Three conversations—with the Nigerian novelist Chigozie Obioma, with the contributors to New Daughters of Africa anthology, and one on poetry—will be the headline events at the 2019 Africa Writes Festival, the UK’s biggest annual African literature spectacle sponsored by the Royal African Society and hosted at the British Library and Rich Mix. The festival had […]
Tag Archives: Namwali Serpell
Namwali Serpell’s The Old Drift, Hailed as the Great Zambian Novel, Is a Multigenerational Tale Blending History and Science Fiction
Quite a lot is happening ahead of the release of The Old Drift, Namwali Serpell’s debut novel. Justifiably so as she is one of our best prose stylists. Forthcoming on 26 March 2019 from Penguin Random House imprint Hogarth, the 576-page The Old Drift is set on the Zambezi River and tells the story of […]
Five Beautiful Acts of Generosity by African Writers
In the midst of the pressure to deliver under that heavy tag “African Writer,” in the back and forth between critics and between writers and between critics and writers, in the midst of big novels and million-dollar book deals and accumulating prizes, it is easy to lose sight of community and what it means to […]
Sarah Ladipo Manyika, Namwali Serpell, and Siyanda Mohutsiwa Discuss Being an African Writer in White Markets
The Stoop is a podcast that seeks out interesting but often un-publicized stories. It is hosted by Sudanese-American journalist Hana Baba and fellow San Francisco-based journalist Leila Day. For its Episode 15, titled “The African Writer’s Dilemma,” it invited Nigerian novelist Sarah Ladipo Manyika, Zambian writer Namwali Serpell, and Motswana writer and speaker Siyanda Mohutsiwa to discuss African […]
“Weapons Are Metaphors. We Use Them in Figures of Speech”: Namwali Serpell’s Essay on “Black Panther”
Namwali Serpell has joined the growing number of thinkers and observers who are weighing in on the Black Panther phenomenon. While most think-pieces see the film through its politics or fashion or overall aesthetics, Serpell has particularized hers to something essential in not only Wakanda but in every superhero world: weapons. The essay, in the […]
Opportunity for Zambian Writers | Submit to the Kalemba Short Story Prize
The inaugural edition of the Kalemba Short Story Prize is open for submissions. Organised by Ukusefya WORDS, it is a yearly prize awarded to outstanding unpublished fiction written by Zambian nationals, living either within or outside the country. The winner, whose identity will be revealed at a ceremony in Lusaka on March 1, 2018, gets […]
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.
