Great Sogolon's House
The unusually long version of West African Mande epic transcribed and translated for this book is an extravagant demonstration of the extremes to which Mande bardic artistry can be carried. The text presented here is the result of multiple recording sessions with an extraordinarily creative oral artist who augmented key episodes of the Sunjata epic that devolved to him from his own father, as well as previous generations of Maninka and Bamana griots of north-eastern Guinea and southern Mali. In marked contrast to versions of the Sunjata epic recounted by other griots, an essential part of this narrator's performance-style is to season familiar episodes with cultural details and digress into explanations not usually offered by other bards.
The Book of African Proverbs For Women
The Book of African Proverbs For WomenVolume 1 A Collection Of Ancient African Wisdom For Women www.africanempires.net The Book of African Proverbs for Women Volume 1 is a compilation of over 100 ancient proverbs and words of wisdom from the continent of Africa specifically for women. Africa is the birthplace of human civilization and home to some of the most ancient wisdom on the planet. The continent of Africa is an extremely culturally rich region and home to over 2,000 languages, 3,000 ethnic group and numerous belief systems. This collection of inspirational sayings seeks to share Africa's wisdom which has been passed down from one generation to the next for thousands of years.
Ben Enwonwu
Winner - African Studies Association's 2009 Melville J. Herskovits Award An intellectual biography of a modern African artist and his immense contribution to twentieth-century art history. The history of world art has long neglected the work of modern African artists and their search for forms of modernist expression as either irrelevant to the discourse of modern art or as fundamentally subservient to the established narrative of Western European modernist practice. With this engaging new volume, Sylvester Ogbechie refutes this approach by examining the life and work of Ben Enwonwu (1917-94), a premier African modernist and pioneer whose career opened the way for the postcolonial proliferation and increased visibility of African art. In the decades between Enwonwu's birth and death, modernization produced new political structures and new forms of expression in African cultures, inspiring important developments in modern African art. Within this context, Ogbechie evaluates important issues such as the role of Anglo-Nigerian colonial culture in the development of modern Nigerian art, and Enwonwu's involvement with international discourses of modernism in Europe, Africa, and the United States over a period of five decades. The author also interrogates Enwonwu's use of the radical politics of Negritude ideology to define modern African art against canonical interpretations of Euro-modernism; and the artist's visual and critical contributions to Pan Africanism, Nigerian nationalism, and postcolonial interpretations of African modernity. First and foremost an intellectual biography of Ben Enwonwu as a modern African artist, rather than an exhaustive critical exploration of the discourse of modernism in African art history or in modern art in general, Ben Enwonwu situates the artist historically and interprets his work in ways that surpass traditional discourse around the canon of modern art.
"MILCReeK PoND"
**2019 B.R.A.G. MEDALLION WINNER** " Excellent coming-of-age, historical novel... I highly recommend this book."Janice Sims, Harlequin Presents Author Past, present, and future had intertwined in a way Molly knew was true, but could explain to no one. Like the descendants of Abraham, who knew not what lay in the path ahead, but believed in the promise, that it would be fulfilled. Before the summer of 1879, fourteen year old Molly pretends to be carefree, sailing, never taking a breath. After hearing she may have to move away, she's tired of being someone other than the girl in the reflection-the one who finds love and acceptance. Molly coaxes a lakeside meeting with the son of a nearby sharecropper, shy, good-looking Alex, who still won't look her in the eye. Her spirit-toting ma's obsessions, and number-codifying, poetic brother's strangeness, rob Molly of support she needs to keep a beau, plus battle against the townsfolk who openly hate her, because of the "one-drop rule". She replaces the dreaded existence they've mapped out for her with her own blueprint. Molly enlists the help of, mill owner, W. Neuman, a stranger to the South, bringing his own brand of fierceness, and his wife's quirky, flamboyant, no-nonsense aunt, visiting from Boston. Together, they uncover the notions of three mysterious schemers who wish to keep Molly "in- her- place." When an assailant viciously attacks Molly, she's not sure who she can trust, even Alex.
