• Home
  • About
  • List Reviews Series
    • List
    • Reviews
    • Series
  • Meet
  • ABC
  • Away

bookshy

Powered by Blogger.



Remember Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's feminist manifesto that was published on her facebook page in October 2016? It had 'fifteen suggestions' on how to raise a feminist child, including: 
'be a full person' (not being defined solely by motherhood); 'do it together' (because parenting should not be done solely by the mother); 'teach her that "gender roles" is absolute nonsense (because truth); 'beware the danger of what I call Feminism Lite' (which 'uses the language of "allowing"'); 'teach Chizalum how to read' (because awesome); 'teach her to question language' (because important) ... ' 
Well, her powerful statement, which was written as a letter to a friend, is soon to be published - March 7 to be exact. 


                                                   UK cover                                                                              USA and Canada cover


And here's the blurb: 
A few years ago, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received a letter from a dear friend from childhood, asking how to raise her baby girl as a feminist. 'Dear Ijeawele' is Adichie's letter of response. 
Compelling, direct, wryly funny and perceptive, the 15 suggestions in 'Dear Ijeawele' offer specifics on how to empower daughters to become strong, independent women. Here, too, are ways parents can raise their children - both sons and daughters - beyond a culture's limiting gender perceptions. 'Dear Ijeawele' goes right to the heart of sexual politics in the twenty-first century. It will start a new and urgently needed conversation about what it really means to be a woman today.
21:03 1 Comments

From blogs to memoirs, there has been a proliferation of African food writing in the last few years which is amazing - as it gives readers new and exciting ways to explore relationships between people, culture and food in an African context. African food writing also comes in multiple genres - fiction, nonfiction, memoirs and more. While in the fiction department, there are works, such as Shubnum Khan's Onion Tears - that book made me want biriyani's and samosa's while I was reading - and Frances Mensah Williams' From Pasta to Pigfoot series, I thought I'd share some nonfiction and culinary memoirs that food lovers might, well ... love. 





Zoe Adjonyoh's Zoe's Ghana Kitchen
Writer and cook Zoe Adjonyoh believes that: 
... we are on the cusp on an African food revolution. There is a longing to try something that is actually new, not just re-spun, and African cuisines are filling that gap. It's the last continent of relatively unexplored food in the mainstream media. For too long Africans have kept this incredible food a greedy secret.
It's not hard to believe why she says that - as her pop-up restaurant and supper club have been making waves in the foodie scene in both London and Berlin by bringing traditional and contemporary Ghanaian food to an audience outside of the Ghanaian community. Her first cook book, Zoe's Ghana Kitchen will be published in April and 'will help you bring something truly exciting and flavour-packed to the kitchen.' As the blurb states: 
Ghanian food is always fun, always relaxed and always tasty! From Pan-roasted Cod with Grains of Paradise and Nkruma (Okra) Tempura to Coconut & Cassava Cake and Cubeb Spiced Shortbread, this is contemporary African food for simply everyone. If you're already familiar with good home-cooked Ghanaian food, you'll find new ways to incorporate typical flavours - such as plenty of fresh fish and seafood, hearty salads and spices with a kick. If you're new to it, you'll no doubt be surprised and delighted at the relative ease of cooking these tempting dishes. Most of the ingredients are easy to come by at supermarkets or local shops, and the recipes are super flexible - you can take the basic principles and adapt them easily to what you have available in your cupboard or fridge. 

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown's The Settler's Cookbook: Tales of Love, Migration and Food
One of my all time favourites! This warm and personal memoir is a mouthwatering exploration of Alibhai-Brown's East African Indian roots through the shared experience of cooking. Through the personal story of Yasmin's family and the food recipes they've shared together, The Settler's Cookbook tells the history of Indian migration to the UK via East Africa. Her family was part of the mass exodus from India to East Africa during the height of British imperial expansion, fleeing famine and lured by the prospect of prosperity under the empire. In 1972, expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin, they moved to the UK, where Yasmin has made her home with an Englishman. The food she cooks now combines the traditions and tastes of her family's hybrid history. Here you'll discover how Shepherd's Pie is much enhanced by sprinkling in some chilli, Victoria sponge can be enlivened by saffron and lime, and the addition of ketchup to a curry can be life-changing. 


