That time of year again- The winner of the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing 2022 will be announced on Monday 18th July! Its the (unacceptably hot) day before and I’m having the pleasure of reading through these intriguing shortlisted…
The Hundred Wells Of Salaga by Ayesha Harruna Attah has reminded me that I don’t know enough about Ghanaian history! A reason historical fiction is a favourite genre of mine is that it always makes me want to research. Impossible…
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is a genuine classic for me. There is just so much to be said on the themes and ideology that make up this story. No matter what I say, I’m sure someone, somewhere, some academic…
As promised, here is the second part of my Caine Prize 2020 short list rundown! Finishing up with reviews of brilliant entries by Jowhor Ile, Irenosen Okojie and Rémy Ngamije. You can read Part One here for Erica Sugo and…
The AKO Caine Prize 2020 is one to look out for I really should have been paying more attention to the Caine Prize over the past few years, the talent is immense! The stories are thoughtful, imaginative and vivid. Past…
OK. The themes covered in this book: ancestry, colonialism, the Western eye on African arts, familial obligation, coming of age, identity, Ghanaian society and tradition. All of this made me like the idea of this story more than the reality…
By chance (or maybe not) Emmanuel Iduma sums up this book perfectly himself in a couple of sentences about halfway through the book: ‘But faces aren’t mirrors. Suppose we look long enough at others to discover their secret impulses, could…
It was a good evening for this. One of those hot London days when Summer is happening properly and there’s actual cause for shorts. After walking up and down Bellendon Road and noting some shops I’d never seen before, I…
We Are All Children Of Blood And Bone The artwork for this book cover and promotional posters is amazing. On the strength of that (I know it’s shallow), the consistently good reviews, and recommendations (less shallow; redeemed), I finally…