Book Release!!! | "Of Women and Frogs" by Bisi Adjapon

Farafina is set to publish debut novel, Of Women and Frogs, by Bisi Adjapon, in December 2018. Of Women and Frogs is a coming-of-age story of Esi, a feisty half-Nigerian girl growing up in post-colonial Ghana, with occasional visits to her maternal family in Lagos. When her curiousity about her body leads to punishment from her stepmother, Esi begins to question the hypocrisy of the adults around her who place restrictions on her just because she's a girl.

"The subject of sex and gender disparity has always fascinated me," Adjapon says. "But I didn't want a didactic book. I wanted to entertain and touch hearts. I wanted to write the kind of book I loved to read, a book featuring a woman who is intelligent, well-educated, funny, romantic and has a healthy libido."

Adjapon first published Of Women and Frogs as a short story in McSweeney's Quarterly Issue 38, before the novel itself was completed. Her writings have appeared in journals and newspapers including the Washington Times, Daily Graphic and Chicken Bones. As an International Affairs Specialist for the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service, she won the Civil Rights Award for Human Relations, and a Strategic Objective Award for her work on the Norman Borlaug Capacity Building Fellows targeting women in developing countries.

She holds degrees in French and Spanish and has worked in several embassies, taught and managed projects in Costa Rica, Mexico, South Africa and Ghana. Until recently, she was a language instructor at the Diplomatic Language School in Virginia. Currently, she divides her time between Ghana and America. When not working, she plays tennis and loves to eat chocolate.

Praise for Of Women and Frogs: 
"This is a really wonderful story. [Bisi Adjapon] writes with incredible vividness and clarity. [Her] similes and attention to all of the sense are really extraordinary," Dave Eggers, publisher of McSweeney's Quaterly Concern and Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, says of the forthcoming release.

"Esi is every girl, every woman, who is torn between doing her duty and staying true to herself. We're excited about this beautiful story of courage coming at a time when more women are standing up and speaking their truth." - Enajite Efemuaye, Managing Editor at Farafina.

Of Women and Frogs will be available in retail stores in Nigeria from December 1st, 2018!

Book Release!!! | FARAFINA Released 3 New Titles This November

FARAFINA released three new books this November!
- What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky (Nigerian Edition) by Lesley Nneka Arimah
- How to Win Elections in Africa by Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams
- Anike Eleko by Sandra Joubeaud and Alaba Onajin

FARAFINA is an imprint of Kachifo Ltd and on November 13th it released these three titles on online platforms and in selected bookstores nationwide. I've been fortunate to read What It Means When A Man Falls From the Sky. It's a stellar collection of gripping short stories that I love, love, love. You can find my review of it HERE. On October 27th, 2017 Lesley announced on her Twitter account that one of her short stories from the collection, Who Will Greet You at Home, has been optioned by a filmmaker! That's exciting!! If you read my book review you'll know that's one of my favorite stories in the collection. I can't wait to see how it gets reimagined for film. Kudos Lesley!!! I haven't read How to Win Elections in Africa but my good friend dedicated an entire Facebook post to Chude Jideonwo praising the book sooo I know it will be really good. I haven't heard anything yet about Anike Eleko but I love that book cover already and you know book lovers judge books by their covers. Here's a press release from Farafina accompanied by praise for these beautiful books from other accomplished authors:
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What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah
The collection of short stories, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Caine Prize for writing, boasts of powerful storytelling, unique female protagonists, and a world where women are depicted as the center of the society.

Praise for What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky
"Arimah has a gift of crafting intimate familial relationships... and the pressures and strains of those relationships form the most intricate and astonishing narratives. The powerful stories in this dark and affecting collection will show you that magic still exists in our world." - Tendai Huchu, author of The Hairdresser of Harare, and The Maestro, The Magistrate & The Mathematician. 