Yemisi Aribisala's Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Tastebuds

Published by Cassava Republic Press, Longthroat Memoirs was shortlisted for the 2016 Andre Simon Food and Drink Book Awards. The blurb describes the book as: 
'a sumptuous menu of essays about Nigerian food, loving presented by the nations's top epicurean writers. As well as a mouth-watering appraisal of the cultural politics and erotics of Nigerian cuisine, it is also a series of love letters to the Nigerian plate. From innovations in soup, fish as aphrodisiac and the powerful seductions of the yam, Longthroat Memoirs examines the complexities, peculiarities, the meticulousness and the tactility of Nigerian food ... A sensuous testament on why, when and how Nigerians eat the food they love to eat.' 

As revealed in this interview with the sibling duo behind Chuku's - a Nigerian tapas restaurant: 
The book came from the compilation of blogs that [Aribisala] wrote for two years and a few months for the Nigerian newspaper 234Next. More accurately, the book was made up of the compilation and fine-tuning of those blogs.  
'Longthroat Memoirs' was the title of a 234Next blog post about keeping watch over the street from the balcony of my grandparent's house in Oke-ado, Ibadan: looking out eagerly for street vendors who carried their wares in impossibly heavy basins, or on trays, and walked up and down the streets hawking moin-moin, boiled corn, eko-tutu (white corn patties wrapped in banana leaf), oranges, fresh meat. They all had distinct powerful calls that they projected into the streets and into the rooms in your house. Their words created mouth-watering imagery and gave a slow motion reel feel to the street, gave reverberating sound to our space like that on a theatre stage.  

Lopè Ariyo's Hibiscus
According to Red Magazine, 'Lopè Ariyo is going to do for Nigerian food what Sabrina Ghayour did for Persian food.' Described as a rising star of 2017 by the Guardian UK, food blogger Ariyo's first book, Hibiscus, will be published in June after winning Red magazine and HarperCollins food writing competition. Hibiscus is packed with delicious dishes and Lopè creates fresh, fuss-free meals that are full of flavour. Whether it's experimenting with new ingredients (Hibiscus Chicken), reimagining old favourites (Grapefruit and Guava Cheesecake, Baked Kuli Kuli Cod with Cayenne Yam Chips, Lagos Mess), exploring different techniques (Cheat's Ogi, Chin Chin) or finding alternatives to everyday staples (Plantain Mash with Ginger, Corn and Okra Gravy, Nigerian Roast Veg), Lopè will help you discover all that modern Nigerian food has to offer. 



PS. If you want to follow some awesome African food bloggers, check out this list curated by Whats on Africa. 


23:22 No Comments

... because I am still a kid at heart, here's a sneak preview of a new children's book published by Lantana Publishing. Out March 2nd, Sleep Well, Siba and Saba is written by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl, who was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Ugandan parents. It's illustrated by Sandra van Doorn - who was born in a small medieval town somewhere in France.



I had the absolute pleasure of reading this delightful picture book back in December, and I instantly fell in love - the sisters were adorable and the illustrations were so dream-like. Here's a blurb: 

Forgetful sisters Siba and Saba are always losing something. Sandals, slippers, sweaters - you name it, they lose it. When the two sisters fall asleep each night, they dream about the things they have lost that day. Until one night, their dreams begin to reveal something entirely unexpected ...  
With playful illustrations and lullaby-like rhythm, this heart-warming story set in Uganda is truly one to be treasured.

If that's not to get you excited, Lantana Publishing kindly shared with me some promo spreads of the book ... and looking at them really warms my heart. 






PS. Also check out Sandra van Doorn's illustrations - simply magnificent. van Doorn's website also has a few 'work in progress' illustrations, which is a treat if you love seeing an artists process. 