Beneath this thick skin
What happens when the warm flame of hope is snuffed out by the harsh realities of life, and one is left in the stark darkness of uncertainty? What moral threads are broken when one is driven to the very limits of desperation, and nothing is left but their instinct to survive? What is left when our scars are exposed and the deepest, darkest parts of our beings are brought to the surface under the glaring light? In her debut short story collection, Nyasha Melissa Chiyanike invites the reader to ponder such questions as she peels back the layers of her characters, summoning us to witness their journeys and transformations. Filled with intrigue and unpredictable at every turn, each story is gripping and shocking as she ventures to the very edges of human complexity, desire and determination.
The Fifty Rand Note and Other Short Stories
'The Fifty Rand Note is a collection of stories about multiple levels of consciousness from home, diaspora, the self to the collective, all being drawn from a society going through painful motions of change. Is it possible to steal a whole fifty rand note on a kombi and not return change? Is it possible for anybody to lose their source of livelihood and remain sane? What do you do when your city is fast becoming worse than the village? Is it possible to silence the whole village as you insist...? "Let me tell you"... Tsitsi's stories bring the reader closer to the acidic narratives of the likes of Dambudzo Marechera and Ayi Kwei Armah. This book will surely twist your neck until you see your heels.' Memory Chirere, University of Zimbabwe'After reading Tsitsi Nomsa Ngwenya's collection of short stories I came away decidedly entertained. And it also felt like I had been under a microscope being scrutinised. No doubt that was because Ngwenya is a stickler for detail and writes so evocatively as to create a verbal collage of experiences. The Fifty-Rand Note is a very good read and I recommend it without reservation.'David Mungoshi, author of The Fading Sun and Live Like an Artist 'The Fifty-Rand Note is not only a collection of hilarious, well packaged stories but a very philosophical work of art with cross- cutting themes of everyday life from politics, crime, religion, culture, marriage and migration to poverty and the very idea of good life. Tsitsi artistically and wittingly presents these rather serious matters in a very captivating and absolutely fantastic piece.' Professor Prudence Maqhawe Khumalo
More Translations from the Chinese
More Translations from the Chinese, a classical and rare book that has been considered essential throughout human history, so that this work is never forgotten, we at Alpha Editions have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.
Romances of Old Japan; Rendered into English from Japanese Sources
Romances of Old Japan; Rendered into English from Japanese Sources, a classical and rare book that has been considered essential throughout human history, so that this work is never forgotten, we at Alpha Editions have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.
No Easter Sunday For Queers
NO EASTER SUNDAY FOR QUEERS follows the (hate) (crime) (murder) love story of Napo and Mimi. The lovers, through the (spirit) (subconscious), Easter Sunday sermon, return on the anniversary of their (wedding) death (crucifixion) to make the (church) (pastor) (perpetrator) Father (reconcile) reckon with the present and the past and a (sacrifice) crucifixion he must account for. The alter is a cross and the subconscious a courtroom where the dead seek justice for a (an act) sin committed by their perpetrators. The (antagonist) protagonists cannot (any more) tell the past from the present and scripture from the truth. Every year, (through the visitations) on Easter Sunday the (pastor and his) church is made to remember.
Words and other weapons
Words and Other Weapons is an abstract literary art piece that refuses to categorise itself in any singular literary genre. Instead, it offers a scenic, panoramic window into the relationships women have with self and society, diligently exploring questions of identity and adulthood, motherhood and marriage, relationships and careers, among others, and how these are reconciled with the maddening complexities and uncertainties of the external world. Thembe Khumalo deploys a range of different writing styles from stream of consciousness to gossipy chic lit, news reports to detailed dialogue and the end result for the introspective reader, is a collection that provides a bittersweet treat with layers of unique insights that keep the mind reflective long after the last page is turned.
