Dance The Guns to Silence: 100 Poems for Ken Saro-Wiwa
Nigerian author Ken Saro-Wiwa was an environmental and Ogoni rights activist. He led a movement in Ogoni for social and ecological justice. He used his writing and his boundless energy to unite the Ogoni behind a call for greater autonomy within the Nigerian Federation, access to oil revenues for the development of Ogoni, the right to protect Ogoni from ecological devastation and the right to preserve the Ogoni language. He was executed on November 10, 1995 by the regime of Sani Abacha along with eight other Ogoni activists. » Read more…
Infidel – Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Infidel is an autobiographical book and New York Times bestseller by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. The initial print of the book sold out in two days in the Netherlands. » Read more…
Shimmer Chinodya Wins The 2007 NOMA Award for Publishing in Africa
Shimmer Chinodya is one of Zimbabwe’s most celebrated post-independence literary writers. In 2007 he won the NOMA Award for Publishing in Africa for his novel Strife. 107 titles, from 66 African publishers, in 12 countries, in 5 languages, were submitted for the 2007 competition. » Read more…
The Street, The Icarus Girl, and Everything Good Will Come
Nigerian Sefi Atta’s novel Everything Good Will Come charts the fate of two african girls, one born of privilege (Enitan Taiwo) and the other (Sheri Bakare) a lower class “half-caste”. One is prepared to manipulate the traditional system while the other attempts to defy it. the tale traces this unusual friendship into their adult lives, against the backdrop of tragedy, family strife, and war-torn Nigeria. » Read more…
Benjamin Kwakye – The Sun By Night
Benjamin Kwakye has scored another winner with his second book, The Sun By Night. A prostitute has been found murdered and Manu, a wealthy, happily married businessman is the prime suspect. Secrets begin to unravel as the story unfolds, leaving Manu’s life exposed to the public. As the trial unfolds the attention turns to the issues that affect the trial, including the social standing, the stigmas attached to a prostitute, and the views on marriage and infidelity. As the drama unfolds, one is drawn into the contrasting worlds, and, just as soon as you think that you know how it is going to end, the story takes an unexpected turn. » Read more…
Ngugi wa Thiongo – Wizard of the Crow
There is an old adage from the Yoruba tribe of West Africa that says “A reversing ram will gather momentum and charge with more power.” Ngugi is the reversing ram, gathering momentum and charging powerfully with his latest release; Wizard of the Crow after a 20 year break. » Read more…
Inua “Phaze” Ellams – Word Artist
Jamati: INUA? What does your name stand for?
I think you mean what my name means; it is a word in the Hausa language, whose literal transition is ‘shade’. What Can I say, I was born cool. I google-searched the name (think everyone should at some point) and found out “Inua’ is a character in Inuit mythology, the Arctic dwellers commonly known as ‘Eskiom’ believe that ‘Inua’ is the force of life, movement and change in all things. People pray to it, there is even a folk band called ‘Inua’. Now I have no idea if the name traveled up there, or down there, but both meanings are nature related, so there is gotta be a link. When I found out, I told my sister I was a god. She slapped me. Nothing like a sibling to bring you down to earth.
Jamati: Were you raised on the continent? If not, have you ever visited?
Yeap, born in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, moved to Lagos, secondary schooled in Odogbolu, Ogun state before coming to the UK. I have not been back since I left, but will do so. » Read more…
Dayo Forster – Reading the Ceiling
Dayo Forster Dayo was born in Gambia and now lives in Kenya. She has published a short story in Kwani?, Kenya’s literary magazine, and was one of twelve African writers selected as a participant for the 2006 Caine Prize Writer’s Workshop. The story produced as a result of the ten-day workshop will be published in a Caine Prize anthology in July 2006. » Read more…
Jack Mapanje – Imprisoned but not silenced
Malawian poet Jack Mapanje taught in Malawi Secondary Schools before he joined the Department of English at Chancellor College, University of Malawi, in 1975, first as a lecturer, then as Head of the Department of English. He has a BA and Diploma in Education from the University of Malawi, an M.Phil. in English and Education from The Institute of Education London, and a Ph.D. in linguistics from University College London in 1983. » Read more…
Judith Stone – When She Was White: The True Story of a Family Divided by Race
In 1966, a 9-yr old Sandra Laing was expelled from an all white school South African school due to a reclassification of her complexion–DARK. This is despite her being the daughter of white-skinned, European, Afrikaaner parents. Over the next couple of years, Sandra was once again reclassified as white as a result of her father’s efforts to separate his child from what was considered a stigmatized black race. This story is a documentation of some of the effects of the Apartheid that ripped the country of South Africa during this era.
African Events Calendar
Upcoming Events
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July 14 - 17, 2010
Africa Fashion Week New York (AFWNY) in New York
USA - North East
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March 20, 2010
FACE Africa 1st Annual Gala
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March 11 -15, 2010
Sixth Annual New African Films Festival
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April 10, 2010
RUNWAY LIBERIA: Silver Spring,MD
USA - North East
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