"Masterfully moving between the speculative to the mundane, this is a riveting read that will stay with you long after you've put it down." - Chinelo Onwualu, Editor of Omenana Magazine

"From the very first story in What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky this thunderstruck reader began to glean the answer to the question embedded in the book's title... Lesley Nneka Arimah has landed in my rereading list like a blast of fresh air" - Igoni A. Barrett, author of Blackass and Love Is Power, or Something Like That

About the Author
Lesley Nneka Arimah's work has received grants and awards from Commonwealth Writers, AWP, the Elizabeth George Foundation, the Jerome Foundation and others. Her short story What It Means When A Man Falls From the Sky was shortlisted for the 2017 Caine Prize for African Writing. She currently lives in Minneapolis.
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Anike Eleko written by Sandra Joubeaud and beautifully illustrated by Alaba Onajin
Anike has to hawk eko every morning but that does not stop her from going to school. She loves school and wants to be a doctor. However, her mother has decided her fate: once she finishes primary school, she will join her Aunt Remi in the city as a tailor.

When a mystery guest visits Anike's school, she has the chance to win a scholarship that will change her fate. With the help of her friends Oge, Ileri and Ariyo the cobbler be enough?

Written by Sandra Joubeaud and illustrated by Alaba Onajin, Anike Eleko tells a colorful story of one girl's courage in the face of opposition to her dreams.

About the Authors
Sandra Joubeaud is a French screenwriter and script doctor based in Paris, France. She has also worked on Choice of Ndeye, a comic book commissioned by UNESCO and inspired by the novel, So Long a Letter (Mariama Ba).

Alaba Onajin is a grapic novelist with a diploma of Cartooning and Illustration from Morris College of Journalism, Surrey Kent. His work includes The Adventures of Atioro, and other collaboration projects with UNESCO and Goethe Institut, He lives in Ondo State, Nigeria.

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How to Win Elections in Africa by Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams
Democracy involves the process of changing custodians of power from time to time in order to maintain a useful equilibrium of performance and accountability. But the post-colonial narrative in most African countries has been one of strongmen and power brokers entrenching themselves deeply across the crucial levels of society. The past few years have however seen citizens become more aware, and some revolt against these systems.

How to Win Elections in Africa explores how citizens, through elections can uproot the power structures. Using examples from within and outside Africa, this book examines the past and present to map a future where the political playing field is level and citizens can rewrite existing narratives.

Politicians have been handed their notice: It is no longer business as usual.

About the Authors
Chude Jideonwo is the managing partner of RED, which brands include StateCraft Inc, Red Media Africa, Y!/YNaija.com and Church Culture. His work focuses on social movements shaking up and transforming nations through governance and faith, with the media as a tool. He teaches media and communication at the Pan-Atlantic University. In 2017, he was selected as a World Fellow at Yale University.

Adebola Williams is the co-founder of RED and Chief Executive Officer of its communication companies - Red Media Africa and StateCraft Inc. A Mandela Washington Fellow under President Barack Obama, he has been a keynote and panel speaker at conferences across the world including at the London Business School, Wharton, Stern, Yale, Columbia, Oxford and Harvard.

Go get yourselves copies of these beautiful books!!!

Book Release!!! | "Resemblance" by Afolabi Opanubi

Resemblance is a new novel authored by Nigeria's Afolabi Opanubi. Bloggers will recognize him as the man behind the captivating blog site, Through My Eyes. It was his platform and a space where he shared short stories and think pieces one of which is The Tufiakwa Syndrome, one of my favorite pieces written by him. Afolabi disappeared for a while from the blogsphere and now he has reappeared bearing his debut effort, Resemblance. We don't often see bloggers successfully pursue their literary dreams and that's one of the many reasons I'm excited about Resemblance. Other Nigerian bloggers who've walked this path before include Onyeka Nwelue and Myne Whitman. Onyeka Nwelue ran a now defunct blog and then went on to pen his debut novel The Abyssinian Boy and the rest, as they say, is history. Myne Whitman ran multiple blogs and websites and went ahead to pen A Heart to Mend and A Love Rekindled and has been linked to many exciting projects. I'm rooting so hard for Afolabi Opanubi and his new novel. Here's a synopsis:

