In this episode, I sit down with self-taught digital artist Tracy Arthur to talk about her journey into illustration, the realities of working in Ghana’s creative industry, and the challenges of turning art into a sustainable career. She walks us through her creative process, from manuscript to finished cover, and shares insights into her work on Kelewele Connections and her stunning cover art for Mari Loyal.

We talk about why she chose romance, why the genre is often dismissed as “not serious,” and what people miss when they underestimate happily-ever-afters.

Gia also shares her self-publishing journey, the writing, editing, marketing, costs, and challenges of doing it all independently.

Plus, we spotlight her novels, It’s Always Been You and Finding You , and she drops her top romance recommendations for anyone ready to fall in love with the genre.

Jessica shares insights into Robyn’s journey of love and self-discovery, her complicated relationship with her father, her mother's lasting presence, and the tension between choosing the heart and the “safe” path.

We also explore the symbolism of photography and what Jessica hopes readers will take away when they close the book.

A thoughtful conversation about identity, choice, and learning to see the full picture

Whether you’re looking for book recommendations, wrapping up your own reading year, or planning your next TBR, this episode is for you.

Bene takes us through the books that shaped her year. She shares her top 10 reads, the one book that stayed with her long after the final page, and the genres she couldn’t get enough of—plus what she’s excited to read more of next at the Bookmas Party.

We discuss how the album came to life, the imagery and storytelling woven through its tracks, and the personal experiences and cultural conversations that shaped its emotional core.

This conversation is a deep dive into art as healing, sound as remembrance, and poetry as a compass for understanding grief and loss.

This conversation offers a thoughtful look into how storytelling can confront pain, invite laughter, and ultimately, heal.

About the author:

Yejide Kilanko was born in Ibadan, Nigeria. She writes novels, short fiction, poetry and children's Picture books. Kilanko's 2012 debut novel Daughters Who Walk This Path was long-listed for the Nigeria Literature Prize. Her short fiction This Tangible Thing was shortlisted for Caine Prize. Her latest children's picture book The Other Side of Small, was published in 2024.

About my Guest:

Nana Asaase is a Ghanaian poet, cultural practitioner, and storyteller whose work bridges language, tradition, and contemporary expression. His creative practice rooted in a blend of English and Twi draws deeply from Akan oratory and folklore, extending into performance, coaching, and cultural consultancy.

For more than two decades, Nana has shared his art with audiences ranging from presidents and global dignitaries to poetry lovers around the world. His performances and cultural insights have been featured on prominent international platforms, including the BBC and CNN’s African Voices.

He joins this episode, Narratives in Transition: Linguistics, Poetry, and the Reimagination of Ghanaian Expression, part of the Ancestors, Answer Me exhibition organised by Museum of African Poetry, to explore how language and art reimagine Ghanaian identity and creativity.

Nana also introduces us to her latest book, The Gold Coast Dilemma, a romcom that blends laughter and swoon-worthy romance with deeper themes of diaspora, tradition, and self-discovery. She opens up about writing for a global audience while staying true to Ghanaian culture and nuance. This is a conversation about joy, love, and the power of African stories to go beyond trauma.

About the Guest:

Wall Street Journal & USA Today Bestselling author, Nana Malone writes Sexy Feel-Good Romance and loves all things romance and adventure.

We also explore the deeply impactful Don’t Let This Become Public, a project that boldly used poetry as a tool for political change.

Bio:

Born in Ghana, Mr. Poetivist is a poet, writer and curator with a unique voice that unearths the visuals of unsaid narratives. He commissioned a series of poems for Isshaq Ismail’s exhibition, Beyond the Fence, Begins the Sky, at Efie Gallery, UAE.

Additionally, he debuted his radio play, The Village We Are, on Berlin-based radio community, Refuge Worldwide. His poem Ode to Afrika was featured as the lead piece for TEDxAccra in 2021.

Poetivist challenges social and political injustices through poetry and creates immersive experiences that explore the boundaries between poetic expression and theatrical performance, engaging audiences in a profound dialogue about contemporary issues.

• My 30 reads so far
• Fiction & non-fiction favorites
• The books that truly surprised me
• The two I had to DNF

Whether you’re ahead of your reading goals or still stuck on your January book, this one’s for you. It's light, bookish, and cozy—just the way we like it.

