TOBI'S DESK

As half-term comes to an end in the UK, and the looming prospect of an isolating Winter holiday break approaches, we’ve found these wonderful resources for parents and guardians to use with their children. Have a look and we hope this adds some extra fun in those precious bonding moments and educational delights with young ones.     Publishers, Books & Comics   1. This Is Book Love www. thisisbooklove.com This is Book Love is an award winning collective of Educators, Artists, Musicians, Creatives, Aunties, Uncles, Parents and Grandparents working together through an online shop to bring as much multicultural content and books in to one place.   2. Knights Of knightsof.media Knights Of publishes commercial children’s fiction – distributed through the UK, Ireland and Europe.   3. Miiato www.miiato.com Discover new superheroes with children’s book author Miia Torera’s I.S.A series!   Sto...

Africa Writes have teamed up with Bloomsbury to bring you an excerpt from Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Afterlives . Here’s a blurb of the historical fiction novel: Restless, ambitious Ilyas was stolen from his parents by the Schutzruppe askari , the German colonial troops; after years away, he returns to his village to find his parents gone, and his sister Afiya given away. Hamza was not stolen, but was sold; he has come of age in the army, at the right hand of an officer whose control has ensured his protection but marked him for life. Hamza does not have words for how the war ended for him. Returning to the town of his childhood, all he wants is work, however humble, and security – and the beautiful Afiya. The century is young. The Germans and the British and the French and the Belgians and whoever else have drawn their maps and signed their treaties and divided up Africa. As they seek complete dominion they are forced to extinguish revolt after revolt by the colonised. The conflict in Eur...

Sensuous Knowledge Masterclass with Minna Salami Date: Tuesday 20 October Time: 17:00 – 19:00 (BST) Location: Zoom Tickets: £35 / £17 (concession tickets for Senior 60+, Student, Under 18 and Unemployed) Drawing from Africa-centric and Black feminist thought, Minna Salami presents a new prism for how to engage with the world through her book Sensuous Knowledge : A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone . By weaving intellectual, mythological and artistic traditions, Minna offers accessible and cleverly crafted essays shedding new insight into knowledge production, liberation, decolonization, Black identity, womanhood and sisterhood, power and beauty. Bernardine Evaristo, winner of the 2019 Booker Prize, describes Sensuous Knowledge as ‘intellectual soul food’.  In this one-off masterclass, Minna will share her expertise and multidisciplinary approach to non-fiction writing. Over the two-hour session, participants will learn about different research methodologies and how to...

Africa Writes have teamed up with Myriad Editions to bring you a moving excerpt from the newly published paperback edition of Margaret Busby’s New Daughters of Africa . This excerpt is written by author and essayist Zadie Smith. Zadie Smith wrote the following speech when accepting The City College of New York’s Langston Hughes Medal (in 2017) which has been published for the first time in New Daughters of Africa . We hope you enjoy this treat and grab a copy of the anthology for your library. If you’d like a 10% discount, head over to Myriad Editions’ website and use the code ‘ AW10 ‘ to claim it! Note that this code is only valid until 30 September. Tell us what you think about this excerpt on Twitter ,  Facebook  and  Instagram . *** Zadie Smith Born in London to an English father and Jamaican mother (Yvonne Bailey-Smith), she published her first novel, White Teeth , aged 24 in the year 2000. The book went on to win a number of awards and prizes, including...

Africa Writes have teamed up with Jacaranda Books to bring you a delightful monthly read from the publisher’s Twenty in 2020 releases. In September we are spotlighting Deadly Sacrifice by Stella Oni. Here’s a short blurb: #TwentyIn2020 mystery begins as a child’s severed hand is found, DC Toks Ade and DS Philip Dean are put on the case. Thrown into a world of Nigerian traditional customs, ritual sacrifice, and international human trafficking, they must find the guilty parties before more children are lost and more limbs are found. If you’d like a 10% discount, head over to Jacaranda’s website and use the code ‘ AWNEWS ‘ to claim it! Jacaranda Books successfully crowdfunded with Knights Of and Spread the Word to support inclusive independent publishers hit worst by the COVID-19 economic crisis. You can read more about their Inclusive Indies  campaign here . #InclusiveIndies Tell us what you think about this excerpt on Twitter ,  Facebook  and  Instagram . *** ...

Stories of Silk: Somali Storytelling for children Tuesday 25 August, 11:00 – 11:30 (BST) Location: Zoom Tickets: FREE (suggested donations £2 / £5 / £10) With Deqa M Abdi. Sheekoysheeko, sheekoxariir ah, shimbir baa dhuustay, shaah bay karisay…..koob bay shubatay. Story story…a story made of silk…a bird farted…then made spicy tea…and poured herself a cuppa. Join London-based storyteller and poet, Deqa M Abdi, in a fun, interactive storytelling session for children! Abdi is the author of Stories of Silk (Sheeko Xariirah) published in English and audio recorded in Somali. The event will be delivered on Zoom as a meeting, so children can interact directly with the storyteller. The event is thirty minutes, live and will not be recorded or broadcast. This session is suitable for children 5 years plus , and will be delivered in English with some reference to Somali. You do not need to be fluent in Somali to join. All children are welcome. To ensure the safety of children attending...