Life As A Hyphen
Ismail Badjie's collection of essays and short stories offers a deeply personal exploration of his life experience as a man straddling two worlds (Africa and USA). Ismail navigates the complexities of his dual identity with wit, candor, and a relentless pursuit of self-discovery. He encourages readers to step outside their comfort zones, challenge deeply ingrained beliefs, and explore the uncharted territories of their own inner worlds. Drawing on his life experiences, Ismail shares valuable lessons that offer a deep insight into his personal journey into fatherhood, the healing of his inner child, confronting his patriarchal upbringing, and grappling with the complexities of his culture. Ultimately, Ismail's writing celebrates the beauty of true love, perseverance, and devotion, urging us to embrace the power of vulnerability, resilience, and self-discovery. A thought-provoking and inspiring read, Ismail Badjie's collection of essays and short stories is a testament to the transformative power of storytelling and the enduring human spirit.
Life As A Hyphen
Ismail Badjie's collection of essays and short stories offers a deeply personal exploration of his life experience as a man straddling two worlds (Africa and USA). Ismail navigates the complexities of his dual identity with wit, candor, and a relentless pursuit of self-discovery. He encourages readers to step outside their comfort zones, challenge deeply ingrained beliefs, and explore the uncharted territories of their own inner worlds. Drawing on his life experiences, Ismail shares valuable lessons that offer a deep insight into his personal journey into fatherhood, the healing of his inner child, confronting his patriarchal upbringing, and grappling with the complexities of his culture. Ultimately, Ismail's writing celebrates the beauty of true love, perseverance, and devotion, urging us to embrace the power of vulnerability, resilience, and self-discovery. A thought-provoking and inspiring read, Ismail Badjie's collection of essays and short stories is a testament to the transformative power of storytelling and the enduring human spirit.
CHRISTMAS Seduction
A Flirty & Feisty Romance Novel "I find her impossible to forget..." Terrence."He gives me sleepless nights..." Makayla.Against all odds, Terrence Parker has a relationship he says he is 'happy' about. Business is smooth-sailing. But a family Christmas holiday gets out of control when the unruly female pilot with smoky eyes, a wide smile and a figure that catches his breath sticks her mouth and presence in all the wrong places. Who the heck employed her and why can't she follow his rules like everyone else?When Captain Makayla Black accepts to fly the private jet owned by the impossible, but ruggedly handsome Terrence Parker during the Christmas holiday, she only wants to earn her pay and return home in one piece. After she sets eyes on his tattoos and muscled physique, her heart beats faster than she can think. Will Terrence and Makayla deny their scorching attraction or will the magic of Christmas give them a new beginning? From the Author of "Shocking Affair" A Sweet & Steamy Romance
Mari Mavu
Inspired by my grandmother-Mari Mavu carries classic ideas, thoughts, and memories that speak to the idea that we are all resources with commercial & social value. Human pieces of a gigantic puzzle that breathes as we do. It is premised on the promise of an old Kalanga tale-while grounding us on the value and humanity of each one of us. The pages of this book will not only inspire you but challenge you to see things differently and to occupy your place and reign as the masterpiece that God has designed you to be while aligning yourself with the rewarding spirit of money and fulfillment.Titled in Kalanga, one of Botswana's popular local languages, but written in English-Mari Mavu doesn't only seek to promote representation and visibility of African languages, cultural exchange, tourism, and African stories at a global scale. The book also takes the bold step to share perspectives on global issues including unemployment, the future of money, the future of natural talents & work, culture, humanity, and technology through the lenses of African stories.
A Story and A Play
In the first part of this two-part book, the 'story', Idunnu ponders a decision that will change her life: marriage. Up until now, she has made decisions based on what she thought was best for those around her. However, faced with the finality of marriage, she's unsure if this change will be for the better. The second part, the 'play', introduces us to Ade, an artistic kid disconnected from her heritage. Through her art, she is transported into the fictional Nigerian village of Olumo where she meets hero, Tejumola, and learns that everything that makes her is worth celebrating.In both stories, our characters start the process of discovering and gaining confidence in who they are.