Both images via Sandra van Doorn's website

21:26 No Comments



undefined by Kelly Izdhihar Crosby. Image via creativeummah.com

LitHub recently did a post on 10 contemporary novels by and about Muslims you should read, which included writers such as Laila Lalami and Leila Abouela. Inspired in part by that post, but really (if I'm honest) by my own identity as someone with a Muslim parent, I wanted to look at 10 contemporary African Muslim women writing mainly fiction - although I have included one non-fiction writer. This is in no way an exhaustive list - for one, I am focusing only on books in English. Nonetheless, here are 10 books by African Muslim women writers you should check out.

Leila Abouela's The Kindness of Enemies
Sudanese writer, Leila Abouela's fourth novel tells the story of Natasha - a half Russian, half Sudanese history professor living in Scotland. It weaves the lives of Natasha, the 19th century Muslim leader (Imam Shamil - who led the resistant against the Russians) Natasha is researching, and Oz (Natasha's top student and descendent of Shamil). Natasha is torn between her identities, and while she chose her (Scottish) stepfather's surname and has tried very hard to fit into Scottish society she never quite felt at home. However, meeting Oz and his family changes that. That is until Oz is arrested, which changes things for Natasha.

Bim Adewunmi's non-fiction pieces
While the list is formed primarily of novels and poetry collections, I'm making an exception and adding one of my favourite Muslim writers, Bim Adewunmi, who openly writes about Islam and being 'not a model Muslim' - something I can relate to on many levels. Some of Adewunmi's writing includes I Love Ramadan - it makes me feel connected, For Muslims Like Me, Trumps Words Are A Daily Nightmare. Of course Adewunmi doesn't only write about being Muslim and writes amazing and hilarious pieces  centred on culture including this one on African immigrants writing the best stories about African immigrants, this one on The Walking Dead, fanfiction and nuanced narratives of black women on screen and this one on Solange's A Seat at the Table'. Adewunmi also wrote a story on tokenism in popular culture in Nikesh Shukla's The Good Immigrant. 

Safia Elhillo's The January Children
Sudanese, by way of Washington, DC, Elhillo is the co-winner of the 201 Brunel University African Poetry Prize and winner of the 2016 Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets. The January Children is Elhillo's first full-length collection and depicts the experiences of navigating the postcolonial world as a stranger in one’s own land. The poems in the collection explore aspects of Sudan’s history of colonial occupation, dictatorship, and diaspora. 

Along with Fatimah Asghar, Elhillo is also co-editing the anthology, Halal If You Hear Me, 'with the hopes of amplifying the voices that so often get left out of the conversation about Muslimness.'

Laila Lalami's The Moor's Account
Winner of multiple awards (2016 American Book Awards, 2015 Arab American Book Award, 2015 Hurston-Wright Legacy Award), The Moor's Account is Moroccan, Laila Lalami's third novel. It is the fictional memoir of Moroccan slave, Estebancio, who was one of four survivors of the Spanish conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez's expedition. As little is known about Estebancio, gives him a history: as Mustafa, the vibrant merchant from Azemmur forced into slavery and a new name, and reborn as the first black explorer of the Americas, discovering and being discovered by various tribes both hostile and compassionate. 




Summaya Lee's The Story of Maha
Born in South Africa, Summaya Lee's debut novel The Story of Maha was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Best First Book - Africa) in 2008. It follows Maha - who grows up in a claustrophobic suburb in Durban with her grandparents. A free spirit, as a teenager Maha learns how to weave the strict boundaries of Muslim life to experience first love and partying. However, as Maha gets closer to her twentieth birthday, it gets harder to avoid a 'suitable husband', but will this lead to a life of excitement and love or one of perfectly round rotis?



Yasmeen Maxamuud Nomad Diaries
Somali, Yasmeen Maxamuud's Nomad Diaries tells the story of Nadifo - a Somali woman who comes to Minneapolis as a refugees in the mid-1990s during Somalia's civil war. In it, Maxamuud highlights the challenges Somali women like Nadifo (and their families) face as they transition to life in America. Living in the high-rise Cedar Springs Luxury Apartment, these women deal with language barriers, hardships, and a new country  where everything is vastly different from what they were used to.


