliefs are threatened when ghostlike lionesses begin hunting the women who live there.

Mariamar, a woman whose sister was killed in a lioness attack, finds her life thrown into chaos when the outsider Archangel Bullseye, the marksman hired to kill the lionesses, arrives at the request of the village elders. Mariamar’s father imprisons her in her home, where she relives painful memories of past abuse and hopes to be rescued by Archangel. Meanwhile, Archangel tracks the lionesses in the wilderness, but when he begins to suspect there is more to them than meets the eye, he starts to lose control of his hands. The hunt grows more dangerous, until it’s no safer inside Kulumani than outside it. As the men of Kulumani feel increasingly threatened by the outsider, the forces of modernity upon their traditional culture, and the danger of their animal predators closing in, it becomes clear the lionesses might not be real lionesses at all but spirits conjured by the ancient witchcraft of the women themselves.

Both a riveting mystery and a poignant examination of women’s oppression, Confession of the Lioness explores the confrontation between the modern world and ancient traditions to produce an atmospheric, gripping novel.

Based on true facts and written in atmospheric language, A confissão da leoa skilfully interweaves the enthralling stories of Arcanjo and Mariamar, constantly surprising the reader with unexpected twists and turns.



US covers of Day Four and Confession of the Lioness

14:05 No Comments
... and my love for book covers continue. A few hours ago Hodderscape revealed the absolutely hot (no pun intended) cover for the UK edition of Nnedi Okorafor's The Book of Phoenix. Similar to Lagoon, the stunning cover is designed by award-winning South African illustrator and designer Joey Hi-Fi. 

If ever a cover captured exactly what I felt a book would be about this is it. I love everything about it - Phoenix spreading her wings and rising above what looks like her home in Tower 7. I can feel the heat from her flames and I just have to know more. This judger of book covers is in book cover heaven right now and I can't wait to tuck into the pages of this gorgeously designed book to find out more about Phoenix. The Book of Phoenix is published by Hodder & Stoughton and out May 7th. Can't wait!!!!!

Talk about on fire. Sorry US cover, but this right here is the one!!!

PS. According to a tweet from Mr. Hi-Fi himself, this is just the first draft. That means it's only going to get even better. Can't wait to see the final cover. 


20:47 1 Comments
At a Jain Temple in Mumbai
It has been really quiet here the last month, but I have a really good excuse - I was travelling for a month. The first half of my time away was for fun. One of my favourite couples ever got married at the end of 2014 and I was off to India for their wedding. 

I'm not going to lie, I was petrified - being a young, black, female travelling alone in India - but, I was not going to miss my friend's wedding. So I sucked up my fear and headed to the airport on Boxing day. I spent 14 days travelling the country - started off in Mumbai, then made my way to Ahmedebad for the wedding (got to wear my first sari :), then headed for some sightseeing in the Golden Triangle (Jaipur-Agra-Delhi) before flying off to Goa for some sun, sea and seafood, and then back to Delhi where my holiday turned into a work trip :(.

It truly was exquisite, but am I weird for being more overwhelmed by the sheer number of people that were there?
India was fun (the food, the food, the food) and frustrating (the stares, the stares, the stares), but I would not trade my time there for anything and I am really glad I've had this experience. Still, after 25 days in India, I was ready to come home, but not before I headed off to Bangkok for a workshop - it was my first time in Thailand and I was only there 4 days, but the food, the weather, the food, the food. 

What about the bookstores and books? Well, in between my travels, I did spot bookstores here and there - I wasn't even looking, but they found me. In Mumbai, there were the pavement sellers of Flora Fountain, who specialise in second-hand books. 


In Ahmedabad, there was a bookstore (which sadly was closed) at the airport where I spotted Half of a Yellow Sun.

In Delhi, in Khan Market I found a few bookstores. Sadly, my camera's battery was low that day so I couldn't take any pictures, but reading about Khan Market, it certainly does have a history with books: 
"During the hey days of Khan Market booksellers, people would head there for books, not shoes and sandwiches. Those who wanted tomes on current affairs patronised Bahrisons. Coffee table book lovers would spend hours in Timeless Art Book Studio. Genesis was for children. Full Circle tempted those seeking self-help and a cup of coffee. Bargain hunters hung out in Fakirchand. For literary fiction, the address was The Book Shop. Since 1982"
Bahrison's bookshop in the 1980s
I think today, Khan Market only has three bookstores (Bahrison's, Full Circle and Fakirchand), but it's said that one of the reasons why Khan Market remains so special is because of its great bookshops. 

In Bangkok, again I wasn't looking for a bookstore, but I did end up finding one - Asia Books in Sukhumvit. This time I made sure my camera was charged.
Asia Books - the largest English language bookstore chain in Thailand.
They had it all ....




Look what I spotted.





