The Book Banque - Literary
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The Book Banque is an organisation committed to empowering children in disadvantaged communities in Nigeria through education, and enriching Nigerian youths through an appreciation and understanding of cultural heritage.
The Book Banque - Literary
3y ago
By Niki
A pocket review of Esi Edugyan's Washington Black — a finalist for the 2018 Manbooker Prize and The Scotiabank Giller Prize.
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Cover: Serpent’s Tail. Image: Chad Hipolito/Canadian Press via National Post.
Esi Edugyan’s Washington Black is a voyage narrative that sees the protagonist—for whom the narrative is named—work towards attaining the status of freeman both physically and mentally. Having been born a slave on a plantation in the West Indies, the idea of individuality or agency is a luxury not afforded by Washington Black. The irony of ..read more
The Book Banque - Literary
3y ago
A memoir by editor and writer, Tope Owolabi, published exclusively on The Book Banque.
T
he smell of a city, with its hint of nostalgia, lingers in my nostrils like a spirit long after I have left. A distinct reminder of history and culture, one may call it, or of daily hustle or, simply, a peculiar habit. Ibadan, the city in which I was born and raised, smells of rust and burning refuse. Takoradi, where my father lived in the 60’s before I followed in his steps in 2013, arouses one with a heady smell of crayfish and palm oil. A smell like over-perfumed damp feet, conjures images ..read more
The Book Banque - Literary
3y ago
A poem by Nigerian-British poet Sarah Aluko, published exclusively on The Book Banque.
Where does it hurt?
Somewhere between here, here & here
You point to the graveyard
You call it a body
Walking eclipse, belly full of poems
Your jaw is tired. Too many apologies
You beg for forgiveness
Maybe this is the day you’ll finally learn how to wear this
These days you’re all ocean
Giving & giving & giving
Inhale
Is your heart happy?
What colour is your soul?
Is she hiding between your thighs?
Exhale
Point to where it hurts
Self- medicate
Here, here & here.
&n ..read more
The Book Banque - Literary
3y ago
By Niki
One of the most anticipated reads of 2018 and Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show 2018 Summer Read, Tomi Adeyemi's Children Of Blood And Bone is an Afro-mystical re-awakening.
Covers: Macmillan Publishers and Ouida Books. Image: Elena Seibert via Macmillan Publishers.
They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.
NOW WE RISE.
I
have been a part of many conversations about diversity and representation, and thought I understood what it meant to be represented until a few pages into Tomi Adeyemi’s debut novel. The opening sce ..read more
The Book Banque - Literary
3y ago
A poem by Zimbabwean graphic designer, photographer and poet Munya Chidakwa.
Dear My Time,
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
Or was the first time
way back in time?
Do you remember the time your heart and mind combined,
releasing thoughts and feelings that made you unwind
to a place where your guilty pleasures are no longer a crime?
Relax and unwind.
Do you remember the last time your thoughts
and his thoughts intertwined to a place beyond space and time?
Leaving you both bathing in a unconscious mind.
Leaving your ti ..read more
The Book Banque - Literary
3y ago
BY PHATHU
A list of some must-read books by South African women.
In South Africa, August 9 is celebrated annually as the National Women’s Day. It marks the day women united, in voice and in spirit, to protest the repressive pass laws—initially instituted for black men and then extended to black women—which restricted the mobility and economic freedom of black people in Apartheid South Africa. This day in 1956 saw 20,000 women march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, calling for the pass laws to be abated. In commemoration of this historic day, here are some must-reads by ..read more
The Book Banque - Literary
3y ago
An original short story by writer, teacher and speaker Lola Busari, originally published (in print) in her collection entitled Papa's Little Girls.
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I
t was raining heavily on the morning that Kemefu decided to get out. Her fake passport was already hidden securely beneath the folds of her head- tie and she was fully confident that she wouldn’t get caught. Not again. Not this time. This was her last chance. Her large brown eyes contemplated the droplets of rain as they exploded against the small window in the downstairs landing, like millions of mini water bombs. For the 57 ..read more
The Book Banque - Literary
3y ago
By Tobi and Iniye
Ideas by 10 Nigerian authors that are certainly worth sharing.
1 On The Stories Of Africa (2007)
With such humour and an undeniable command, Chris Abani highlights the relevance of stories in shaping identities. To truly know the continent of Africa, he avers, we must experience it through the stories we tell about ourselves and our continent. The transformation of the African story must take imagination, a commitment to nuance, and the absence of an essentialist African story.
2 Sci-Fi Stories That Image A Future Africa (2017)
Nnedi Okorafor, thro ..read more
The Book Banque - Literary
3y ago
By Ráyò
What do you do when love hurts? A pocket review of Yejide Kilanko's Chasing Butterflies.
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Image: Kathrin Honesta Mais and Quramo Publishing Limited.
Y
ejide Kilanko’s first book, Daughters Who Walk This Path, was a thoroughly enjoyable read for me—albeit a sad one. Thus, when I picked Chasing Butterflies, I tried to prepare for another emotional rollercoaster. Like the former, this novella, though set in the United States, revolves around family issues and the lasting effects of childhood traumas. Kilanko, as with the first, focuses on abu ..read more
The Book Banque - Literary
3y ago
A poem by award winning poet Sumia Jaama.
‘How the river, running, runs out of itself'
Pablo Neruda. 'There is No Forgetting (Sonata)'
Translated by Forrest Gander
Your grandfather’s:
/static/ awoowe's voice is an alien airwave.
You’re stretching in Southend
/static/ in Scheveningen —extending an arm,
/static/ an antenna.
Heavy waves break into white foam on this shore,
/static/ on his mouth. Your name is a boat sailing.
/static ..read more