Nadifa Mohamed's The Orchard of Lost Souls 
Somali writer, Nadifa Mohamed's second novel, The Orchard of Lost Souls, is set in 1988 Hargeisa at a time when Somalia is at the brink of civil war. It follows three women: nine-year old Dego who was born in a refugee camp, Kawsar and ageing widow confined to a bed after a savage assault at the local police station and Filsan - a young soldier from Mogadishu. And as the country is unravelled by a civil war that will shock the world, the fates of the three women are twisted irrevocably together. 


Ladan Osman's The Kitchen Dweller's Testimony 
Born in Somalia, Ladan Osman's poetry is centred on her Somali and Muslim heritage. Winner of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets in 2014, The Kitchen-Dweller’s Testimony - Osman's debut poetry collection - asks: Whose testimony is valid? Whose testimony is worth recording? Osman’s speakers, who are almost always women, assert and reassert in an attempt to establish authority, often through persistent questioning. Spectres of race, displacement, and colonialism are often present in her work, providing momentum for speakers to reach beyond their primary, apparent dimensions and better communicate. The Kitchen-Dweller’s Testimony is about love and longing, divorce, distilled desire, and all the ways we injure ourselves and one another.


Warsan Shire's Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth
Kenyan-born Somali poet and writer, Warsan Shire won the inaugural Brunel University African Poetry Prize in 2013 and was the first Young Poet Laureate for London (also in 2013). Published in 2011, Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth was her first poetry pamphlet depicts the experiences of women's bodies as they are impacted by war and displacement. 

Note: The last two books I am adding to the list are from women (who like me) come from families where one side is Muslim. 

Sefi Atta's Everything Good Will Come
Nigerian writer, Sefi Atta's - a writer of Muslim parentage (with a Muslim father and a Christian mother). Beginning in the early 1970s and written in the voice of Enitan, Everything Good Will Come it is a coming-of-age story that traces Enitan's friendship with Sheri Bakare - the daughter of a Muslim Nigerian man and an English woman. It depicts the struggles of women in a conservative Nigerian society by charting the fate of two girls - one who is prepared to manipulate the traditional system and one who attempts to defy it.

Sofia Samatar's A Stranger in Olondria
Somali-American Sofia Samatar describes herself as Mennonite and having family that 'is Mennonite [on one side] and Muslim on the other.' Her multiple award-winning debut novel, A Stranger in Olondria, follows Jevick - the pepper merchant's son - who has been raised on stories of Olondria, a distant land where books are as common as they are rare in his home. When his father dies and Jevick takes his place on the yearly selling trip to Olondria, Jevick's life is as close to perfect as he can imagine. But just as he revels in Olondria's Rabelaisian Feast of Birds, he is pulled drastically off course and becomes haunted by the ghost of an illiterate young girl. In desperation, Jevick seeks the aid of Olondrian priests and quickly becomes a pawn in the struggle between the empire's two most powerful cults. Yet even as the country shimmers on the cusp of war, he must face his ghost and learn her story before he has any chance of becoming free by setting her free: an ordeal that challenges his understanding of art and life, home and exile, and the limits of that seductive necromancy, reading.

15:45 3 Comments

Girls in Purple and Sunglasses by Tabitha Bianca Brown

This is something new I want to try, which has been inspired by my Nigerian women writers celebratory posts. In it I want to celebrate and honour contemporary African women writers who are doing some amazing things in African literature - because let's be honest, women do be dominating the contemporary African literary scene. There's Adichie, Beukes, Bulawayo, Okorafor and Selasi to name some. Also because I am someone who constantly likes to learn, this series is as much me introducing myself to new writers, as it is showcasing the ones I know and love. 

Similar to my celebratory post, I want to look at both known and lesser-known writers working in diverse mediums - short stories, novels, poetry, comics and more. I am also going to challenge myself by not only focusing on women writing in English, but will also include works translated into English from other languages. I'll aim to do one post a month, but as always please don't hold me to anything (life work tends to get in the way a lot).

