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Africa39: New Writing from Africa South of the Sahara
Africa39: New Writing from Africa South of the Sahara
Africa39: New Writing from Africa South of the Sahara
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Africa39: New Writing from Africa South of the Sahara

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In 2014, UNESCO's World Book Capital is Port Harcourt, Nigeria-the first city in Africa to receive the designation by public bid.

This makes it a special year for the Port Harcourt Book Festival, which will be in its seventh year, and bigger than ever. They are joining forces with the internationally renowned Hay Festival, which will bring to Port Harcourt its 39 Project-a competition to identify the thirty-nine most promising young talents under the age of forty in sub-Saharan Africa and the diaspora. It follows the success of Bogotá 39 in 2007 and Beirut 39 in 2010. Both recognized a number of authors who now have international profiles: in Bogotá, Adriana Lisboa, Alejandro Zambra, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Daniel Alarcón, and Junot Díaz; in Beirut, Randa Jarrar, Joumana Haddad, Abdellah Taia, Samar Yazbek, and Faiza Guene. In Nigeria this year, the esteemed judges include leading-edge publisher Margaret Busby; novelist and playwright Elechi Amadi,writer and scholar Osonye Tess Onwueme, and Caine Prize winner Binyavanga Wainaina.

For the second time, Bloomsbury is honored to be a part of the festivities, publishing worldwide Africa39-a collection of brand new work from these talented thirty-nine.

With an introduction by Wole Soyinka, Africa39 is a must-read for anyone curious about Africa today and Africa tomorrow, as envisioned through the eyes of its brightest literary stars.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 28, 2014
ISBN9781620407806
Africa39: New Writing from Africa South of the Sahara
Author

Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka is a playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist born in Abeokuta, Nigeria in 1934. Soyinka won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature with his debut novel, The Interpreters, becoming the first-ever African laureate and has since won many other prizes such as the Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award in 2009 and the Anisfield-Wolf book Award, Lifetime Achievement in 2012. A prominent political activist, Soyinka was imprisoned for nearly two years during the Nigerian Civil War and was later exiled. He continues to fight against government corruption and oppression worldwide.

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Rating: 3.5625 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The collection mixes short stories and excerpts from novels by African authors. Some of the excerpts are from 'works in progress' rather than from published novels. While most of the selections were at least pretty good (and some were excellent), the excerpts make reading this collection an uneven experience - the stories have a certain closure to them, but for the most part, the excerpts don't. Authors that resonated for me in this short exposure included A. Igoni Barret (excerpt), Jackee Budesta Batanda (excerpt), Edwige-Renee Dro (story: the Professor), Tope Folerin (excerpt), Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (story: Echoes of Mirth), Stanley Onjezani Kenani (story: The Old Man and the Pub), and Lola Shoneyin (excerpt). So, I suppose the collection served its purpose, introducing me to a bunch of writers I hadn't known, and now I may someday buy their books. But, it's also a bit frustrating, since at least half my favorite selections left me hanging.

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Africa39 - Wole Soyinka

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