Books & Rhymes: The Podcast

We conclude our conversation with renowned Ugandan author, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi in which she reflects on migrant narratives in her collection of short stories, Manchester Happened (published in the USA as Let’s Tell This Story Properly), we explore the ways in which Sweet Mother by Nico Mbaga contribute to conversations on the treatment of indigenous Ugandan feminism in relation to western feminism in the novel, The First Woman (published in the USA as A Girl Is A Body of Water), and we also draw explicit parallels between Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Makumbi’s Kintu.Listen to Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi’s curated playlist on Spotify, and Deezer. Follow @booksandrhymes on Twitter and Instagram to stay informed on the latest news on classic and contemporary books by writers of African descent. We would love it if you share your thoughts & tag us in your social media posts of this episode. The song you heard in the intro and outro of this podcast is titled: Reset by Meakoom (Meakoom) link to her music is available on Bandcamp Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi's Bibliography:  -     Kintu-     Manchester Happened (Published as Let's Tell This Story Properly in the USA)-     The First Woman - (Published as A Girl Is a Body of Water in the USA) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What power do editors have in steering a writer’s career? What are the real value of winning literary prizes such as the Kwani! manuscript project? What challenges do African writers encounter when attempting to publish literary fiction that exclude the white gaze? Our guest Jennifer Nansubuga Mamukbi, award winning author whose novels include Kintu (pronounced ChinTu), The First Woman (published as A Girl Is A Body of Water in the USA), and the short Story collection, Manchester Happened (published as Let’s Tell This Story Properly in the USA) situate Ugandan mythology in the fictional narrative of historical and contemporary Ugandan experiences. We use the music of Miriam Makeba, Queen, Eddy Kenzo, Tracy Chapman, Krizbeatz x Teni and more to explore Makumbi’s experience of being published, the real value of winning the Kwani! manuscript project & how it defined her writing career, why writers must to invest in good editors, and we also discuss her response to that introductory essay to the USA edition of Kintu.  Listen to Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi’s curated playlist on Spotify, and Deezer. Follow @booksandrhymes on Twitter and Instagram to stay informed on the latest news on classic and contemporary books by writers of African descent. We would love it if you share your thoughts & tag us in your social media posts of this episode. The song you heard in the intro and outro of this podcast is titled: Reset by Meakoom (Meakoom) link to her music is available on Bandcamp Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi's Bibliography:  -     Kintu-     Manchester Happened (Published as Let's Tell This Story Properly in the USA)-     The First Woman - (Published as A Girl Is a Body of Water in the USA) Books discussed and referenced in this episode:  -     Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream to The Sun – Sarah Ladipo Manyika-     The Famished Road – Ben Okri-     God's Bits of Wood - Sembene Ousmane-     Lives of Great Men - Chike Frankie Edozien  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is psychogeography? How does architecture affect our emotional, mental, and psychological wellbeing? Caleb Femi, a poet, educator, and multidisciplinary artist whose debut collection of poetry, Poor, celebrate and interrogate youth culture and masculinity, while the articulating the complex lived experiences of working class migrant communities in the UK join us in conversation. We use the music of Burna Boy, J-Hus, Wizkid, Giggs, Sunny Ade, and more to explore the problematic relationship between architecture and social stratification, the importance of finding and reading resonant poetry, the conversational between poetry and photography, and the philosophy that undergirds his work.