Zimbolicious Anthology 7
Zimbolicious Anthology 7: An Anthology of Zimbabwean Literature and Arts continues with the tradition that Mwanaka Media and Publishing has made an intrinsic part of the Zimbabwean artscape: giving us something Zimbolicious. From the first anthology which focused solely on poetry to the current one, the definition of 'Zimbolicious' has been expanded to include photography, sculpture, paintings, Installations, short stories, essays and interviews, all from Zimbabweans at home and the diaspora. The visual pieces have determined the scope of this anthology as much as the textual ones. Zimbolicious Anthology 7, therefore, showcases the many images of Zimbabwe and its people through the eyes of its artists. Tendai Rinos Mwanaka is a Zimbabwean publisher and owner of Mwanaka Media and Publishing; an editor, mentor, thinker, literary artist, visual artist and musical artist with 23 individual books and at least 25 curated and edited anthologies published in Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Northern Ireland, UK, and USA.Tanaka Chidora is a literary scholar with a PhD in Literature from the University of the Free State in South Africa (2018). He taught at the University of Zimbabwe in the Department of English from 2014 to May, 2021 before joining Goethe University as a Humboldt postdoctoral fellow researching on violence, memory and literature in Zimbabwe. Chidora is a published poet and short story writer.
Moving Train
Moving Train is a collection of poems meant to articulate, authenticate, stimulate, simulate and germinate the creative abilities and potentials of the young ones as we seek to renact, recreate and reproduce the likes of Horace, William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, and others in the African Literary firmament. Moving Train is an African expose and export to humanity! Moving Train is recommended by the Delta State government as part of the Literature in English curriculum(poetry) for junior secondary school students .
Principled Principles for Prosperity and Financial Management
Time is of the essence when it comes to managing money. Equally, having the right approach to one's finances is vital. This is where budgeting and adequate financial planning comes into play. I will be discussing the issue of time and money-budgeting in fuller details in the next book. But in addition to being mindful of time in financial management, there is also the need to rely on the grace of God for direction in putting our money to good use. There is a right approach to effective money management and certain principles that must be followed; some of which have been mentioned in this book.
Between Dystopias: The Road to Afropantheology
A captivating collection of original stories and essays by award-winning authors that celebrates the richness and complexity of African mysticism.African literary scholars struggle to reconcile African mysticism with literary labels. Between Dystopias: The Road to Afropantheology encapsulates the essence of African mysticism and dystopia through original stories.Afropantheology explores various aspects of African mysticism and dystopia. 'Mother's Love, Father's Place' and '02 Arena' are examples. It acknowledges Africa's journey from its origins to the future. 'The Deification of Igodo' and 'A Dance with the Ancestors' are stories that showcase the complexity of African mysticism. 'Land of the Awaiting Birth' explores the link between theborn and the unborn. .Between Dystopias: The Road to Afropantheology is a celebration of African mysticism. The collection highlights the richness and complexity of African culture and traditions. It is a must-read for anyone interested in African literature, culture, and history.