Books:

1. Just for the Summer – Abby Jimenez
2. Hello Beautiful – Ann Napolitano
3. How to Kill Men and Get Away With It – Kitty Collins
4. Nothing is Okay – Racheal Wiley
5. Single Dads Club – Therese Beharrie
6. Flirting With Disaster – Naina Kumar
7. Playing Flirty – Shameez Patel
8. Untethered – Angela Jackson-Brown
9. We Had to Remove This Post – Hanna Bervoets
10. Tomorrow Died Yesterday – Chimeka Garricks
11. The Covenant of Water – Abraham Verghese
12. The Seven Year Slip – Ashley Poston
13. Red Clay – Charles B. Fancher
14. What Napoleon Could Not Do – D.K. Nnuro
15. All the Blues in the Sky – Renée Watson
16. I’m That Girl – Jordan Chiles
17. Here After – Amy Lin
18. Water Moon – Samantha Sotto Yamboa
19. Mainline Mama – Keeonna Harris
20. What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About – Anthology
21. Promise Boys – Nick Brooks
22. Necessary Fiction – Eloghosa Osunde
23. The Re-Write – Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
24. The Float Test – Lynn Steger Strong
25. Liquid – Mariam Rahmani
26. Weyward – Emilia Hart
27. The Love Lyric – Kristina Forest
28. Only Because It’s You – Rebecca Fisseha
29. The Fortunes of Jaded Women – Carolyn Huynh
30. Hold My Girl – Charlene Carr

About the Guests:

Benjamin Cyril Arthur

Benjamin Cyril Arthur is a Ghanaian writer that holds a degree in English and linguistics. His journey as a writer began in the vibrant literary landscape of Nigeria where storytelling is not just an art form but a vital thread in the fabric of culture. 

He has honed his craft through a combination of academic rigour and real-world experience, always seeking to push the boundaries of his creativity and explore new forms of expression. He is one of the few selected as a participant for the Canex Creative Writing Workshop 2024. He is a winner of the 2020 Samira Bawumia Literary Prize competition in poetry. His poems and short stories have also appeared in Brittle Paper, Tampered Press, Lunaris Review, Ghana Pride Anthology, lounloun, Flametress Press, Nenta literary journal, I see the Blue Zine, and Ama Ata Aidoo Centre for creative writing etc.

Emmanuela Amparebea Sekoh

Emmanuela Amparebea Sekoh is a corporate woman, blog writer and a budding young author. She is the brain behind a blog press dubbed 360secs with Ella. Some of her write-ups include Tailoring My Heart, Scarred and The Sixth Husband.

Emmanuela holds a degree in Business Administration (Banking and Finance). Alongside writing, her hobbies are listening to gospel music, event planning and watching fashion trends. She aspires to address social issues through writing and public speaking.  

About the Bookclub:

Read Along With Cally's Bookclub is a community of readers, catering to both avid readers and those seeking to reignite their love for reading. The book club provides a nurturing environment where members can bond, network and share their passion for Literature.

Bene's Favourite Romance Authors:

• Beverly Jenkins
• ⁠Abby Jimenez
• Kennedy Ryan
• Farrah Rochon
• ⁠Nisha Sharma
• ⁠A.E Valdez
• Natasha Bishop
• Adesuwa O’man Nwokedi
• Mimi Grace
• Kimberly Brown
• Alexandria House
• Talia Hibbert
• Asia Monique
• Grey Huffington
• Kasha Thompson
• ⁠B.K Borison
• K.C Mills 
• Allysa Cole
• Comfort Omorve 
• Bolu Babalola
• Tia Williams 
• Ebony Dalle 
• Ben Philippe

About the Guest:

Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond children's picture book Blue: A History of Color as Deep as the Sea and Wide as the Sky, illustrated by Caldecott Honor Artist Daniel Minter, was named among the best of 2022 by NPR, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, The Center for the Study of Multicultural Literature, Bank Street College of Education, and more.

Brew-Hammond also wrote the young adult novel Powder Necklace, which Publishers Weekly called “a winning debut”, and she edited Relations: An Anthology of African and Diaspora Voices. Her newest novel for adult readers, My Parents' Marriage was featured in The New York Times. 

