#ReadingAfrica Week 2021 December 5-11

Fridays are our usual day to post all of the literary news from Catalyst and beyond, but because we’re about to step into one of our busiest weeks, this news round-up will only have one item— but it’s a big one.

It’s getting close to #ReadingAfrica Week! That’s right! Our annual celebration of all things African literature starts on December 5. Here’s how you can participate:

1) Use the hashtag #ReadingAfrica across social media on posts that spotlight your favorite reads— fiction, non-fiction, poetry, journalism, comics, you name it— by African authors or focused on Africa.

2) Support presses, particularly indies, who are promoting and uplifting authors from Africa. Sure that sounds a lot like us, but there are many, many, many, many other presses who are doing great work.

3) Have fun with our #ReadingAfrica challenge! You can download it here.

 

4) Attend our #ReadingAfrica Events:

December 6 at 12:30 ET, it’s all about comics. KaDi Yao Tay, founder and editor of Squid Magazine, moderates a conversation on graphic novels and comics with Bill Masuku (author/illustrator Captain South Africa), Ivanka Hahnenberger (translator Madame Livingstone), Richard Conyngham (author All Rise: Resistance and Rebellion in South Africa), and Salim Busuru (Creative Director of Avandu Studio)

December 8 at 12:30 ET, join us for a discussion on children’s literature moderated by Atlas Book Club founder, Bunmi Emenanjo. Featuring Ekiuwa Aire (author, Idia of the Benin Kingdom), Hannes Barnard (author, Halley’s Comet), Caroline Kurtz (author and co-founder of Ready Set Go Books), and Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp (translator and editor World Kid Lit blog)

December 10 at 12:30 ET, our closing panel features a host of amazing women. This panel features Gabeba Baderoon (professor and co-editor of Surfacing: On Being Black and Feminist in South Africa); Cheluchi Onyemelukwe (author of Son of the House), Sifton Anipare (author of Yume), and Yewande Omotoso (author An Unusual Grief). Moderator Aiofe Lennon-Ritchie, head of Cape Town-based literary agency the Lennon-Ritchie Agency.

4) Listen to our playlist, curated by musician and writer, Amanda Khiri, and head to our blog to read about how she chose the songs for it.

5) And most importantly, whether it’s during Reading Africa Week or not, seek out voices from around the globe, translated literature, or even just books that are outside your experiences. #ReadingAfrica is a great way to do that, but we encourage you to read globally to find books that move you, entertain you, and educate you. There’s a world of stories out there, and it’s always a great time to explore them.

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