It was an interesting month away and the extra 2 weeks in Delhi and Bangkok certainly was not how I planned to start my new year, but it happened and now I am definitely ready for 2015 (whatever it may have in store).
10:53 No Comments
 "It is true that the book is really the only benchmark we and the West use. But let me propose that there are great stories on the Internet written by new African writers that are being ignored because they do not breathe between book covers." - Ikhide Ikelola 
I chose the quote above from literary critic, Ikhide Ikeloa, well, Because the Internet ... Honestly, we are only a couple weeks into 2015 and already there is so much awesomeness available for lovers of African literature (especially those into genre fiction) courtesy of the Internet. A couple days ago Jalada released its second anthology Afrofutures, while last week the amazing Brittle Paper launched an African Fantasy Series - In the Shadows of Iyanibi by Eugene Odogwu.

Illustration by Reez Ruiz. Image via Brittle Paper
In the Shadow of Iyanibi is a three-part story, which runs over the course of six-weeks and will be accompanied by beautiful custom illustrations from Mexican illustrator Reez Ruiz (can also find him @REEZruiz). Here’s a synopsis courtesy of Brittle Paper:

In the Shadow of Iyanibi is a story about a brave and gifted girl named Ihumbi, who is swept up in a series of frightful encounters involving the search for a missing sister in a forest of deep, dark shadows.

The three-part tale follows the confrontation between young Ihumbi and Urunma—a forest-dwelling demigoddess always hungry for the souls of lost children. Urunma is a mother’s worst nightmare and a child’s greatest fear. Preying on a child’s desire for sweet and colorful things, she steals the souls of children lost in the forest and holds them in enchanted captivity.

The story vicariously transports you to the enchanting gloom of an old forest and a brave girl’s attempt to confront the ancient horror that lies deep within its shadows.
In the Shadow of Iyanibi is a richly-imagined and suspenseful tale of bravery and the steadfastness of a sister’s love.


The first part of the story was published on January 12th. Read it here. Happy reading!!! Stay tuned for the second part, which will be published January 26th.

PS. Brittle Paper will be releasing three story series in 2015 -  In The Shadows of Iyanibi, is the first. 
In the Shadow of Iyanibi is a story about a brave and gifted girl named Ihumbi, who is swept up in a series of frightful encounters involving the search for a missing sister in a forest of deep, dark shadows.
The three-part tale follows the confrontation between young Ihumbi and Urunma—a forest-dwelling demigoddess always hungry for the souls of lost children. Urunma is a mother’s worst nightmare and a child’s greatest fear. Preying on a child’s desire for sweet and colorful things, she steals the souls of children lost in the forest and holds them in enchanted captivity.
The story vicariously transports you to the enchanting gloom of an old forest and a brave girl’s attempt to confront the ancient horror that lies deep within its shadows.
In the Shadow of Iyanibi is a richly-imagined and suspenseful tale of bravery and the steadfastness of a sister’s love.
  It’s a three-part story, accompanied by custom illustrations, that will run over six weeks. 
Monday the 12th of January is the date to save on your calendar so you don’t miss the first story. 
Tags: abiku stories, adunni, african fantasy, African literature, african young adult, ayodele olofintuade, eugene odogwu, Home
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About Ainehi Edoro

View all posts by Ainehi Edoro
I'm finishing up a phd at Duke University where I study African novels, which I believe are some of the loveliest things ever written. Brittle Paper is the virtual space/station where I play and experiment with ideas on how to reinvent African fiction and literary culture.

6 Responses to “Brittle Paper Launches an African Fantasy Story Series” Subscribe

  1. cosmicyoruba 2015/01/09 at 2:29 am #
    Yes! I’m really looking forward to this
  2. Ainehi Edoro 2015/01/09 at 11:39 am #
    Awesome!
  3. Kiru Taye 2015/01/11 at 10:33 pm #
    Looks intriguing. Can’t wait.
  4. Su'eddie Agema 2015/01/14 at 7:40 pm #
    Okay, so, can we reblog this and all? Looks like something really cool… Following the trail already!
  5. Ainehi Edoro 2015/01/14 at 8:18 pm #
    @Su’eddie:
    Feel free to reblog!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. In the Shadow of Iyanibi, Pt. 1| by Eugene Odogwu | An African Fantasy Story Series | Brittle Paper - 2015/01/12 […] Are you new to the series? Click here to learn more HERE. […]

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- See more at: http://brittlepaper.com/2015/01/brittle-paper-launches-african-fantasy-story-series/#sthash.noY4OikS.dpuf
Eugene Odogwu’s In The Shadows of Iyanibi, a fantastic tale that is sure to keep you glued to your phones and ipads. - See more at: http://brittlepaper.com/2015/01/brittle-paper-launches-african-fantasy-story-series/#sthash.noY4OikS.dpuf
Eugene Odogwu’s In The Shadows of Iyanibi, a fantastic tale that is sure to keep you glued to your phones and ipads. - See more at: http://brittlepaper.com/2015/01/brittle-paper-launches-african-fantasy-story-series/#sthash.noY4OikS.dpuf
Eugene Odogwu’s In The Shadows of Iyanibi, a fantastic tale that is sure to keep you glued to your phones and ipads. - See more at: http://brittlepaper.com/2015/01/brittle-paper-launches-african-fantasy-story-series/#sthash.noY4OikS.dpuf
18:34 1 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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