Brew-Hammond's short fiction for adult readers is included in the anthologies  Accra Noir edited by Nana-Ama Danquah, Africa 39 edited by Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, New Daughters of Africa edited by Margaret Busby, Everyday People edited by Jennifer Baker, and Woman's Work edited by Michelle Sewell, among others. Additionally, her writing has appeared in Now2, African Writing, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Sunday Salon.   

From 2018-2023, Brew-Hammond was a Pa Gya! Literary Festival Guest Author, and she was a 2019 Edward Albee Foundation Fellow, a 2018 Aké Arts and Book Festival Guest Author, a 2018 Hobart Festival of Women Writers Guest Author, a 2017 Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar, a 2016 Hedgebrook Writer-in-Residence, a 2015 Rhode Island Writers Colony Writer-in-Residence, and in both 2015 and 2014, she was shortlisted for a Miles Morland Writing Scholarship.  

Welcome to 2025!

Maame Wirekoa and I discussed books we read last year (2024) and this year's reading goals (2025)

Books Mentioned by Bene Reads

• All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
• Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abdulhawa
• Someone Birthed Them Broken by Ama Asantewa Diaka
• Don't Cry For Me by Daniel Black
• The God of Good Looks by Breanne Mc Ivor
• The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
• Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah
• Difficult Women by Roxanne Gay
• Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
• How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
• Hold My Girl by Charlene Carr

Books Mentioned by Nasiba

• Broken Not a Halal Love Story by Fatima Bala
• New York My Village by Uwem Akpan
• Someone Birthed Them Broken by Ama Asantewa Diaka
• Difficult Women by Roxanne Gay
• We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan
• All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
• House of Shells by Efua Traore
• Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Safak
• All My Mothers Lovers by Iiana Masad

Books Mentioned by Abena

• Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah
• Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer
• And Then He Sung a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu
• Someday Maybe by Onyi Nwabileni
• Someone Birthed Them Broken my Ama Asaantewa Diaka
• How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
• Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
• Only for the Week by Natasha Bishop
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
• The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
• If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Naga Noor
• God's Children are Little Broken Things by Arinze Ifeakandu

Guests:

Kwame Brenya is an award-winning poet, a published writer, a Twi language teacher, and a traditional music artist with five (5) studio albums.

Kwame’s music is mostly storytelling palm wine music through which he has documented his personal life story on the BRENYA NE BARIMA album as well as his experiences across West Africa on his EP, FOUR DAYS IN FASO. His art is Akɔm; the Akan philosophy of life and existence. Kwame Brenya is KWABRE NYAME.

Kofi Dzogbewu is a Ghanaian storyteller. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology and English from the University of Ghana, where he read Creative Writing. He also has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Central University in Ghana. He works with words in non-fiction, fiction, playwriting, and poetry. He is an alumnus of the Mo Issa Writing Workshops. His works have been featured in the Kalahari Review and other online literary journals. He is the author of the novel, Adze. When he is not writing, he spends most of his time performing, reading, or watching movies. He is a producer and director at Dzomoko Productions – a film and theatre organization. His writings explore African culture, ambition, Afro-futurism, and modernity.

Guests:

1. Leanne Lectern
2. TayTales
3. Flipping Chapters

In this episode, we spoke with:

1. Grace Dorcas Anan: Author, publisher and the founder of the All African Book Fair
2. The Black Archives: A cultural center and archive on Black (Dutch) history, arts and culture in Amsterdam
3. Dr. Martin Egblewogbe: Author, Lecturer and one of the directors of the Writers Project of Ghana (WPG)
4. Poetra Asantewa: Author, Spoken Word Artist and founder of the Black Girls Glow
5. Emma Ofosua: Writer, Poet and founder of the All African Women Poetry Festival

About the Book: In this startling collection of short fiction, Ama Asantewa Diaka creates a vibrant portrait of young Ghanaians' today, captured in the experiences of characters whose lives bump against one other in friendship, passion, hope, and heartache.

About the Author: Ama Asantewa Diaka is a poet, a storyteller, and spoken word artist who performs as Poetra Asantewa. She is the author of the chapbook You Too Will Know Me, and the debut poetry collection Woman, Eat Me Whole, and her poems have appeared in print and online. She completed an MFA at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2019. She lives in Ghana.

