Tag: Graphic Novel | Page 3

New Releases for May and June

We’re pleased to release two new books this May and June— You’re a Star, Lolo by Niki Daly and Madame LIvingstone by Christophe Cassiau-Haurie, Barly Baruti, and Ivanka Hahnenberger. Both books are available through your favorite bookseller, and right here on our site

In May, we released You’re a Star, Lolo, the third book in author/illustrator Niki Daly’s Lolo series for beginning readers. The book was praised in a starred review from Kirkus, “[D]rawn tenderly and told in a way that honors the characters and their culture. Another winning addition—Lolo is indeed a star!”

You’re a Star, Lolo joins Here Comes Lolo and Hooray for Lolo in the Lolo series of books that introduce young readers to the adventurous and fun-loving Lolo who lives in South Africa with her mother and grandmother. Make sure to also check out all of the educational resources for the series including teaching guides, activity pages, a read-along with the author, and more!

Order:

This week saw this release of Madame Livingstone, a graphic novel set in World War 1 Congo. Written by Christophe Cassiau-Haurie, illustrated by Barly Baruti, and translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger this story of adventure and friendship finds Belgian pilot Gaston Mercier teamed with a local guide, an enigmatic man nicknamed Madame Livingstone. Together, the pair set out on a nearly impossible mission: finding and sinking a critical German warship, the Graf Von Götzen. Little by little as the war between Belgian and German colonial powers rages on, Mercier learns more about the land around him, and discovers the irrevocable and tragic effects of colonialism on the local people.

Order

This Week in Literary News: Week of May 16

Lots to get into this week, so let’s do it!

On May 22, the Harlem Arts Alliance is hosting “Voices of the Coast,” an online exhibit and panel discussion that will “unite the voices and coasts of visual artists and cultural commentators from Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, and the African Diaspora.” The companion exhibition is scheduled for later this year.

Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate saw a picture “that would catapult her to global fame — not for what it showed, but for what it did not.” Great article in the New York Times exploring Nakate’s story of erasure, racism, being “a fighter for the people and the planet,” and her new book set for release this November.

And, hey, if you’re already at The New York Times, be sure to check out their Globetrotting feature of new and forthcoming international books. We’re thrilled to see our very own Madame Livingstone there!

Prepare to have your mind blown over at New Frame as Rofhiwa Maneta talks to multidisciplinary artist Nolan Dennis about his work a.sun.black, “an online game – or digital essay game, as he refers to it – that shares seminal Black liberation texts in the same fragmented way he was led to Black liberation theory.” Continue reading “This Week in Literary News: Week of May 16”

Coming in 2021: Madame Livingstone

For the next few weeks, we’ll be spotlighting our upcoming releases for the new year. You’ll learn a bit about our 2021 releases, their authors, and information about pre-ordering.

We’re excited to bring another work in translation to our catalog in 2021. Madame Livingstone: The Great War in the Congo by Christophe Cassiau-Haurie, illustrator Barly Baruti, and translator Ivanka Hahnenberger is a thrilling World War I saga set in, what was then called, the Belgian Congo. We’re thrilled to bring this book to readers in June 2021. Although we’ve definitely gotten into the historical fiction graphic novel game before with our King Shaka series, this release marks our first one for adult readers, and we can’t wait for you to see this gorgeously illustrated, beautifully written, deftly translated book this summer.
Continue reading “Coming in 2021: Madame Livingstone”

This Week in Literary News

Our weekly round-up of literary news here at Catalyst and beyond, is brought to you by our intern Naomi Valenzuela. Naomi is from Phoenix, Arizona and El Paso, Texas, and is majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in English & American Literature at the University of Texas, El Paso, with plans of working in the publishing business after graduation.

Want to lend a helping hand in your community? On Electric Lit, this article shows you how teaming up with NYC Books Through Bars can help deliver books to local prisoners.

Brittle Paper has information about book reviewers for Publisher’s Weekly. They are calling for book reviewers, an opportunity for more diversity within the publishing industry.

Also on Brittle Paper, an article about the 2020 London School of Economics’ LSE Shape The World festival and this year’s inclusion of a panel centered around “African Talks: The Global Legacy of African Women Writers”.

Over on New Internationalist, our own Yewande Omotoso (Bom Boy), writes about navigating through Johannesburg without a car, and finding a new perspective in the city.

OkayAfrica has an article and video on Samba Yonga’s TED Talk where she discusses the need to create superheroes for and from Africa.

There is an excerpt from one of our releases, Sacrificed by Chanette Paul and translated to English by Elsa Silke, over on The Johannesburg Review of Books.

The New York Times has an article about stories of the female trio and explores how this trope is so effective in literature and outside of it.

The Carnegie Medal longlist for 2020 gives us many retellings of classic literature such as Moby Dick and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but with a twist. Check out this article at The Guardian, and take a look at the reimagining of these books.

Lastly in more Catalyst news, Shaka Rising by Luke Molver is on sale for 50% off! Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity as it ends in February.

February’s Spotlight Author: Luke W. Molver

This month’s spotlight shines on author/illustrator Luke W. Molver. Luke is the co-author (along with Mason O’Connor) and illustrator of the first book in our African Graphic Novel Series, Shaka Rising: A Legend of the Warrior Prince, and the author/illustrator of its sequel King Shaka: Zulu Legend. Both of these books are published through Story Press Africa, our collaborative imprint with Jive Media Africa. As part of our ongoing Author Spotlight Sale, this month we’re offering Shaka Rising for 50% off!