Kenkey Party: Ghanaian Storytelling for Children Tuesday 25 August, 14:00 – 14:30 (BST) Location: Zoom Tickets: FREE (suggested donations £2 / £5 / £10) With Oyoo Nii-Owoo and Efua Okine. Leebi ko lɛ, Kɔmi kɛ kenaŋ eba Akwei kɛ Naa tsine. Amɛ mli ntao ni amɛtsɛ kɔmi yeli kɛ numɔ.  One morning, Akwei and Naa wanted to have a Kenkey party. But there was no fish. Join North American-based storyteller Oyoo Nii-Owoo and illustrator Efua Okine in an adventurous storytelling following Akwei and Naa! The event will be delivered on Zoom as a meeting, so children can interact directly with the storytellers. The event is thirty minutes, live and will not be recorded or broadcast. This session is suitable for children 2 – 5 years , and will be delivered in English with some reference to Ga and Twi. You do not need to be fluent in Ga and Twi to join. All children are welcome. To ensure the safety of children attending the event, registration is a two step process . You can purchase yo...

Africa Writes x First Five Live with Yomi Ṣode Date: Thursday 27 August Time: 19:00 – 20:15 (BST) Location: Zoom (streamed on Facebook Live ) Tickets: FREE (suggested donations £2 / £5 / £10) With Yomi Ṣode and Paul Mendez. First Five: The Art That Makes Us. Remember the book that changed your life? The song you’ll never forget? Join poet and host Yomi Ṣode in conversation with Paul Mendez (author of Rainbow Milk ), as they chart through a musical journey and share the art that changed them. Come with your shades and dancing shoes on! Though the event will be hosted on Zoom, it will be the summer literary fun we all need in lockdown. You can share your thoughts and questions during the live event on Zoom. If you’re unable to join via Zoom, the  event is also being streamed live on our Facebook page. Due to the technical nature of hosting the event virtually, we cannot guarantee that a question posted on Facebook Live will be answered.  This is a 16+ event. Convers...

Symposium – How should we write Yorùbá? Date: Wednesday 2 September – Thursday 3 September Time: 15:00 – 17:00 (BST/WAT both days) Tickets: FREE Two webinars on writing Yorùbá, a major language of West Africa, in the 21st century.   In the Yorùbá language of Nigeria and Benin, writing with diacritics (accents and special characters) is essential. These marks indicate the tone of vowel sounds, and the meaning of words. They’re how we know that  owó  (money) is not the same as  òwò  (business), or even  ówo  (a boil). The Yorùbá writing system has changed a lot since Bishop Àjàyí Crowther wrote  A Vocabulary of Yorùbá  (1843). Today the language is at a disadvantage online, because there are few tools to input the diacritics – even though it is spoken by 30-40 million people across the world. Among readers and writers of Yorùbá, there is uncertainty about when and whether to use the marks. How should, and can, diacritics be used toda...

Africa Writes have teamed up with Jacaranda Books to bring you a delightful monthly read from the publisher’s Twenty in 2020 releases. In July we are spotlighting If I Don’t Have You   by Sareeta Domingo. Here’s a short blurb: A #TwentyIn2020 romance that beautifully centres vulnerability while exploring the limits of love at first sight. Ren is an Afro-Brazilian filmmaker recovering from an affair of betrayals, while Kayla is a Black British artist and journalist. Thrown together during an interview for Ren’s latest film, they are struck by an irrevocable force. If you’d like a 10% discount, head over to Jacaranda’s website and use the code ‘ AWNEWS ‘ to claim it! Jacaranda Books successfully crowdfunded with Knights Of and Spread the Word to support inclusive independent publishers hit worst by the COVID-19 economic crisis. You can read more about their Inclusive Indies  campaign here . #InclusiveIndies Tell us what you think about this excerpt on Twitter ,  Facebo...

2020 AKO Caine Prize Conversation Monday 20 July, 19:00 – 20:30 Location: Zoom (streamed on Facebook Live ) Price: FREE  (suggested donations: £2 / £5 / £10) With Erica Sugo Anyadike (Tanzania), Chikodili Emelumadu (Nigeria & UK), Jowhor Ile (Nigeria), Rémy Ngamije (Rwanda & Namibia) and Irenosen Okojie (Nigeria & UK). Chaired by Ifeanyi Awachie. The annual AKO Caine Prize aims to bring African writing to a wider audience, popularising short fiction from authors on the continent. Launched in 2000, the prize is awarded to an African writer of a short story published in English, and this year marks its 21st award. In this virtual event we hear the 2020 finalists discuss their inspiration and work. Come prepared! All shortlisted stories are available online , so you can read them and come ready to pose your questions to the writers. All questions will be collected on Zoom so make sure you register below!  If you’re unable to join via Zoom, the  event is ...

