WEALTH OF IDEAS

This announcement orginally appeared at ImageNations , a blog by Nana Fredua-Agyeman. Mensa Press announces the release of 3 brand new anthologies listed below. The press is Africentric, attempting to provide a necessary platform for the often overshadowed, authentic African voice. Simultaneously, its visionary lens gives legs to African literature, and advocates for Africans’ independence toward literary freedom and growth. The anthologies are featured below: The War Against War: Poetry about stark realities of war With contributions from poets in Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, USA, and India, the War Against War contains the voices of poets who represent a growing fatigue with aggression in the world. Each poem looks at war from broken windows – images are disturbing and the sentiments are gloomy. Each poet in this anthology wages a war against war with compelling perspectives. Authors in the collection: Prince Kwasi Mensah, Lord God Almighty, Lila Mensa, RolandBankoleMarke, Cosmas Mairos...

This preview originally appeared on KwaChirere , a blog by Memory Chirere, who has granted me permission to publish it here. While on one hand it is a preview of a new interesting book, Jerry's essay is also an insightful account of the state of Ndebele literature in Zimbabwe. Enjoy! Title: Thaph’ uluju: Iqoqo lezindatshana, Ilifa lakho Author: short stories in Ndebele by written by various authors Editor: by Barbara C. Nkala, 2010 Publisher: Radiant Publishing Company, Harare, 2010 Pages: 275 How I got my stories included in the new Ndebele short story anthology, Thaph’ uluju: Iqoqo lezindatshana, is both a sad and good story. I attended the Zimbabwe Book Publishers Association Prize giving on a day in 2007 at the Crowne Plaza in Harare and there were winning entries for English and Shona but there was nothing for Ndebele. On asking why, we were all told that there had been no entries for Ndebele in all of 2007. So no literary texts had been published in Zimbabwew in all 2007! Tha...

The next priority on my shelf, "The Hairdresser of Harare" by Tendai Huchu. I am excited. Just received my signed copy of Tendai Huchu's The Hairdresser of Harare , a novel published by Weaver Press, Zimbabwe. Many thanks to Tendai for this wonderful gift on a Thursday evening, a great distraction indeed. I have started reading the book, and I like the voice. What I am beginning to enjoy about stories set in Zimbabwe is how over and over again they reach that nostalgic nerve in me, how the mention of something as ordinary as Harare Gardens, the Avenues, or the throwing in of an occasional Shona or Ndebele phrase, can lead whirlpool of memories. It is perhaps a search for some type of Zimbabwean authenticity in the prose (that you can find easily), but it is undoubtedly something that feeds into the rusty homesickness (that's what homesickness becomes when you have been away for too long). For instance, as I read Huchu's novel, I am enjoying, first off, that it h...

(Shreveport, LA) – Founder of the National Black History Bee and Best-selling Author Terry a O’Neal, whose works have been published in numerous magazines, television, journals and newspapers, will be conducting a speaking and book signing tour throughout Shreveport and Bossier City. On this tour, O’Neal will visit Caddo Middle Career & Tech. School, JS Clark Micro Society Academy, Northwood High School, Booker T. Washington New Technology High, Mooretown Branch Library, Atkins Branch Library, Barnes & Noble Book Store, Books-A-Million, just to name a few. O’Neal will have an open discussion centered around her award-winning, YA novel “Sweet Lavender”. Sweet Lavender, which has been adapted to a full-length feature screenplay, is a 1960’s coming-of-age story of a young girl’s awakening to the bittersweet realities of life while growing up in a small Louisiana town.