Shaka Rising is the story of a legendary Zulu leader’s rise to power during one of southern Africa’s most turbulent periods. Shaka’s story is one of family drama, political intrigue, and warfare, and is told in a nuanced and exciting way that’s both entertaining and educational. Add in Luke’s fantastic illustrations, and you’ve got a great book for the young reader in your life!

Luke and Shaka Rising have had an incredible run since the book was released in 2018. It has earned rave reviews from The Wall Street Journal (“[M]arks the launch of a welcome historical graphic-novel series set in Africa”); Kirkus (“A worthy introduction that offers a young Anglophone audience entry into a legend of Africa”); and Booklist (“This is a tale comics has heretofore not done justice to, and it’s handsomely presented here.”), among many others. It was also shortlisted a Nommo Awards for African Speculative Fiction in the Graphic Novel category, and was named an Honor Book for Older Readers by the Children’s Africana Book Awards.

In addition to his work on the Shaka books, Luke is also a comic book creator whose work, most recently, has been featured at the Johannesburg Art Gallery’s exhibit The Art of Comics. You can also learn more about Luke in this short video interview with Beautiful News South Africa or this interview with Smash Pages.

All this month, and only at our site, you can get the paperback version of Shaka Rising for just $8.50. Order here

Giveaway Winners, Graphic Novels, and Why We’re Sharing African History Worldwide

Last month, we and our Story Press Africa partners held a giveaway to celebrate the release of the latest installment in our African Graphic Novel Series— King Shaka: Zulu Legend by Luke Molver. The entry was pretty simple: like our post, and then comment with the name of a historic person or event you’d like to see in a future graphic novel. And people really delivered! There were a host of names, and a timeline’s worth of notable events. It was truly amazing.

Readers are excited about African histories and stories. They want to put faces to names, they want to see history live again on the page. Whether it is the stories of your own country and your own ancestors, or that of those who live worlds apart, there is something special and vital about keeping those stories, those names in our memories. While we won’t list every name and event giveaway entrants suggested, we thought we’d share just a few to show just how many stories there are to tell… Continue reading “Giveaway Winners, Graphic Novels, and Why We’re Sharing African History Worldwide”

King Shaka: Zulu Legend Out Now in South Africa

L-R: Catalyst Press founder Jessica Powers, Jive Media Africa/Story Press Africa co-founder Robert Inglis, Luke Molver

Huge congratulations to Luke Molver! His graphic novel King Shaka: Zulu Legend made its South African debut at the Midlands Literary Festival last weekend! Reviews have started to come in for the book; The Midwest Book Review has praised the novel as “thoroughly engrossing from cover to cover” and Kirkus Reviews calls it “authentically enlightening and entertaining.” We’re hoping that readers everywhere will agree!

King Shaka author/illustrator Luke Molver

King Shaka, the continuing story of Shaka’s rise to power, comes to North America in October. You can pre-order your copy here!

Thank You!!

So many books on their way to South Africa!

Last month, we launched a Kickstarter to help us fund production and distribution of our upcoming graphic novel King Shaka: Zulu Legend, and we so happy to announce that it was funded! As part of our supporter rewards, we included a buy-one-give-one option that allowed supporters to not only get their very own copy of King Shaka, but to give one to a school or library in South Africa. And through your generosity, the copies you see here will be distributed through our partnership with READ Educational Trust, a South African literacy organization that’s making sure children all over the country have access to books. This is just the start of our work making sure that kids who need books can get them. Your support will also help us roll out a buy-one-give-one option here at our website—so stay tuned! Continue reading “Thank You!!”

Help Us Bring African Stories to Readers Worldwide

Big news from Catalyst HQ! We’ve launched our second Kickstarter campaign to help us with distribution and promotion of our graphic novel King Shaka: Zulu Legend. King Shaka, the second release under our Story Press Africa imprint picks up after the events of Shaka Rising. Shaka is now King of the southern chiefdoms, but he can’t rest easy. His rule is threatened both by the increasing European presence in southern Africa, and by his brothers who are conspiring against him. Throughout it all, King Shaka must continue to forge alliances, expand the reach of his power, and uplift his people.

We’ve launched the Kickstarter to help us with production and distribution, but we’re also planning to launch a buy-one-give-one initiative, which will help us get books to readers who need them most. We’ve started this program through a partnership with South African literacy organization— READ Educational Trust —and want to add more partner organization in Africa and North America. If you choose the buy-one-give-one reward on our Kickstarter campaign, you’ll be a big part of helping us get this program running (and stay tuned for updates here on the Catalyst site that will enable a buy-one-give-one option on our sales page).

Check out this video from our campaign, and head over to Kickstarter to support us!

Shaka Rising Named an Honor Book by the Children’s Africana Book Awards

Shaka Rising: A Legend of the Warrior Prince was named an Honor Book for Older Readers by the Children’s Africana Book Awards! The awards, presented by Africa Access, a non-profit that celebrates and promotes African literature for young readers. The Children’s Africana Book Awards are an annual award honoring “authors and illustrators of the best children’s and young adult books on Africa published or republished in the U.S.” We couldn’t be more excited that Shaka Rising was among the honorees!

Shaka Rising is the first in our African Graphic Novel Series, and the first release from our collaborative imprint, Story Press Africa. You can read about Shaka Rising author/illustrator Luke W. Molver in this Q&A. And you can learn more about the awards, and the other winners and honorees here.