As of 2019, Africa Writes festival adopted a biennial model with the aim of returning with a full summer festival weekend at the British Library in 2021. With this in mind we planned and programmed two very special events for our audiences to still take place in summer 2020; but with the coronavirus’ disruption to social events, those two events have been postponed until further notice. We were disheartened, as most were and still are, to realise these events wouldn’t be happening in the way we hoped but even more so for the authors who have book releases during this strange and uncertain time. One thing we know for sure is the importance of community in this time of isolation. So as an offering we’ve programmed free monthly virtual events on Zoom (streamed on Facebook Live) from July to September. Each event will be revealed in the month it is being hosted, so if you want to  be the first to know sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram ...

Africa Writes have teamed up with Jacaranda Books to bring you a delightful monthly read from the publisher’s Twenty in 2020 releases. In June we are spotlighting Bad Love   by Maame Blue. Here’s a short blurb: #TwentyIn2020 romance Bad Love is the story of London born Ghanaian Ekuah Danquah and her tumultuous experience with first love. Marked by this experience, she finds herself at a crossroads – can she fall in love again, or does the siren song of her first love still call? If you’d like a 10% discount, head over to Jacaranda’s website and use the code ‘ AWNEWS ‘ to claim it! Jacaranda Books successfully crowdfunded with Knights Of and Spread the Word to support inclusive independent publishers hit worst by the COVID-19 economic crisis. You can read more about their Inclusive Indies  campaign here . #InclusiveIndies Tell us what you think about this excerpt on Twitter ,  Facebook  and  Instagram .   ***   Chapter  1   I am not...

We, at Africa Writes, stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter . Black Trans Lives Matter. Black Women’s Lives Matter. Black Children’s Lives Matter. In this trying time for many of us, especially for the global Black community, there has been an outpouring of support and sharing of anti-racist literature. By way of contributing to the necessary reminder of Black resilience and joy during this transformative period, we have been sharing quotes on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook by beloved Black writers we adore who offer courage and encouragement in the face of injustice and suffering. We’ve dug through past Africa Writes festival podcasts archive, from 2016 – 2019, to offer conversations on or around the subjects of race and anti-racism from literature by Africans and writers of African descent. Through these selected podcasts we hope you are reminded of the beauty of literature and its power in assessing the world we live in, being a mirror of our lived realities, and creatin...

We at the Royal African Society are looking for a dynamic, innovative Programme Manager  who is committed to enhancing cultural representation in the curriculum and improving educational outcomes for children. The Programme Manager will have responsibility for the delivery of the Poetry in the Primary Classroom  project, which offers primary school teachers a rich professional development programme to enhance their enjoyment of, and practice with, poetry from Africa and the diaspora. Please note that this position in based in London, United Kingdom and is run in partnership with the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE). Please share this opportunity within your networks to those who might be interested. Download the Job Description. Deadline:   Tuesday 30th June 2020 5pm GMT Interview dates:  13 th  & 14 th July 2020. The interviews are likely to take place online via videoconferencing. from Africa Writes https://ift.tt/36UIdm0

It’s coming up to a year since Africa Writes 2019 and we wanted to share some of the highlights from last year’s festivals now transformed into podcasts on our Mixcloud . Listen to some of your favourite panel discussions, performances, book launches, round-tables and workshops, and our Young Voices programme from last summer. If you missed the festival this is a great opportunity to delve into the works and debates covered over the weekend. With great content and a range to listen from we guarantee these recordings will spice up your lockdown life. Here are some podcasts you can indulge in right now:   Performances Hear students from our Africa Writes Young Voices programme share the poetry they created over a series of workshops with festival poets. Journey with us through storytelling and poetry to uncover what the body means to us from our opening headline event:  Our Bodies Speak Poetry .   Book Launches Listen to how authors Johny Pitts and Emmanuel Idum...

Africa Writes have teamed up with Jacaranda Books to bring you a delightful monthly read from the publisher’s Twenty in 2020 releases. In May we are spotlighting The Space Between Black and White   by Esuantsiwa Jane Goldsmith. Here’s a short blurb: This unique #TwentyIn2020 memoir sheds light on Esuantsiwa Jane Goldsmith’s journey as a feminist and political activist. The book illuminates her inner journey of self-discovery and uncovers truths that could help a growing community of mixed-race people struggling to find their own space in the world. If you’d like a 10% discount, head over to Jacaranda’s website and use the code  AWNEWS  to claim it! Jacaranda Books are crowdfunding with Knights Of and Spread the Word to support inclusive independent publishers hit worst by the COVID-19 economic crisis. You can read more about their Inclusive Indies  campaign and support here . #InclusiveIndies Tell us what you think about this excerpt on Twitter ,  Facebook ...