War And Bloodletting Under A Sick President
In an otherwise peaceful country, full of hopes and opportunities for all; the leaders have turned Nigeria upside down, making it a country where nobody can be seen as honest and pure. This mixed fiction is a narration of the author's dreams, lamenting the extreme backwardness of the country in the midst of plenty. It takes its foundation from the effects of the misrule of President Baba Bubu on Nigerians and his attempts to enable his tribe, the Fulani herdsmen, cause wars and conquer lands of the ordinary people of Nigeria. How can the President's love for cows be more than his love for human beings? He sees those Fulani men who do not key into his idea of Nigeria being the Fulani's God-given land as none true Fulanis and cowards. Nigerians have never had it so bad; so much so that all the gains of the past have been wiped away with their thumbs in 2015, which they repeated in 2019. Instead of strengthening the "spread effect", President Baba Bubu has made it an "inverted backwash effect" for the country he was elected to govern and Nigeria is now paradoxically the poverty capital of the world, a country where a horse can fly. Yet, the leaders pretend not to know that when there is a bigot as the head of a nation, there will be agitations everywhere. Then, when such agitations in the different regions of the country are handled arrogantly and in lopsided manners, there will be multiple terrorisms. The answer to the Nigerian problem must be in the "Golden Rule of Accumulation"; the young people of Nigeria must gather to do unto the future generations what they wished the past generations had done unto the present generation. It is believed that the people will learn from history.
A Warrior’s love letters
A warrior's love letters is a collection of poems and prose about love, heartbreak and recovery. A voyage into the universe of happiness, brokenness, wholeness and everything in between. Love is a journey to which the destination is often unknown for the experience lies in the journey itself rather than the destination. So to experience such is to take a ride through time and feelings while hoping to come out intact. The relationships we have are those that help us to better understand ourselves.
The Mad Man on First Street and Other Short Stories
The Mad Man on First Street is an exciting, categorical and poignant piece of writing by the ever insightful David Chasumba. In his debut book, he explores both the past and the present of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean diaspora, with a moving directness that immerses the reader into his world effortlessly. Chasumba provides a relentlessly accurate depiction of the socio-political issues present in Zimbabwe, exhibiting his wide literary range, from Black nationalist activism during the Rhodesian bush war, to power relations across the racial divide, during and after the land reform, a feminist march protesting women's rights to be who they choose in modern day Harare, and a Zim dancehall musician struggling to beat a drug addiction to save his music career. Chasumba asks questions of both his readers and his characters that will remain long after turning the last page.
The Coloured Vine
When Father Costello, a young Catholic Mission priest, engages in an illicit romance with a teenage indigenous girl, Mary Chali, that sets the stage for defining interracial relationships and the conflicts of the heart with priestly responsibilities. It all started when Mary Chali gave birth to a newborn boy in 1934. The young priest was immediately removed from the mission in order to prevent causing a scandal in the church.Father Costello's third generation descendant, Chisala Sampa, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and actualisation both socially and professionally, overcoming the constraints of an impoverished upbringing, a cruel stepfather, discrimination, and an obsessed female colleague at the top of the corporate echelons who believes she was born to have it all.While his life was taking unexpected turns, his long-lost father, Richard Chali, was also confronted with a number of obstacles to overcome. They were on a similar path, with neither knowing what had happened or was happening in the other's life until fate brought the two lives together in a shared, but unpleasant, confluence.
The Trick is to Keep Breathing
THE TRICK IS TO KEEP BREATHING: Covid 19 Stories From African and North American Writers, Vol 3, features 2 essays, 5 stories and 64 poems from 32 poets, writers and academicians from North America and Africa, writers residing in these among other countries; The USA, Canada, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, The Gambia, Ghana, Malawi.., surrounding the grate, telling stories of resilience and triumph as they dealt with Covid 19 and its several mutations over the past 3 years. Humans are connection beings and one of the most fulfilling ways they do so is through sharing stories. It's time we surround the fire, warming ourselves as we tell the stories of our humanness and resilience, stories of triumph, stories to release unrequited pain, anger and grief, stories of loss, stories that will act as continuing breath....
Fixing Earth
This anthology focuses on the individual actions that build the collective, how can we as individuals create, innovate and change our interactions with earth and the other living beings so as to create a healthy earth for us and our futures. FIXING EARTH investigates and proposes a way forward to fixing earth, it could be historical precedents, it could be religious and spiritual, it could be empirical scientific, it could be looking at modern commodification ideas to see how they can be done in a way that replenishes earth, and grapples with climate politics, climate warfare, climate racism, climate holocaust. 2 essays, 1 story, and 38 poems from 17 writers residing in Africa, the UK and Ireland were received. This book is invaluable to earth scientists, environmental activists, Eco-criticism scholars, politicians, government and NGO agencies that deal with climate and environment, social commentators, and the general readers.