Books Mentioned:

Favourite book/books of the year so far

Amba:

• Someone Birthed Them Broken by Ama Asantewa Diaka
• Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah
• The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Amezi
• The Principle of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
• Heartsong by T.J Klune

Bene:

• All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
• Someone Birthed Them Broken by Ama Asantewa Diaka
• Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah
• God's Children are Little Broken Things by Arinze Ifeakandu
• Days Come and Go by Hemley Boum
• How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
• Hold my Girl by Charlene Carr
• The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
• Don't Cry for Me by Daniel Black

Nasiba:

• Someone Birthed Them Broken by Ama Asantewa Diaka
• Diary of a Dead African by Chuma Nwokolo
• Efuru by Flora Nwapa
• Children of Quicksand by Efua Traore
• For You I'd Steal a Goat by Niq Mnlongo
• Difficult Women by Roxanne Gay

Abena:

• Maps of our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer
• On the Rooftops by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
• Behind the Mountains by Edwidge Danticat
• Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid
• Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah
• The Colour Purple by Alice Walker
• Heaven by Meiko Kawakami
• Hullo, Bu-Bye, Koko, Come in by Koleka Putuma
• Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli
• And Then He Sang a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu
• Someone Birthed Them Broken by Ama Asantewa Diaka
• How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
• Only For the Week by Natasha Bishop
• Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother and Me by Whoopi Goldberg
• Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

About the Author

Ani Kayode Somtochukwu is a scientist, writer, digital creator and queer liberation activist. His work interrogates themes of queer identity, resistance and liberation, with focus on African narratives of queerness and its varied contestations in the literary and political sphere.

He writes in both English and Igbo and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Biology and Biotechnology from Enugu State University of Science and Technology in 2019.

Authors & Books Mentioned:

Roxane Gay

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwake Emezi

Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi

Vagabonds! Eloghosa Osunde

About the Book:

An unexpected friendship saves a young man's life in this moving, utterly charming debut about chosen family, the winding road to happiness, and the grace of second chances.

About the Author:

Elvin James Mensah was born and raised in South East London. He graduated from Bournemouth University, where he began writing his first novel, Small Joys

Authors Mentioned:

• Andrea Levy
• Brian Washington
• Paul Mendez
• Sally Rooney
• Caleb Azumah Nelson
• Donna Tartt

About Tsiddi Can-Tamakloe

Tsiddi Can-Tamakloe is Ghanaian voice actor/narrator. He has an avid interest in narrating documentaries, classic literature, and African writing especially. He lives in Accra and volunteers with the Nami Projects, an organisation that advocates for products and services built through the various disciplines of African art. Email: can.tamakloe@gmail.com

In this episode, I speak with the founders of Two Bookclubs about creating a reading club.

About the Bookclub:

Two Bookclub is a bookclub created by bookstagrammers @Bene Reads and @Ka_karang to help readers connect with other readers and find a community.

Email: bookswithabena@gmail.com

Books:

1. Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi read by Abena Maryan
2. Manchester Happened by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi read by Amba, Naa Atswei & Prince Henry
3. The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi read by Abena Maryan

Related Articles: 

• https://jennifermakumbi.net/
• 
  
• https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/culture/we-interview-the-writer-jennifer-makumbi
• 
  
• https://granta.com/contributor/jennifer-nansubuga-makumbi/

About the Book: 

 Asiya Abdullah has it all. But still, her heart is restless. She yearns for a closer relationship with her mother and friends who truly care about her. When a single mistake forces her into the grasp of a successful, powerful, and wanted man, Asiya’s life is thrust into a dark and violent world hidden behind the glittering walls of a mansion.

Lila has long since given up the idea of escaping. Five years have been stolen from her, and with little to go back to, she obediently serves as a maid to the Master of the house. Lila knows she’s a shell of herself and surrounded by people she cannot trust, but with nowhere as a home for her heart, what else can she do? When the two girls’ paths converge, their worlds shatter.

HOME IS A SILHOUETTE is a stunning debut by Kataru Yahya, spinning a multi-POV loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in Ghana, where not all fairy tales are magical.

About the Author:

Kataru Yahya is a Ghanaian writer, poet and diagnostic medical sonographer. Her interest in writing started when she was fourteen. Kataru’s poetry has been published in Ta Adesa and Writer’s Space Africa-Ghana. Outside of writing and ultrasound, she loves to read or binge reruns of her favorite shows.

