Tag: Blog 2015

Africa Writes 2015: Programme Summary

Africa Writes, the Royal African Society’s annual literature and book festival, returned for its fourth year running . The festival took place from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th July at the British Library. Africa Writes showcases established and emerging literary…

Afropolitanism is BS and Books That Inspire Africa39 Writers

Bwesigye bwa Mwesigire The Africa39 project needs no introduction. Does it? I think African Books To Inspire however needs. In fact, requires. Most times, when writers are invited to speak on panels, to participate in conversations, it is about their…

OLUFEMI TERRY, WINNER 2010 CAINE PRIZE FOR AFRICAN WRITING: “DURING THE RECENT EBOLA OUTBREAK, MY THOUGHTS RETURNED AGAIN AND AGAIN TO A PENETRATIVE PASSAGE OF TEXT”

A contribution from our #100DaysofAfricanReads collaboration What are your ‘African Books to Inspire’?  Learning to Pray in the Age of Technique by Goncalo Tavares. I exploit a technicality in choosing Goncalo Tavares’ novel: he’s Angolan-born.  Learning to Pray possesses in spades an alienative…

100 Must Read Nigerian Novels

Ben Okri sits among the greats, not only of Nigerian or African literature, but of the world’s literature. Here is a list including his 1991 novel The Famished Road. Seeing the names of such esteemed Nigerian Novelists alongside Okri’s in…

JJ Bola: Who are “they” that Okri is referring to?

Poet and spoken word performer JJ Bola responds to Ben Okri’s article in The Guardian on the mental tyranny keeping black writers from greatness. Whilst acknowledging the value of Okri’s argument, Bola takes to task what he sees as a…

Ben Okri reads from and discusses The Famished Road

The Famished Road is undoubtedly Ben Okri’s most famous work. In this BBC World Service broadcast Okri reads from his Booker-winning novel and discusses the passages with the World Book Club presenter, Harriet Gilbert. The unmistakeable baritone lilt in Okri’s…