PS. If you know of any amazing women writer that you think should be featured let me know. Like I said, I love learning about new and wonderful things. 
16:52 1 Comments

Photo courtesy of Onyinye Iwu
New year and new 'Meet' series - my chance to interview anyone involved in African literature that I would love to meet in person. 

Next up is Onyinye Iwu  - a talented young illustrator and designer whose unique style I absolutely love, love, love. The illustrator behind the Ankara Press book covers, I featured her on the blog back in 2015 as part of my 55 years of art in Nigerian literature celebration, but I had been following her work from afar probably since 2014. I had seen the drawings (of young women with amazing natural hair, and or amazing headwraps), but had no idea who the artist behind them was. And being me, I had to do my research and find out who the creator of the pieces were. Since my initial feature, Iwu has gone on to design more covers for Ankara Press and Cassava Republic Press, and launched the inspirational Queen of Africa series. 

Born and raised in Northern Italy, before relocating to London as a teenager, Onyinye Iwu shares her experiences of taking up illustration (instead of architecture), how one of her first projects as an illustrator was inspired by her wanting her younger sister to love her natural hair, her distinctive 'Afropop' style, what it's like working on commissioned pieces and her top tip for illustrators. I am very honoured that Onyinye took the time to answer some of my questions for the blog (thank you) and I hope you enjoy!


Can you tell us about yourself (where you’re from, what you do, any fun details)?
My name is Onyinye Iwu, I was born in Brescia, a city in Northern Italy and that's where I lived until I was 13 when my family and I relocated to London in England. Both of my parents are Nigerians and so brought me up a fully fledged African in Europe. I am a freelance Illustrator and full time Design Teacher living in London.

On illustrating
How did you become interested in illustrating?
I grew up as an only child until I was in my teens - drawing was always a passion of mine. It was never a career choice, not at first anyway, but I always knew it was something I would do.

Could you describe your journey to becoming an illustrator?
I studied architecture at university, but by the end of my degree my mind was elsewhere. I was already considering other options as I couldn't see myself working as an architect. I had many ideas in my head but I didn't know how to put them down. There was also a lot of internal conflict between what I wanted to do and what I was expected to do. I knew I wanted to draw, and I wanted to talk about identity and literature - I just couldn't quite identify a career. I pretty much stumbled upon the idea of becoming an illustrator. I wanted my art to be more than self expression, it needed to teach.

Do you remember the first illustration you ever drew?
Yes, well it is not exactly my first illustration but my first project as an aspiring illustrator. Back in 2013 I wrote a poem called 'Why I love my hair' with illustrations for every stanza. I was inspired by my little sister who, at the time, was contemplating using a hair relaxer on her natural hair to look like 'all the other girls at school'. This poem was to inspire her and remind her (and all little black girls) that their natural hair is beautiful!


Image via Onyinye Iwu Illustration.


How would you describe your work?
My work is Afropop. All I do is African themed, from my characters to my backgrounds, I want to create vibrant, colourful and energetic illustrations. I take inspiration from the African atmosphere, from the colourful patterns on the fabric, to our colourful mix of languages, and our vibrant and harmonious music.

How did you develop your distinctive artistic style?
It took me a while to realise where my talents lay in illustration. At first you try to draw what people like, or in a particular popular style. I ended up studying my scribbles, the work I did without any references and realised my best work always had funky patterns and simple characters. This worked because it was me, it came naturally, it was not forced.


Iwu's distinct 'Afropop'style'
Do you have a favourite piece you’ve created?
I like all my illustrations but my favourite project so far has been 'Queens of Africa' it embodies everything I want to incorporate in my work - it's African history, it's celebrating identity and representation, with vibrant images and colours and best of all it is teaching -passing knowledge to children and adults alike.


Image via Onyinye Iwu Illustrations

Do you ever have creative slumps? What do you do then?
I had a very long creative slump before starting 'Queens of Africa'. I was so focused on my career as a teacher and on commissions that I let my own personal work fall to the side. My way of coping and becoming inspired again is to attend afro centric events. It's always inspiring to listen to like-minded people talk about their passions and dreams. 