HOME IS A SILHOUETTE is her debut novel.

Racheal and I discussed our reading goals from last year (2023) and this year's reading goals, the bookish ins and outs, and anticipated reads.

Bibliophiles and Vibes is a book club created by four Ghanaian girls who share a love for books.

The rise of book influencers on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and TikTok has changed how readers connect and engage with literature. Recently, Book Influencers' increasing popularity and importance are clear as readers turn to Book Influencers for book recommendations, trusting their opinions on books.

Guests:

@bene.reads

@ka_karang

@booksxbrews

About my Guest:

Racheal Kizza is a cultural practitioner with the Ugandan German Cultural Society, Ibua Publishing and Lolwe. She is the founder and host of Meet Your Author, a podcast that spotlights and celebrates African authors through collaborative discussions and interviews.

Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/meet-your-author

Books and Authors Mentioned:

+ A Recipe for Disaster by Lillian Tindyebwa

+ The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

+ Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

+ Whispers from Vera by Goretti Kyomuhendo

+ Widows Wear Lipstick by Martha Kyoshaba Twinamatsiko

+ A Killing in the Sun by Dilman Dila

+ The World Is Ours by Lucie Chihandae

+ Remembering the Future: Reflections on Ugandan Culture in Changing Times by Ibua Publishing (Non-fiction)

+ The Rainmakers by Paul Kisakye

+ Adavera and Kunda by Rachael A.Z. Mutabingwa 

Books Influencers to follow:

IG: @abookician_here & @kabby_wanderingbookie

X @i_zziwa

Online Magazine:

The Weganda Review

Guests: @bene.reads, @ka_karang and @booksxbrews

Summary of the book: 

Set over the course of three summers, Small Worlds follows Stephen, a first-generation Londoner born to Ghanaian immigrant parents, brother to Ray, and best friend to Adeline. On the cusp of big life changes, Stephen feels pressured to follow a certain path—a university degree, a move out of home—but when he decides instead to follow his first love, music, his world and family fracture in ways he didn’t foresee. Now Stephen must find a path and peace for himself: a space he can feel beautiful, a space he can feel free. Moving from London, England to Accra, Ghana and back again, Small Worlds is an exquisite and intimate new novel about the people and places we hold close. 

About the author: 

Caleb Azumah Nelson is a British-Ghanaian writer and photographer living in South East London. His first novel, Open Water won the Costa First Novel Award and Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards and was number one Times bestseller. It was also shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year.

Articles read were written by:

Annis Haffar published in the Daily Graphic 

Nii Ayikwei Parkes online by The Republic 

https://republic.com.ng/august-september-2023/the-indelible-life-of-ama-ata-aidoo/

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah published online by The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/jul/05/our-feminist-ancestor-ama-ata-aidoo-author-activist-and-african-heroine

Voices heard or Music:

Ama Ata Aidoo on Feminism in Africa -BBC HARDtalk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_gJwy9yjrk&t=21s

 Brown bids farewell to Playwright Ama Ata Aidoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW5V1GH7F6E

Poetra Asantewa sings a song from Anowa, written by Ama Ata Aidoo

Monsters You Made by Burna Boy 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW5V1GH7F6E

Books Mentioned:

• Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangaremba
• The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin
• Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
• The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
• Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie
• Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• Breast and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
• Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa
• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
• Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
• Vagabonds by Eloghosa by Osunde
• You Made A Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

Books mentioned:

Poetry Collection: A Mouthful of Home, selected by the New Generation African Poets Series

Short Story: Lemon Dove https://www.birdfeastmagazine.com/sixteen/yeboah/

Bio/Profile:

Tryphena Yeboah is a Ghanaian writer and the author of the poetry chapbook, A Mouthful of Home, selected by the New Generation African Poets Series. Her fiction and essays have appeared in Narrative Magazine, Commonwealth Writers, and Lit Hub, among others. She is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying English with an emphasis in Creative Writing.