Mukoma’s Marriage
The stories in Mukoma's Marriage and Other Stories capture the lives of Zimbabwean men and the women they marry, and the lives of women and the men they fall in love with, each revealing the complexities of cultural and gender expectations against the backdrop of a changing country (war in the 1970s, political uncertainty in the 1980s and economic structural adjustment in the 1990s). Fati sets out to tell Mukoma's story, but ends up also telling his wives' stories. By telling his brother's story, and that of his women, he ends up telling his own story. Fati is a new and interesting protagonist in Zimbabwean literature with a voice at times innocent, yet increasingly incisive, humorous and engaging. These stories are deeply personal yet universal in their treatment of human relationships, ambitions, and misplaced cultural and gender expectations. Whether he is telling the story of his brother's first marriage, or remembers his brother's fights at a Parents Day event at Mhototi School, whether he recalls the night Mukoma took him to see a new baby in the alleyways of Glen View, Fati renders these stories with a measured, composed voice which doesn`t fail to delight with its unusual humour.
Higher Education in Tanzania
Examines institutional transformation in the University of Dar es Salaam. The Partnership for Higher Education in Africa commissioned case studies of higher education provision in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, as part of its effort to stimulate enlightened, equitable, and knowledge-based national development, and to provide guides to understanding. The University of Dar es Salaam has put in place measures to stop the process of decay and better fulfil its core functions - the unity and commitment within its leadership attracting both government and donors. This text explores the attributes needed to harvest the fruits of the reform. In association with Partnership for Higher Education in Africa; Tanzania: Mkuki na Nyota
Manufacturing Africa
The team of authors see this book as a contribution to lifting the standard of debate and towards restarting in-depth comparative research. Concentrates on the seven countries which between them (excluding South Africa) account for 60 per cent of total manufacturing in sub-Saharan Africa. The contributors look at the role of manufacturing and industry in the development of these countries, arguing that future prosperity could be enhanced by a three-pronged approach to industrialisation. Published in association with the ODI
Africa’s Urban Past
Urbanization has been an important feature of Africa's history for over 2000 years. Towns and cities have been arenas around which societies have organized themselves: as centres of trade and economic activity; as foci of political action and authority; as military garrisons; as sites of ritual power; and as places of refuge and collective security in troubled times. This collection reveals the depth of urbanization in African history.
Are We Not Also Men?
Terence Ranger collected a range of sources, including the archive of Thompson's papers, the National Archives and oral interviews. This work provides a collective biography of Thompson Samkange and of two of his sons, Sketchley and Stanlake. Thompson Samkange was born in 1893 at the time that his land was being overwhelmed from the South. He was one of the founders of the African press. Stanlake Samkange, Professor of History and writer of historical novels, lived to see the achievement of Zimbabwe's independence in 1980. Terence Ranger has had access to a range of sources, including the archive of Thompson's papers, found in a tin trunk which had been kept amongst rats and damp in a laundry. He also discovered a large body of evidence for the modern history of Methodism in the National Archives. However, much of this book depends on the information gleaned from oral interviews. Zimbabwe: Baobab
Loose Purls Vol 1
Loose Purls: From the Recesses of a Grateful MindWhen you realize you've been dreaming for more years, than actually living the dream. God spared my life, made me sit down, take a look at my life and gave me a new voice. For years I talked about writing a book about my life's adventures but it was easier to talk about it because chatter didn't need to prove that I had any thoughts. Early 2016 I became deathly ill, needing surgery, died twice on the operating table and my caregivers and family wouldn't allow them to give up on me. I wasn't expected to live. I remained in a coma for a month on a ventilator until the hospital transferred me to a Transitional Care Hospital (TCH). My primary doctor and my family refused to pull the plug, refused to lose faith in my recovery... Thank the Lord I woke up before Memorial Day weekend. After hearing details about the ordeal I went through I got busy writing about everything that came to me and this poetry book is the result of my decision to quit procrastinating!