"Bose, an art and fashion photographer living in Toronto, discovers on meeting her estranged father, that he has become a man with no past. After years of keeping her distance from him, Bose decides to reconcile with her father. But when she meets with him, she quickly learns that he has mysteriously lost his memories of not only her, but of his family and himself. Shaken, Bose tries to find a solution to her father's ailment. She suspects that he suffers from a form of dementia. She will later discover that to help him regain his memories and lost self, she will have to contend with her own past. Resemblance follows Bose as she traces her family's journey from their home country, Nigeria, to Canada, and confronts the tensions which tore them apart. Reasons behind her family's troubles and their experience of racism are laid bare." 

Here's a brief introduction to the author:

Afolabi Opanubi

Afolabi Opanubi was born in Lagos, but grew up in Port Harcourt. He left for university in Canada when he was sixteen; he studied and worked there for over six years. He writes both fiction and non-fiction. His writing has appeared in The Drum Literary Magazine, 34th Parallel, Brittle Paper and Africa is a Country. He has participated in literary workshops such as: Farafina Trust Creative Writing Workshop, and The Toronto Writers' Cooperative. He currently lives in Lagos. 

Resemblance is 424 pages long (based on my e-book page count), I'm currently at page 141 and I'm impressed by Afolabi's storytelling ability. BUY your own copy of Resemblance via: 

- Okada Books 

- Glendora Book Store at Ikeja City Mall

- Konga

- Indigo Books & Music Inc 

Book Release!!! | "The Path Which Shapes Us" by Lazola Pambo

The Path Which Shapes Us is a young adult fiction novel written by South African poet, novelist and essayist, Lazola Pambo. Its protagonist Clifford Malothi is caught up in his Uncle's past criminal life and lives in fear of being kidnapped along with his girlfriend. His Uncle's nemesis, Nasty Mike, is a threat to his Uncle and all the people of Evansdale, Clifford's hometown. The only one who can save them is Clifford and he has the perfect plan to overcome Nasty Mike.

Lazola Pambo has had his works published in New Coin, LitNet, The Kalahari Review, Aerodome, Nomad's Choir, Black Magnolias Literary Journal, BlazeVOX, Indiana Voice Journal, and Aji Magazine. He will soon be published in The Sentinel Literary Quarterly. This is his first novel. You can follow him on Twitter: @LPambo

The Path Which Shapes Us will retail for the price of R159,99. It will be available in South African bookstores and online by the end of September 2016. Orders can be sent in advance of release date to the book publisher. Contact: Mr. Isaac Shabangu via email - isaac@linguafrancapublishers.co.za

Book Release!!! | "Eteka: Rise of the Imamba" by Ben Hinson

Two years ago when I interviewed Ben Hinson for this blog he was still working on his novel "Eteka: Rise of the Imamba". His interview was one of the best interviews I've done for this blog. He shared his personal experiences, talked about this project and gave some advice to aspiring authors. Today, I'm very pleased to announce that his novel "Eteka: Rise of the Imamba" has been released! It's five hundred and sixty-four pages long and you can
buy it on Amazon for $19.99. It was published by his company, Musings Press, which he spoke about in his interview. Ben Hinson sent me a press release with snippets of what to expect from this novel. Here are two direct quotes from his press release:

"Eteka: Rise of the Imamba is a dark, action packed thriller that follows multiple characters across 14 locations around the world, and will appeal to readers that enjoy history, suspense, fantasy and world cultures. It is an original and unusual piece of literary fiction in the fact that it seamlessly fuses African, Asian, European, and American cultures into an unforgettable reading experience."