Categories:

• Favourite book/books of the year so far
• Best New Release of the Year so far
• Biggest Disappointment of the Year so far
• Favourite Author or Authors of the Year so far
• Favourite Fictional Character of the Year so far
• A book that made you cry and a book that made you laugh
• Favourite Audiobook
• Anticipated releases for the second half of the year

About the author:

Ami Tamakloe is human unravelling and reconstructing. Originally from Ghana, they are currently a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology at Cornell University. Through artistry, activism and intellect, Ami resists by creating work that foregrounds accessibility around themes of Blackness, gender, sexuality and culture. Artistically, Ami is a unicorn who creates through writing, oration, performance, filmmaking and textiles. When working, Ami focuses on the story and the story reciprocates by shaping itself. They recently co-curated a textile exhibition titled Material Resistance, independently produced three short films and self-published their debut book titled 'Charcoal: Book of Thoughts and Short Stories'. Ami is currently a Graduate Fellow with the Ufahamu Africa Podcast, has been featured on Adventures Reads for the popular blog Adventures from the Bedroom of African Women and they are currently a Fellow with the Adventures Creator Program. 

About my guest: Martin is a senior lecturer at the Department of Physics, University of Ghana. He is the author of the collection of short stories, The Waiting published by Lubin & Kleyner in 2020 and Mr Happy and The Hammer of God and Other Stories published by Ayebia in 2012. Professor Martin was the commissioning editor for the anthology Resilience published in 2021 and also co-edited the anthology of short stories, The Sea Has Drowned the Fish in 2018 as well as the anthologies of poetry Look where you have gone to Sit published in 2010 and According to Sources published in 2015. He is a co-founder and a director of the Writers Project of Ghana, and was the director of Pa Gya! A Literary Festival in Accra. He also hosts the radio show, Writers Project on Citi FM.

About New York, My Village by Uwem Akpan

Ekong Udousoro is the winner of the Toni Morrison Publishing Fellowship, he travels to New York to learn the in and outs of the publishing industry and curate a short story collection about the Biafran War. In New York, Ekong encounters callous agents, greedy landlords and hostile neighbours.

About the Author:

Uwem Akpan was born in Ikot Akpan Eda in Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria. Uwem's short stories and autobiographical pieces have appeared in the special editions of The New Yorker, the Oprah magazine,Hekima Review, the Nigerian Guardian, America, etc.

His first book, Say You're One of Them, was published in 2008 by Little, Brown, after a protracted auction. It made the "Best of the Year" list at People magazine, Wall Street Journal, and other places. The New York Times made it the Editor's Choice, and Entertainment Weekly listed it at # 27 in their Best of the Decade. Say You're One of Them won the Commonwealth Prize (Africa Region), the Open Book Prize, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. The collection of short stories was the 2009 Oprah Book Club selection. A New York Times and Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller, it has been translated into 12 languages.

His second book and first novel, New York, My Village, was published on November 2, 2021, by WW Norton. In this immigrant story, Uwem writes about NYC with the same promise and pain we saw in his African cities of Say You're One of Them. "New York City has always mystified me since I first spent two weeks in the Bronx in 1993," he says. "It was only when I lived in Manhattan in 2013 that I began to understand the metro system, to visit the different neighbourhoods, to enjoy the endless ethnic dishes. It didn't also take long before I discovered the city's crazy underbelly."

Uwem has been a Fellow at the Black Mountain Institute (University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2010), Institute for the Humanities (University of Michigan, 2011), Yaddo Foundation (Saratoga Springs, New York, 2012), the Cullman Center (the New York Public Library, 2013) and the Hang Center for Catholic Intellectual Heritage (Loyola University Chicago, 2017).

Uwem teaches in the University of Florida's MFA Program.

Thank you for listening to our Book Conversations.

Enjoy

In this interview, Sarah Odedina speaks of her experience as a publisher, mentor and nurturer, and the importance of publishing African voices.

Accord Literary is a venture designed to develop, mentor and support writers based in Africa, writing books for young readers. Their mission is to find original and unique voices and get their book into the hands of readers around the world. 

Sarah Odedina has worked in publishing for over three decades and most of that time concentrated on books for young readers. She was the Publisher of Bloomsbury Books for 14 years and worked with authors J K Rowling, Neil Gaiman and Louis Sachar amongst many others. Sarah started the YA list Hot Key Books and is now Editor at Large for Pushkin Press in London as well as a director of Accord Literary an agency that mentors and works with emerging writers in sub-Saharan Africa writer for children and Young Adults. 