Of Passion and Ink
From Limbe, the seaside city, to Kolofata in the north of Cameroon, Of Passion and Ink moves from stories of star-crossed lovers, mental health, dark fantasy, displacement, speculative futures to radicalization. These stories subvert what is believed to be the Cameroonian short story and offer exciting new directions.Stories by Dipita Kwa, Bengono Essola Edouard, Monique Kwachou, Dzekashu MacViban, Howard M-B Maximus, Nkiacha Atemnkeng, A. Bouna Guazong, Rita Bakop, Momo Bertrand and Wise Nzikie Ngasa.
Under Our Skin
1570. A street teems with activity in Renaissance Lisbon: boatmen unload passengers as jugglers entertain the crowd and vendors hawk their goods. The crowd is large, and more than half of it is Black. Most are enslaved African people performing an array of duties, but there are free Africans too, and somebody else: a Black knight astride a horse.Four hundred and fifty years later, novelist and journalist Joaquim Arena stands in a museum, transfixed by the character depicted on this canvas by an anonymous Flemish painter. He doesn't know it yet, but the knight is Joao de S獺 Panasco, a one-time slave who nevertheless became an Afro-Portuguese nobleman.Arena was born in the tiny state of Cape Verde, a small chain of islands off the West Coast of Africa which were uninhabited before Portugal chose them for a slave-trade post―a place made famous in part by Herman Melville's essay on the nature of Cape Verdeans (known as 'Gees') who were common fixtures on whaling vessels. With this awareness, and the death of his adoptive, seafaring father, Arena begins to interlace the stories of historical figures with the complex and fascinating characters from his own childhood in Cape Verde and Lisbon to create a hybrid text of diasporic travel writing, memoir, and history from Europe to the US, and finally, back to Africa.
Bakwa Magazine 09
In our first-ever print and entirely nonfiction issue, we explore what it means to travel as an African. Herein are stories about passport privilege and air and road trips to destinations diverse and peculiar-from Douala, Lagos, Lisbon, through Berlin, Sylt, Maputo to Kousseri. A journey down memory lane with the inglorious history of an airline, and a cab driver's unheralded analysis of Captain Marvel.Bakwa 09 includes pieces from Florian Ngimbis, Anne-Marie Befoune, Yovanka Paquete Perdigao, Sada Malumfashi, Nkiacha Atemnkeng, Munukayumbwa 'Mimi' Mwiya, Howard M-B Maximus, Kay Ugwuede and Raoul Djimeli. It also features an online-only excerpt of the novel Whites Can Dance Too by Kalaf Epalanga.
Bakwa Magazine 10
What does family mean? How do we relate to it? Is it defined exclusively by blood ties? How often does it fuck us up? How often does it protect us? From Bamenda to Maryland, Port Harcourt to Addis Ababa, Bakwa 10 explores the ways in which families make and unmake us. Contributors include: Pwaangulongii Dauod, Sada Malumfashi, Bertille Mbarga, Lebohang Mojapelo, G矇raldin Mpesse, Eleanor TK, Nelson Kamkuimo, Mignotte Mekuria, Kanyinsola Olorunnisola, and JK Anowe.
