Based on true events, a story of courage, forgiveness, love, and freedom in precolonial Ghana, told through the eyes of two women born to vastly different fates. Aminah lives an idyllic life until she is brutally separated from her home and forced on a journey that transforms her from a daydreamer into a resilient woman. Wurche, the willful daughter of a chief, is desperate to play an important role in her father's court. These two women's lives converge as infighting among Wurche's people threatens the region, during the height of the slave trade at the end of the nineteenth century. Through the experiences of Aminah and Wurche, The Hundred Wells of Salaga offers a remarkable view of slavery and how the scramble for Africa affected the lives of everyday people.
Inspired by the true story of a former slave who became a saint, this poignant novel explores how a human being can survive the obliteration of her identity, and how kindness and generosity can be born out of profound trauma. She recalls little of her childhood, not even her own name. She was barely seven years old when she was snatched by slave raiders from her village in the Darfur region of southern Sudan. In a cruel twist, they gave her the name that she will carry for the rest of her life: Bakhita, "the Lucky One" in Arabic. Sold and resold along the slave trade routes, Bakhita endures years of unspeakable abuse and terror. At age thirteen, at last, her life takes a turn when the Italian consul in Khartoum purchases her. A few years later, as chaos engulfs the capital, the consul returns to Italy, taking Bakhita with him. In this new land, another long and arduous journey begins--one that leads her onto a spiritual path for which she is still revered today. With rich, evocative language, Véronique Olmi immerses the reader in Bakhita's world--her unfathomable resilience, her stubborn desire to live, and her ability to turn toward the pain of others in spite of the terrible sufferings that she too must endure.
“Akwasi Aidoo’s Rhythms of Dignity is a remarkable, bold first collection. There is a rich diversity in range of form, expressiveness, experience, and passion. Reading through this work is a journey through the undercurrents of experience that reflect on living through the charged realities of the ‘post-colonial’ decades of our modern African not only with an intimate Pan-African awareness of history but also with a poignant sensibility of brotherhood, sisterhood and belonging. Clearly evocative of the age the poet has lived through, these poems have both a sharp clear eye on history, and an abiding tender trust in human relationships.” – Abena P.A. Busia, professor of literature, poet, and Ghanaian ambassador to Brazil. “Akwasi Aidoo weaves together in warm and passionate verses our timeless dreams of freedom, dignity and humanity which shall neither be deferred nor deterred regardless of what they say and what their SAPs (‘sanitize African passion’!) and Davos prescribe. Enjoy the dreams of ‘life and joy’ that is the Rhythms of Dignity. Akwasi is one of Africa’s foremost poets. Akwasi, you make us proud as Africans and as a part of humanity in what you sing and what you pen. May your Rhythms continue to inspire us and light the road to freedom.” – Issa Shivji, Emeritus Professor, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. “In this collection of poems covering Africa, meditation and memory and everything in between, we hear Akwasi Aidoo’s voice mingled with the voices of our ancestors, our past and our future, calling to us to reflect as ‘life streaming hurriedly to us’. Woven within the lyricism of the words, the poems are a political and social commentary on life that evoke Langston Hughes and reminds us of the stories we tell and are told about us. Buy it, read it and be discomfited and comforted in turn.” – Ayisha Osori, author of Love Does Not Win Elections.
This collection of essays interrogates the repositioning of Africa and its diasporas in the unfolding disruptive transformations of the early twenty-first century. It is divided into five parts focusing on America's racial dysfunctions, navigating global turbulence, Africa's political dramas, the continent's persistent mythologisation and disruptions in higher education. It closes with tributes to two towering African public intellectuals, Ali Mazrui and Thandika Mkandawire, who have since joined the ancestors.
Slavery is not a modern concept. Ancient civilizations such as Greece and Rome had systems of slavery, and many countries within Africa enslaved the members of rival tribes after they lost battles. However, Europeans greatly expanded and entrenched the slave trade. Through primary sources and annotated quotes, readers experience the horrors of slavery from the perspective of those it affected. A detailed timeline and discussion questions add to this essential reading experience that illustrates the lasting global effects of the transatlantic slave trade.
