A picture book for readers age 3-7, Memo and the Unexpected Gift is a sweet story with delightful, unexpected twists and gentle, wry humor. The tale begins much like a regular picture book, and the reader quickly expects a traditional trajectory. Memo lives with his grandmother in a small-town cottage. She can’t see very well, … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Memo and the Unexpected Gift
Too Small Tola by award-winning author, Atinuke and illustrator, Onyinye Iwu is a trio of stories about the triumphs and small-small troubles of Tola and her family in Lagos, Nigeria. Tola lives with her bossy gran, Grandmommy, her studious sister, Moji and her sporty brother, Dapo in a run-down, one-room apartment in the city. The chapter book for ages 7-9 … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Too Small Tola
Did you know that the first human beings to walk this earth were African? They went on to populate the whole planet. So we are all from Africa, originally! Did you know that Africa is gigantic? It is as big as Europe, the USA, Mexico, India and Japan all put together! Did you know that … Continue reading #WorldKidLit Wednesday: Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country
In 2015, Evera Publishing went into a joint venture with Jacana Media to create a publishing imprint called Blackbird Books. It was exciting for me as a young black woman to take these strides. In 2020, Blackbird Books became an independent publisher, an even more exciting journey for me to embark on. But before Blackbird … Continue reading South African Womxn Writers – Day 4: Reflections by Thabiso Mahlape, Publisher at Blackbird Books
In 2013, Portia Dery became the first Ghanaian writer to win the Golden Baobab prize for her picture book manuscript Grandma’s List, which went on to win a Children's Africana Book Award (best books for young children category) in 2018. Initially published in English by African Bureau Stories, this picture book is due to be released by Jacana … Continue reading Grandma’s List
Siba and Saba lose things every day – sweaters, slippers, sandals, a sash, a shawl; lots of things that start with ‘s’, in fact. Thankfully, they don’t lose each other! The sisters find the things they have lost in their dreams. As the story progresses, however, so do their dreams. Siba and Saba no longer … Continue reading Sleep Well, Siba and Saba
Through our work we aim to encourage and develop a culture of reading in Tanzania, as well as nurturing indigenous literature as a method of preserving and sharing stories. -Mkuki na Nyota Publishers During my research I stumbled upon one of the most navigable publishing sites which showcased both the original and translated books. Mkuki … Continue reading Publishers Spotlight: Mkuki na Nyota Publishers – by Yeshira Roseborough
As an English major, I have been able to get a glimpse at how African literature is perceived in American society. We regularly consume images of Africans that depict low access to education, poverty, war, and disease as the continent’s major characteristics. For me, this highly publicized, dehumanizing narrative of Africa reinforces the importance of … Continue reading How We Read: Western Projections into the African Literature Space – by Yeshira Roseborough
The works I chose for my adult and college-aged list tell stories of conflicts (both good, bad and internal or external) that stem from interacting with different cultures. An interaction may be caused by one’s exile from a home country, moving to a new country for better opportunities, changes in generational beliefs or living in … Continue reading Memories of a GLLI Intern: Must-Read Adult Literature from the Middle East and North Africa (Part 2) – by Nneka Mogbo
Every day I take note of the way I interact with world. I attend a private college in the American south just two hundred miles from where I grew up. I grew up in a suburban town outside Metro Atlanta. My family was one of the few black families in our neighborhood. My parents are … Continue reading Memories of a GLLI Intern: Culture Meet Identity or Identity Meet Culture? (Part 1) – by Nneka Mogbo
Global Literature in Libraries Initiative 