African Literature, Mother Earth and Religion
This book is a collection of essays that explore the intersection of Earth, Gender and Religion in African literary texts. It examines cultural, religious, theological and philosophical traditions, and their construction of perspectives and attitudes about Earth-keeping and gender. This publication is critical given the current global environmental crisis and its impact on African and global communities. The book is multidisciplinary in approach (literary, environmental, theological and sociological), exploring the intersection of African creative work, religion and the environment in their construction of Earth and gender. It presents how the gendered interconnectedness of the natural environment, with its broad spirituality and deep identification with the woman, features prominently in the myths, folklores, legends, rituals, sacred songs and incantations that are explored in this collection. Both male and female writers in the collection laud and accept woman's enduring motif as worker, symbol and guardian of the environment. This interconnectedness mirrors the importance of the environment for the survival of both human and non-human components of Mother Earth. The ideology of women's agency is emphasised and reinforced by ecofeminist theologians; namely those viewing African women as active agents working closely with the environment and not as subordinates. In the context of the environmental crisis the nurturing role of women should be bolstered and the rich African traditions that conserved the environment preserved. The book advocates the re-engagement of women, particularly their knowledge and conservation techniques and how these can become reservoirs of dying traditions. This volume offers recorded traditions in African literary texts, thereby connecting gender, religion and the environment and helpful perspectives in Earth-keeping.
Aubade at Night or Serenade in the Morning
"aubade at night or serenade in the morning" investigates the etymology of Nigeria's notoriety for systemic corruption and insecurity. It narrates how the nation is scarred by episodes of terrorist attacks leaving a number of families broken forever; revealing its major actors as corrupt, inept leaders and the Boko Haram insurgent groups. It x-rays how lawlessness brings the nation to its knee and confronts the persecution of citizens by the Police who should protect them.Furthermore, while underscoring the Nigerianness of the people, the collection goes deeply into the demystification of fate and grief, narrates the plights of boy child amidst the burden placed upon them and how they are abandoned while placing focus on the girl child. In the end, it shares a crumb of the author's personal life vis-a-vis family, love, heartbreak and hope, thereby generally exploring the theme of identity of him as a verisimilitude of any other child from this country.This collection is unique for its experimentation of styles and forms (avant-garde) and its usage of natural and mundane images to probe the themes of patriotism and identity. The duality of effects of every picturesque showcases intensity of experience through velocity of language and emotional ethos.
Decoded
Decoded: New Essays on Zadie Smith examines the middle period of Zadie Smith's illustrious career as a dynamic, experimental novelist of contemporary Black British writing. The five new essays in Decoded, written by innovative scholars in the fields of British literature and African Diasporic studies, bring together the most original and current analysis of Smith's novels and literary criticism since the release of Smith's NW (2012). Decoded includes discussions of NW, Swing Time, The Embassy of Cambodia, Grand Union, Changing My Mind, Feel Free, and Intimations. The essays delve into Smith's philosophy about the role and responsibility of the artist, her ardent defense of the function of the novel in the digital age, and the connection between writers and readers. Also illuminated is Smith's growth as a writer, her reconceptualization of racial identity, and shifting literary techniques from hysterical realism to social realism. Finally, the book discusses Smith's role as a public intellectua, and her evolution from an optimistic champion of multiculturalism to a subdued, austere realist who has broadened her social critique from the local to the global arena.
Decoded
Decoded: New Essays on Zadie Smith examines the middle period of Zadie Smith's illustrious career as a dynamic, experimental novelist of contemporary Black British writing. The five new essays in Decoded, written by innovative scholars in the fields of British literature and African Diasporic studies, bring together the most original and current analysis of Smith's novels and literary criticism since the release of Smith's NW (2012). Decoded includes discussions of NW, Swing Time, The Embassy of Cambodia, Grand Union, Changing My Mind, Feel Free, and Intimations. The essays delve into Smith's philosophy about the role and responsibility of the artist, her ardent defense of the function of the novel in the digital age, and the connection between writers and readers. Also illuminated is Smith's growth as a writer, her reconceptualization of racial identity, and shifting literary techniques from hysterical realism to social realism. Finally, the book discusses Smith's role as a public intellectua, and her evolution from an optimistic champion of multiculturalism to a subdued, austere realist who has broadened her social critique from the local to the global arena.