Books Mentioned:

Crossing the Stream by Elizabeth-Irene Baithe

Even When Your Voice Shakes by Ruby Yayra Goka

All That It Ever Meant by Blessing Musariri

Guests: @ka_karang, @bene.reads & @bookedwithamba

World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place worldwide to recognise the scope of books - a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. 

According to research, reading improves brain activity, improves memory processing, slows down cognitive decline and helps reduce stress.  

Enjoy!

Books Mentioned:

1. Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
2. Quiet by Victoria Adukwei Bulley
3. I am Becoming the Woman I've Wanted by Sandra Martz
4. On the Rooftop by Margret Wilkerson Sexton
5. Even Though I Knew The End by C.L Polk
6. Maame by Jessica George
7. A Quick Ting on Afrobeats by Christian Adofo
8. The People of the Oshrich Mountain by Ndirangu Githiaga
9. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
10. We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
11. Counterfeit by Kristian Chen
12. Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
13. On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi
14. Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie
15. Finding Me by Viola Davis
16. Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
17. Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah
18. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingslover
19. Will by Will Smith
20. God Themselves by Jae Nichelle

Christian Adofo is a writer, journalist and curator, with a passion for writing about the intersection of heritage and identity in music. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, OkayAfrica and Straight No Chaser. He has also appeared as a guest and host on BBC Radio, Worldwide FM and NTS Radio, discussing Black Identity and its impact on culture in the UK and abroad.

Our conversation covers the publishing deal, the writing process, the inspiration for the book and what it means to be a woman.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Aiwanose Odafen is an MFA fiction student at the Iowa Writer's Workshop. She has contributed to published non-fiction works and participated in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus Trust Writing Workshop. She was longlisted for the 2020 Commonwealth Writers Short Story Prize. 

Tomorrow I Become a Woman, her first novel, was published by Scribner UK, an imprint of Simon & Schuster UK, in 2022.

Guest: Alexis Milton is a bookstagrammer, a book tuber, a book blogger and a book toker that highlights black individuals, events and books she classifies as “Unsung Blacks”.

Book Recommendations

The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson

Infants of the Spring by Wallace Thurman

The Streets by Ann Petry

Praise Sing for the Butterflies by Bernice L. McFadden

Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson

Victoria Adukwei Bulley is a Poet, writer, and artist. An alumna of Barbican Young Poets and recipient of an Eric Gregory Award. She has held residencies in the US, Brazil, and the V&A Museum in London. Her debut collection Girl B was published by the African Poetry Book Fund in 2017. She is a filmmaker and the director of the film Mother Tongues. Her newest collection Quiet was published by Faber in 2022.

Bisi Adjapon is the author of The Teller of Secrets, titled initially Of Women and Frogs. Bisi has written for and been featured in many publications including McSweeney’s Quarterly Washington Times, Washington Post, Aljazeera, and New York Times.

Her new novel is a gut-wrenching, yet heartwarming, story about a young Ghanaian woman’s struggle to make a life in the US, and the challenges she must overcome. Daughter in Exile is a hope-filled story about a mother's love, resilience, and unyielding strength.

In addition to discussing their reading goals, they also discussed some of their favorite books.

Pa Gya! A Literary Festival in Accra is a three-day literary arts festival featuring activities such as readings, panel discussions, performances, book launches and sales, literary prize awards and many more. Over the years, the festival has grown to include art talks, art and literary exhibitions, film screenings and many more. The festival also offers booksellers, publishers, and independent authors to showcase and sell their books.

Guests:

Elizabeth Johnson – Festival Manager of Pa Gya! A Literary Festival in Accra

Jeffrey Atuobi – Researcher and Moderator

Nasiba – A Book Reviewer 

Aekua Bobson is the co-founder of five book clubs catering to niche readers. The mom's book clubs Beautifully Booked and Eccentric and Sassy are open to all mothers, while The Book Addict and Black Lit are open to all women. She also manages Vine and Verse.

Guests: @ka_karang @bene.reads @readby_jeifa

First Reading: Two Sisters read by Abena Maryan

Second Reading: Images of Africa at a Century's End read by Sarpong Osei Asamoah

Third Reading: Changes: A Love Story read by Abena Maryan