by Kemi Bamgbose I remember the day so vividly. It was the summer of 1996—July to be exact. I was 11 years old and in my last year of primary school. I can remember the atmosphere was electric. There was...
It may seem odd, but Emmanuel Iduma does not see A Stranger’s Pose as experimental: “experimenting meant that failure was allowed…I hope [when writing a book] to do something that could be considered fitting at least and to some degree successful.” A combination of forms and styles, A Stranger's Pose is a dreamy travelogue and memoir through west and north Africa that explores the nature of estrangement, identity and grief among other things. In this interview, I speak to Emmanuel about the book's ideas and diverse influences as he prepares for next year's publication of his new work, a memoir, I Am Still With You.
Nanjala Nyabola offers an insightful look from an experienced explorer’s perspective into how travel intersects with topics like migration, identity and the freedom to move. It’s an insightful read for the average traveller who wants a broader perspective on what it’s like to travel in a world that privileges some but restricts many others from moving around. Nyabola goes everywhere, from giving a voice to victims of domestic and sexual abuse in Haiti to exploring academia’s fascination with romanticising trauma rather than studying the complex cultural system that makes up her own hometown of Nairobi, Kenya.
Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen reminds Black women that we are not superheroes, thus we should not treat ourselves or allow others to treat us as such. Sometimes you don’t realize that you have not been advocating for yourself until you see the proof on the page. Well, Burnett-Zeigler has written 256 pages to remind Black women to take care of ourselves. As a trauma-informed therapist, it is wonderful to see the work I do affirmed by another Black woman.
Written by Melissa Cummings-Quarry, Natalie A. Carter, and illustrated by Dorcas Magbadelo, Grown: The Black Girls’ Guide to Glowing Up is a true ode of love to Black girlhood. You are given practical advice from those who have been there and done the living to tell the tale. You may laugh, you may tear up a little, and you just might remember lessons from your younger self that were long forgotten.
