The recent shortlist of Clinical Blues in the ANA Poetry category confirms Dami Ajayi as a leading poet. The collection is divided into three parts around which is assembled images of the barroom, the hospital, and everything in between. Clinical blues is an ingenious attempt to convert medical tools and barroom tales into poetic statements that hit […]
Tag Archives: african book review
Review | Obinna Udenwe Explores Marital Infidelity in African Households | By Udo Okoronkwo-Chukwu
“Bedfellows,” a short story by Obinna Udenwe, tells a fascinating tale about a woman named Agnes whose unfaithfulness leads to the break-up of her marriage. After her husband leaves for Tanzania on a volunteer mission, Agnes begins an affair with a doctor. Agnes’ son who witnesses the illicit affair is also the narrator of the story. […]
Ten Life Lessons From Chaka | By David Evans | Book Review
A while back, David Evans and I had a Twitter conversation. Somewhere along the line I recommended Chaka, a historical novel by Thomas Mofolo. Evans read it and wrote the review posted below. Evans, a World Bank economist, is the most avid reader you’d ever meet. He is a fan of African novels and writes a […]
My Name Is…Scratch That | Review of Dinaw Mengestu’s All Our Names | By Nma Uche
What is in a name? Helen and Isaac are common names, easy to pronounce and remember. Both are the narrators in Dinaw Mengestu’s latest book, All Our Names. Last summer, I listened as Dinaw read an excerpt from this book to an audience at the Free Library of Philadelphia. The setting was a diner in Mid-west […]
My African Book Diary | African Food Porn for the Hungry and the Lustful
Now, this is one sexy African novel. How to Cook Your Husband the African Way, written by Cameroonian author, Calixthe Beyala, follows the intrigues in the life of a young Cameroonian woman living and searching for a husband in Paris. She has her eyes fixed on Mr. Bolobolo, an African man in her apartment complex. […]
A Brilliant Burst of Fire | Review of Chigozie Obioma’s The Fishermen| by Onyeka Nwelue
Pub. Date: April 15, 2015. Publisher: Little, Brown and Company. 304 pp. Preorder HERE. When asked at what point in his life he knew he’d become a storyteller, Chigozie Obioma tells the story about his father giving him a copy of Amos Tutuola’s The Palm-Wine Drinkard. This eclectic introduction to storytelling may have prepared Obioma to […]
Caine Prizes and Poverty Pornstars — Bulawayo Takes Swipe At Habila
A few days ago, Zimbabwean author, Noviolet Bulawayo, writes on her Facebook wall: Today I woke up to some South African love, and it’s very meaningful to me, for obvious reasons. I am remembering that my very first published story was by Munyori journal, and it meant a lot to have that Zim and African […]
Welcome to Brittle Paper, your go-to site for African writing and literary culture. We bring you all the latest news and juicy updates on publications, authors, events, prizes, and lifestyle. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@brittlepaper) and sign up for our "I love African Literature" newsletter.