Another method is relaxing, taking care of yourself and doing nothing for a few days - the urge to create suddenly comes back!

Who are the artists that you admire and that inspire you?
The two main artists I admire are Paul Davey and Ryan Andrews - very different styles but I love the way their work tells stories effortlessly.


'Think Twice' by Jamaican freelance artist, Paul Davey. Image via Deviant Art.
Illustration by Ryan Andrews. Image via ryan-a.com

What’s the best/most fun part of your job?
I love the process of illustrating, but the most rewarding part of this is the end, when you see your final creation. You feel like you have given a little more of yourself to the world.

What’s the worst/most difficult part of your job?
Probably negotiating pay and promoting. I am not great at either and would rather not deal with them. It's frustrating when people don't appreciate the value of your work and ask for discounted prices on commissions or worse 'free' illustrations. It used to make me doubt my work, now I just politely decline. I don't like to be centre of attention, I find it hard to advertise myself or my work, as much as I want people to see it, I don't like asking. I have to work on that.

On commissioned illustrations
Tell us about your involvement with the Ankara Press books?
I was approached by Bibi Bakare-Yusuf about designing the brand and cover for a new series of African Romance novels. I was sold from day one. I love literature and it was my dream to get involved in such a project.


Ankara Press' leading ladies. Image via Ankara Press
What was your creative process when responding to that brief?
It was a very lengthy process - my first major project and there was a lot at stake. The key was the continuous communication between myself, Bibi and Emma Shercliff - who started up Ankara press as an imprint of the already successful Cassava Republic.

What about other briefs – the cover design for Kaye Whitman’s Lagos: City of Imagination, Chikodili Emelumadu’s The Fixer and Nnedi Okorafor's What Sunny Saw In The Flames for example - what was the creative process for that?
Every book is different, so is my process. Obviously reading the book or excerpts from it and also having a general design concept from the author always helps. But in essence It's always about communication, getting the right balance of what your client wants and how you interpret the brief. It's definitely not easy, and can get frustrating at times but the end result is always rewarding.

How do you maintain your own style in a commission?
Sometimes it's a struggle, what I tell myself is that as much as I need to do this in my style, when completing a commission I am creating someone else's idea, I am making their dreams come true, it may not always be exactly what I want but the aim is to have a happy and satisfied customer.

Which commission have you most enjoyed? 
I really enjoyed creating a set of illustrations for a poem by Peace the Poet, his work really inspired me, the words spoke to me even before I started working on the drawings.

Still from 'Spring Love' by Peace the Poet. 

What’s your dream project?
I don't really have one. I just want to keep illustrating brilliant African literature whether is through a book cover or through inner illustrations that tell a story.

On your own projects
Tell us about the Queens of Africa series?
It started off as a simple idea, I never thought I would take it this far. I just wanted to celebrate women, literal and metaphorical queens, all those women who helped to uplift their people in all parts of Africa.

How did you choose the Queens to feature? And how do you go about designing these phenomenal women?
Before starting a did some research of African inspirational women, sadly my results were mostly about African-American women, it took a while for me to come up with a list of women I wanted to feature. Some of the featured queens are from ancient kingdoms so I have very little reference images, I use some of my imagination and what is already out there to create my character and I feature a pattern to go with their story.


Two of Iwu's Queens of Africa. Images via Onyinye Iwu Illustration.

You have also produced two other picture books – Grey and the Lost Braid and Bring Back My Sister – would love to know more about the inspiration behind them?
'Grey and the Lost Braid' was the first fully fledged children story I have ever written, it's about a girl that finds a braid extension on the floor and tries to find out where it is fallen from. I remember seeing braids on the street when I was a child, I always felt a mixture of embarrassment and pity for who lost it but secretly I also found it very funny.

'Bring Back My Sister' was a story to highlight the family of the victims of the Chibok girls kidnapping, a young girls talks about her struggle in finding her missing sister. It's very sad because there is not happy ending. It is quite unresolved, just like the real life situation. I wanted to highlight that children are affected by this too, there is more than one victim in these situations.