"The Cold War sets the stage for various proxy wars, nationalist movements, and covert missions across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Out of the Tumult will emerge a warrior. Though his heart is in the right place, he knows that he must make a tough decision that will determine his fate - and the fate of generations to come." 

Ben Hinson

VISIT Ben Hinson's website at www.benhinson.com or click HERE for more character revelations from the novel and for more insight on the various locations featured in "Eteka: Rise of the Imamba". You could also visit his Facebook page for more information about the author and his new novel. I'll read Eteka: Rise of the Imamba and post my review here as soon as I can.
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READ: 
11 Questions for Ben Hinson
[Image via Amazon]

"AMERiCANAH", Adichie's Fourth Novel Arrives This April!

Farafina is proud to announce the Nigerian edition of AMERICANAH, the highly anticipated novel by award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Release date is April 21, 2013 in Lagos. In the months following the release, the author will go on a national book tour with stops in major cities across Nigeria.

ABOUT THE BOOK
AMERICANAH is a fearless novel set in Nigeria, England and America. It boldly takes on issues both big and small: love, race, home, hair, Obama, immigration, and self-invention. In the early 1990s, under Abacha’s government, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. People are leaving the country if they can and Ifemelu leaves for America, where alongside defeats and triumphs, she confronts the inevitable question of race. Obinze, unable to join her in America, goes on to live as an illegal immigrant in London. After several years they have both achieved success -- Ifemelu as a popular blogger about race, and Obinze as a wealthy man in the now democratic Nigeria. When Ifemelu decides to return to Nigeria, she and Obinze must both make the biggest decision of their lives.

REVIEWS

“Fearless. A towering achievement...From the place of Africans in the race politics in America, to love across continents, AMERICANAH dares to bring us a world of a confident and self-made woman making her way in these complicated times. This is the Africa of our future. Sublime,

powerful and the most political of Chimamanda's novels. She continues to blaze the way forward.”  -Binyavanga Wainaina, Caine Prize winner and author of "One Day I Will Write About This Place". 

“Adichie is a word-by-word virtuoso with a sure grasp of social conundrums in Nigeria, East Coast America, and England; an omnivorous eye for resonant detail; a gift for authentic characters; pyrotechnic wit; and deep humanitarianism. AMERICANAH is a courageous, world-class novel about independence, integrity, community, and love—and what it takes to become a ‘full human being.’” - Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association

"As she did so masterfully with Half of a Yellow Sun, Adichie paints on a grand canvas, boldly and confidently…This is a very funny, very warm and moving intergenerational epic that confirms Adiche’s virtuosity, boundless empathy and searing social acuity." - Dave Eggers, Pulitzer prize finalist, and author of "What Is The What". 

“Adichie’s great gift is that she has always brought us into the territory of the previously unexplored. She writes about that which others have kept silent. AMERICANAH is no exception. This is not just a story that unfolds across three different continents, it is also a keenly observed examination of race, identity and belonging in the global landscapes of Africans and Americans.” - Colum McCann, IMPAC award winner and author of "Let The Great World Spin". 

AMERICANAH can be pre-ordered by emailing orders@kachifo.com, calling +2348077364217 or tweeting us: @farafinabooks

Price: Hardback N5000, Paperback N2500.

Upon release, AMERICANAH will be available in all major bookstores across the country.

Details of national book tour will be announced later.

This press release was provided by Farafina Books

Introducing Nigeria: A-Z

The book Introducing Nigeria: A-Z presents the wide natural and cultural diversity of Nigeria to young readers. Concise text and stunning photographs by George Osodi make this book a must-have reference for young Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, and for others interested in learning about Nigeria, the "Giant of Africa".

Introducing Nigeria is published by Farafina Books. It is available in leading bookshops in Nigeria and online via www.kachifo.com and www.amazon.com
Price: N1500/ $18 / £9.50

Visit www.kachifo.com or email info@kachifo.com for more information on Introducing Nigeria: A-Z

This post in its full form was provided by Kachifo Limited