"This study focuses on the role of the philosophical novel--a genre that favors abstract concepts, or 'thinking about thinking,' over style, plot, or character development--and the role of philosophy more broadly in the intellectual life of the African continent"
Bursting with local color, this hilarious, heartwarming coming-of-age tale follows two friends on a raucous journey across Cameroon as they grapple with grief, sexuality, and dreams of leaving. After their father’s sudden death, Jean’s older brother Roger decides he’s had enough of their abusive mother and their city. He runs away to try his luck crossing illegally into Europe, in the hope of becoming a soccer star abroad. When no news of him reaches the family, and the police declare that finding some feckless brat isn’t worth their time, Jean feels he has to act. Aiming to catch up with Roger before he gets to the Nigerian border, Jean enlists the help of the older Simon, a close neighborhood friend, and the two set out on the road. Through a series of joyful, sparky vignettes, Cameroon life is revealed in all its ups and downs. Max Lobe insightfully touches on grave, complex issues, such as the violence Boko Haram has inflicted on the region, yet still recounts events with remarkable humor and levity.
'A sweet, charming, funny story about finding friendship, finding yourself, and love' Netgalley Reviewer 'I was waiting for a book like this!' Netgalley Reviewer ***INCLUDED IN THE AFRICA CENTER'S ROUND-UP OF 50 NOTABLE AFRICAN BOOKS OF 2021*** ___________________________________ Zainab Sekyi is on a quest to find herself. . . She's moving to New York City to pursue her lifelong dream to become an illustrator, but she doesn't just want to get a job. She's also on a mission to make enough money to go on a night out, buy a whole bottle of wine (not just a glass) and, most importantly of all, to fall in love. But as she grows accustomed to the hustle and bustle of city life - with the help of her new roommate Mary Grace, and life-long friend, Densua - she begins to hear the voices of her ancestors in her mind. . . Could understanding her family's past hold the key to Zainab's future? A charming romcom about one woman learning to fall in love in one of the most magical cities on earth, Ayesha Harruna Attah's novel is perfect for fans of Uzma Jalaluddin, Kiley Reid and Angela Makholwa. ___________________________________ Readers love Zainab Takes New York. . . 'If you're looking for a cute fun read, here is your next book' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'This was just the most beautiful book, from it's gorgeous cover to the immersive storyline. I haven't read anything quite as engaging as this in recent years!' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Ayesha has a way of writing that makes it hard to put the book down.' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'This book is filled with so many lessons from incredible characters.' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars 'Charming' Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars ___________________________________ Praise for Ayesha Harruna Attah: 'Beautifully written story that stimulates rich mental imagery' ***** Reader Review 'Very beautifully written' ***** Reader Review 'One of the best books I've read in the last 10 years!' ***** Reader Review 'Amazing worth reading' ***** Reader Review 'I couldn't put this book down' ***** Reader Review 'Thank you for a beautiful story' ***** Reader Review
This collection of essays documents the formative decades of African history across two countries by following the career of a British historian-cum-archivist Paul Jenkins (born 1938 in Sutherland) from West Africa to Central Europe. It retraces his academic path from Ghana to Switzerland while engaging his curiosities in, contributions to, and impact on the development of African history since the 1960s. The volume reflects on Paul’s academic services throughout the 1960s and 1970s, mainly at the University of Ghana (1965–1972) and subsequently at the Basel Mission Archive and University of Basel (1972–2003) in Switzerland – as key sites where he established himself as a teacher and promoter of African history. These episodes led to lasting bonds of intellectual friendships between Paul and an array of inter-/national and -generational scholars of Africa, several of whom are contributing to this volume. Significantly too, the volume highlights the importance of resources Paul curated during the early 1970s, notably his “Abstracts of the Basel Mission’s Gold Coast Correspondences”, through which he increased access to the rich collections of the Basel Mission Archive for scholars of Africa. Altogether, the essays celebrate, engage, interrogate, and push beyond Paul’s numerous past publications and ongoing academic work.
This wide ranging book explores the relationship between cuisine and class structure, and examines how cooking in the Third World is changing as a result of the impact of the West. Material discussed is both historical and anthropological, and ranges from China to Britain.