On Books and More
What are you reading right now?
I am currently reading 'Dangerous Love' by Ben Okri. Absolutely enchanting so far, as are all of his other works I have come across.

As an illustrator, have you ever judged a book by its cover? If so, what are some of your favourite book covers?
At first I always judge a book by its cover, but  as a bookworm I want to read it whether I like it or not. I do not have a favourite book cover, I read too much to have a favourite!

Final Questions (I promise)
5 things inspiring you/your work right now?
Can I say Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie? She is worth even more than 5 inspirational things. She is a role model in every way. Love everything about this woman.

Your number 1 art tip?
Be and stay true to yourself. Never compromise your art for popularity.

What’s next?
A 'Kings of Africa' series, some illustrations focusing on Igbo culture and more wonderful patterns.



If you love Onyinye Iwu's illustration as much as I do, you can check them out on her Facebook page. Also, there are some super cool Queen of Africa products you can purchase, if you want a piece of Iwu's stunning and distinctive artwork. 

15:52 No Comments
Newer Posts
Older Posts

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.

Follow

recent posts

Blog Archive

  • ►  2020 (7)
    • ►  October (2)
    • ►  May (3)
    • ►  April (2)
  • ►  2019 (14)
    • ►  December (3)
    • ►  July (1)
    • ►  June (3)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (5)
  • ►  2018 (31)
    • ►  December (3)
    • ►  October (5)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  July (4)
    • ►  June (4)
    • ►  May (2)
    • ►  March (6)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (4)
  • ▼  2017 (42)
    • ►  October (1)
    • ►  September (1)
    • ►  August (6)
    • ►  July (6)
    • ►  June (6)
    • ►  April (7)
    • ►  March (3)
    • ►  February (5)
    • ▼  January (7)
      • Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen ...
      • Four Mouthwatering African Books on Food
      • Sneak Peek: 'Sleep Well, Siba & Saba' by Nansubuga...
      • 10 Contemporary Books by (African) Muslim Women Wr...
      • African Women Writers Series
      • Meet ... Onyinye Iwu
      • Women at the Centre of Nnedi Okorafor's Book Covers
  • ►  2016 (72)
    • ►  December (7)
    • ►  November (2)
    • ►  October (13)
    • ►  September (9)
    • ►  August (8)
    • ►  July (3)
    • ►  June (7)
    • ►  May (4)
    • ►  April (10)
    • ►  March (6)
    • ►  February (2)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2015 (54)
    • ►  December (8)
    • ►  November (4)
    • ►  October (12)
    • ►  August (5)
    • ►  July (4)
    • ►  June (5)
    • ►  May (2)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  March (1)
    • ►  February (5)
    • ►  January (5)
  • ►  2014 (71)
    • ►  December (14)
    • ►  November (5)
    • ►  October (8)
    • ►  September (9)
    • ►  August (8)
    • ►  July (6)
    • ►  June (4)
    • ►  April (4)
    • ►  March (2)
    • ►  February (5)
    • ►  January (6)
  • ►  2013 (76)
    • ►  December (2)
    • ►  November (3)
    • ►  October (5)
    • ►  September (6)
    • ►  August (6)
    • ►  June (13)
    • ►  May (8)
    • ►  April (11)
    • ►  March (10)
    • ►  February (6)
    • ►  January (6)
  • ►  2012 (169)
    • ►  December (12)
    • ►  November (12)
    • ►  October (13)
    • ►  September (5)
    • ►  August (13)
    • ►  July (13)
    • ►  June (17)
    • ►  May (17)
    • ►  April (17)
    • ►  March (17)
    • ►  February (14)
    • ►  January (19)
  • ►  2011 (20)
    • ►  December (20)

Popular Posts

  • 20 Short Story Collections by African Women Writers
  • #100AfricanWomenWriters: 8. Rashidah Ismaili AbuBakr
  • Look at that Cover! Queer Africa 2

Get in touch!

Created with by ThemeXpose