**win signed copies** of Caleb Femi's debut collection of poetry, Poor, by subscribing to our mailing list here --> http://eepurl.com/gr0kD5. The winner will be selected from our list of subscribers and announced on Monday 16th of November. Listen to Caleb Femi’s curated playlist on Spotify, and Deezer. For more information on Caleb Femi’s work, follow him on twitter and Instagram. I am pleased to announce an international giveaway of two signed copies of Caleb Femi’s collection of poetry, Poor, in collaboration with Ed Public Relations. The giveaway ends on Monday 16th of November. For a chance to win one signed copy of the book, simply subscribe to the mailing list via link in the episode description. The winner will be seleted from our list of subscribers. For a chance to win the second signed copy, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @booksandrhymes, entry details will be posted. The song you heard in the intro and outro of this podcast is titled: Reset by Meakoom (Meakoom) link to her music is available on BandcampBooks discussed and referenced in this episode:  -     Citizen – Claudia Rankine-     Salt – Nayyirah Waheed-     The Light Song of Light – Kei Miller  -     Teaching My Mother How To Give Birth – Warsane Shire-     Surge – Jay Bernard-     The Perseverance – Raymond Antrobus-     My Darling From the Lions – Rachel Long-     Some Bright Elegance– Kayo Chingonyi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Award-winning author, Ghanaian author, Ayesha Harruna Attah takes us on a sonic journey using the the music of Mayra Andrade, Les Nubian, Sampa The Great, Nina Simone, Salif Keita and so much more to discuss the phenomena of being ‘possessed’ by a character, the perceived intuitive freedom that MFA courses offer writers, the realities of accessing the world of poublishing as an African writer living on the continent, and the joys of working closely with Ayi Kwei Armah in discovering and translating a 3000 year old Hieroglyphic Egyptian love story into multiple african languages. Visit AyeshaAttah.com ot learn more about her work.Listen to Ayesha’s curated playlist on Spotify, Deezer and YouTubeContinue the conversation by posting your thoughts on this episode on Twitter and Instagram and using the hashtag #BooksAndRhymesAyesha Harruna Attah’s bibliography -     Saturday Shadows (Per Ankh Publisher)-     Harmattan rain-     The Hundred Wells of Salaga-     The Deep Blue betweenBooks published as part of project that translates Hieroglyphics to multiple African languages:-     Sanhat-     Smi n skhty pn: Multilingual Translation of a 4000 year old African Love Story (also known as The eloquent peasant) translated by Ayi Kwei Armah, Ayeesha Harruna Attah et al.-     Skhmkht Ea: On Love Sublime- A Multilingual Translation of an African Love Poem.-     The instructions of PtahhotepBooks discussed and referenced in this episode:  -     One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez-     Daughters of Africa – Margaret Busby-     New Daughters of Africa – Margaret Busby-     The Eloquence of the Scribes: A memoir on the sources and resources of African Literature - Ayi Kwei Armah-     Two Sisters – Ama Ata Aidoo-     Woman who runs with the wolves: Myth and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype – Clarissa Pinkola Estes-     Bird by Bird – Anne Lamont. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British-Caribbean author, Sareeta Domingo use the music of ESKA, Prince, Erykah Badu, Neneh Cherry and more to unpick her third novel, If I Don't Have You, we explore her non-traditional route to publishing, crafting & writing romance stories as an act of resistance, her mission to write ambitious Black women with care. We also discuss the merits of being published by either independent or one of the larger publishing houses. If I Don't Have You, is published as part Jacaranda Books and Arts #Twentyin2020 project. Listen to Sareeta Domingo’s specially curated playlist for Books & Rhymes: The Podcast on Spotify and Deezer. Continue the conversation by sharing your thoughts on this episode across social media. Follow @booksandrhymes on Twitter and Instagram.Titles Authored or Edited by Sareeta Domingo -      If I don’t Have you-      Who’s Loving You-      The Nearness of you-      Love, Secret Santa Titles (and Poem) Referenced in the discussion: -      The Ballad of J. Alfred Prufrock (a poem) – T. S. Elliott-      The outsiders - SE Hinton-      Beloved - Toni Morrison-      Little fires everywhere – Celeste Ng-      The sky is everywhere --      Ordinary people – Diana Evans-      My Sister The Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite-      Stay with me – Ayobami Adebayo-      Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives – Lola Shoneyin-      Behold The Dreamers – Mbolo Mbue-      The Terrible - Yrsa Daley Ward-      Simone is Still Single – Lisa Bent-      Bad Love – Maame Blue Recommended Romance authors: -      Alyssa Cole-      Talia Hibbert Songs Referenced in the discussion: -      Gatekeeper – ESKA-      The Ballad of Dorothy Parker – Prince-      Love Has fallen on Me – Chaka Khan-      The Nearness of You – Ella Fitgerald-      If I Don’t Have You – Gregory Isaac-      If I Don’t Have You (cover)– Sareeta Domingo-      Who’s Loving You – Jackson 5-      Orange Moon – Erykah... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do writers of African descent have the freedom to write whimsical and quirky stories? How can readers support the works of under-discussed writers during COVID-19 global pandemic? We discuss these topics and more with Tola Rotimi Abraham, whose debut novel, Black Sunday (a coming of age novel set in Lagos, Nigeria, which tells the story of a fractured family coming to terms with an unexpected loss) has been shortlisted for the 2020 Kirkus Prize for Fiction. We use the music of Adekunle Gold, Teni The Entertainer, Shoma Madjozi and more to discuss consent in hyper-patriarchal societies, the inevitable emotional weight of (re)writing and editing traumatic scenes, & linguistic misnomers in the depiction of localised customs in literature published in the West. Listen Tola Abraham’s specially curated playlist Spotify, Deezer and YouTube. Listen to a playlist if sings curated by Tola Rotimi Abraham on Spotify, Deezer and YouTube.Continue the conversation by posting your thoughts on this episode on Twitter and Instagram by tagging us #BooksAndRhymes The song you heard in the intro and outro of this podcast is titled: Reset by Meakoom (Meakoom) link to her music is available on Bandcamp Purchase Tola Rotimi Abraham’s unforgettable novel Black Sunday online and in your local bookstore. Authors & Books referenced: -     We Need New Names - Noviolet Bulawayo-     Helen Oyeyemi-     Tade Thompson-     Nnedi Okorafor-     The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett Songs Referenced: -     John Cena – Sho Madjozi-     Surrender – Natalie Taylor-     Ire – Adekunle Gold.-     Teni – Uyo Meyo-     Brown Skin Girl - Beyonce Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is Bookstagram and how is it shaping readers' engagement with books? What are the strategies for maintaining a healthy reading habit amidst COVID-19 pandemic? Is the term ‘African literature’ a form of self othering? We discuss these and more in today's episode with Muthoni Muiruri, a Kenyan researcher and literary activist. Muthoni is the founder SomaNami.co.ke, a blog where she promotes and reviews books by Continental and diaspora African writers. She is the co-founder of The African Review, and the recently launched Things Fall Together vodcast that explores the intersection between literature, life, culture and community. She hosts Bookish Pipo Book Club a monthly in-person book club based in Kenya. Follow Muthoni on Twitter and Instagram Listen to playlist of the songs referenced in this episode on Spotify, Deezer and YouTube Tweet your thoughts on this episode by tagging us @BooksAndRhymes Books referenced: -      Americanah - Chimamanda N Adichie RThings Fall Apart-      No Longer At Ease – Chinua Achebe-      Arrow of God – Chinua Achebe-      The Concubine - Elechi Amadi-      Efuru - Flora Nwapa-      The DragonFly – Yvonne Adhianbo-      We Need New Names – NoViolet Bulawaiyo-      What it Means When A man Falls from The Sky – Lesley Nneka Arimah-      The Secret Lives of baba Segi’s Wives – Lola Shoneyin-      Girl, Woman, Other - Bernardine Evaristo-      Kintu – Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi-      The Havoc of Choice – Wanjiru KoinangeSongs Refernced: -      Therapy – India.Arie-      All Night - Beyoncé-      Extravaganza – Sauti Sol-      Read All About It – Emeli Sande-      Africa – Yemi Alade ft. Sauti Sol-      Emotional Rollercoaster – Vivian Green-      What Now– Rihanna-      Brown... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ebissé Wakjira Rouw, co-founder of the Dutch multimedia powerhouse, Dipsaus (Dipsaus.org) joins us in conversation by using the music of Luther Vandross, Nas, Lil Wayne, City Girls and Mahmoud Ahmed to discuss publishing while Black in the Netherlands and Europe, navigating work-life balance in light of COVID-19, translating writings by Continental and Diaspora African writers and more.We also discuss recent and forthcoming Dipsaus publications such as: the Dutch translation of Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider, Afro-Lit – Moderne Literatuur Uit De Afrikaanse Diaspora, and DeGoede Immigrant (the Dutch iteration of the ground-breaking anthology, The Good Immigrant).The playlist of songs referenced in this episdoe is available on Spotify and DeezerKeep up to date with Ebissé by visiting dipsaus.org. Follow Ebissé @DipsausPodcast on Twitter and Instagram:Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @BooksAndRhymes. The song you heard in the intro and outro of this podcast is titled Reset Meakoom follow them on BandcampBooks referenced in this episode: -     A Strangers Pose - Enmanuel Iduma -    De Goede Immigrant – Edited by Dipsaus-     Sister Outsider – Audre Lorde-     Afro-Lit – Moderne Literatuur Uit De Afrikaanse Diaspora – Edited by Dalilla Hermans and Ebissé Wakjira Rouw-      Hallo Witte Mensen - Anousha Nzume-      Fikir esle Meqabir - Hadis AlemayehuSongs referenced this episode: -      Never too much - Luhter Vandross is our jam where Noush put a ring-      Stuntin like ma daddy - Birdman, Lil Wayne,-     If I ruled the World - NAS, Lauryn Hill-     Where the bag at - City Girls.-     Tizita – Mahmoud AhmedPodcast referenced in this episode:-      Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered what goes on in the judging panels of literary prizes? We speak to Ebissé Wakjira Rouw, an Ethiopian-Dutch literary editor, publisher, co-founder of Dipsaus – a multi-media organisation that specialises in amplifying the voices and lived experiences of Black and People of Colour in the Netherlands. Ebissé was also a judge for the 2020 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing.In the first of our two-part conversation, we use the music of Destiny’s Child, Luniz & Jodeci to discuss the position that literary prizes occupy within the African landscape, and the process of judging the 2020 Caine Prize for Africa Writing. Ebissé also answers listeners questions submitted via our social media handles. Tune in next week for Part Two of our conversation when we discuss in detail, Black Lives Matter & publishing while Black in the Netherlands and Europe.Keep up to date with Ebissé by visiting dipsaus.org. Follow DipsausPodcast on Twitter: Twitter.com/DipsausPodcast and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dipsauspodcastFollow us on Instagram and Twitter: @BooksAndRhymes. Tweet your thoughts by using #BooksAndRhymes.Listen to playlist of the songs referenced in this episode on Spotify and DeezerThe song you heard in the intro and outro of this podcast is titled: Reset by Meakoom (Meakoom) the song is available for purchase on Bandcamp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We conclude our one-to-one conversation with the shortlisted writers for the 2020 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. Today’s guest is Jowhor Ile, a Nigerian writer, author of the novel And After Many Days and visiting professor at West Virginia university whose story, Fisherman Stew is vying for the £10,000 prize.We use the music of Fela Kuti, Sade, Lauryn Hill, Nina Simone, Onyeka Owenu, Cardinal Rex Lawson and more as selected by Jowhor to discuss food as an expression of love in his story Fisherman's Stew - an intimate otherworldly love story. We also explore the process of conveying intimacy in writing, reflecting older women in romantic relationships and Jowhor’s writing habit.Listen to the playlist of the songs referenced in this episode Spotify, Deezer and YouTubeThe winner of the AKO Caine Prize will be announced online. Read the 2020 AKO Caine Prize shortlisted stories here.Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @BooksAndRhymesTweet your thoughts by using the hashtag #BooksAndRhymesThe song you heard in the intro and outro of this podcast is titled: Reset by Meakoom the song is available for purchase on BandcampListen to Rémy Ngamije's playlist to Fisherman on Brittle Paper Books referenced in this episode: Arrow of God – Chinua Achebe And After Many Days - Jowhor Ile What It Means When A Man Fall From the Sky – Lesley Nneka Arimah Quintessentially Efik Recepies: Foods of Nigeria-- Nky Iweka Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds-- Yemisi Aribisala  Songs referenced this episode: Berebote - Cardinal Jim Rex Lawson Nothing Even Matters - Lauryn Hill ft D’Angelo Iyogogo - Onyeka Onwenu Look before you Cross - Evi-Edna Ogholi Miles Runs the Voodoo Down - Miles Davis Nights - Frank Ocean Sade - The Sweetest Taboo Trouble Sleep Yanga go Wake Am - Fela Kuti (song) Lilac Wine - Nina Simone Listen to the full playlist on:Spotify, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.