recent — Stories-Shayera Dark

Rediscovering Setswana Cuisine and More Amid Covid Lockdown

Three Bastwana food bloggers on finding comfort and fortune in Setswana cuisine during lockdown.

WorkShayera Dark28 February 2021bostwana, lockdown, recent, covid pandemic, tswana cuisine, african food bloggers

In Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, each character contends with a violent dictatorship, with none emerging guiltless or unscathed. Set in Addis Ababa in the mid-seventies, Maaza Mengiste’s debut novel gives a glimpse into the surveillance state perpetuated by Mengistu Haile Mariam’s military regime, which deposed Emperor Haile Selassie and effectively ended Ethiopia’s three-thousand year-old monarchy.

Book ReviewShayera Dark9 December 2019maaza mengiste, ethiopia, african literature, addis ababa, the derg, recent

The Hundred Wells of Salaga|Ayesha Harruna Attah

Set against the backdrop of 19th century Ghana, The Hundred Wells of Salaga tells a tale about slavery, love, loss, courage and duty though the eyes of Aminah, a slave who dreams of travelling far and wide to sell shoes like her father did, and her mistress Wurche, a strong-willed princess more interested in attending political meetings than in domestic work.

Never Look an American in the Eye|Okey Ndibe

Okey Ndibe’s memoir derives its comical title from a string of advice an uncle had given Ndibe on the eve of his maiden voyage to America. “And the first thing to remember is this: Never look an American in the eye… They take it as an insult,” the uncle intones. “If they catch you, a stranger, looking them in the face, they will shoot.”