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

bookshy

Powered by Blogger.
The Ake Arts and Book Festival is a six day cultural, art and literary festival in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Running from November 19-24, this will be its first year. The theme of the festival is "The Shadow of Memory", with invited guest Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka. Other guests include A.Igoni Barrett, Teju Cole, Tendai Huchu, Alain Mabanckou, Laila Lalami, and Yewande Omotoso. 

As part of the festival, there will be workshops, master classes ranging from creating graphic novels to effective editing, panels with discussions on the representation of women in African Literature and the realities of Post-conflict African societies, book chats, book fair, an art exhibition and more. 

The festival sounds pretty cool. Here's a look at the works of some of the authors at the festival. If you're interested, more information can be found on their website. 


10:42 3 Comments
I loved this book. It tells the story of Baba Segi, a chauvinistic polygamist, living in Ibadan with his 4 wives and 7 children. Initially the first three wives (Iya Segi, Iya Tope and Iya Femi) are seen as monsters that despise the new wife, Bolanle; but over time we learn about their past and their secret lives.

The story is told through the perspectives of the wives and that is one of the joys of the novel. The only problem was that sometimes it took a couple of pages before you realised which wife was narrating. I also enjoyed the gradual revealing of each of the wives’ secret.

I found this to be an easy book to read and absolutely loved it.
4 out of 5 stars.

18:09 6 Comments

Being surrounded by the art and culture here is one of the many things that inspired me to start doing this. Being able to go to plays, galleries, open mic nights and having easy access to Nigerian literature makes being back even better.  Case in point - I just found out that Lola Shoneyin, the author of one of my favourite books of 2010, ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’, is going to be reading and signing copies of her books at the Life House (5-8pm on Saturday, 17 December). Obviously, I’m going to be there, camera in tow and book in hand to get a picture and autograph.  



20:00 No Comments
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

  • ▼  2026 (3)
    • ▼  October (2)
      • Taking chances
      • On navigating being called a writer
    • ►  June (1)
  • ►  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)
  • ►  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

  • Book Review: Sue Nyathi's 'The Polygamist'
  • Book Review: Chris Abani's 'Becoming Abigail'
  • 20 Short Story Collections by African Women Writers

Get in touch!

Created with by ThemeXpose