Books & Rhymes: The Podcast

Ever wondered what goes on in the judging panels of literary prizes? We speak to Ebissé Wakjira Rouw, an Ethiopian-Dutch literary editor, publisher, co-founder of Dipsaus – a multi-media organisation that specialises in amplifying the voices and lived experiences of Black and People of Colour in the Netherlands. Ebissé was also a judge for the 2020 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing.

In the first of our two-part conversation, we use the music of Destiny’s Child, Luniz & Jodeci to discuss the position that literary prizes occupy within the African landscape, and the process of judging the 2020 Caine Prize for Africa Writing.

Ebissé also answers listeners questions submitted via our social media handles. Tune in next week for Part Two of our conversation when we discuss in detail, Black Lives Matter & publishing while Black in the Netherlands and Europe.

Keep up to date with Ebissé by visiting dipsaus.org. Follow DipsausPodcast on Twitter: Twitter.com/DipsausPodcast and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dipsauspodcast

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @BooksAndRhymes. Tweet your thoughts by using #BooksAndRhymes.

Listen to playlist of the songs referenced in this episode on Spotify and Deezer

The song you heard in the intro and outro of this podcast is titled: Reset by Meakoom (Meakoom) the song is available for purchase on Bandcamp

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We conclude our one-to-one conversation with the shortlisted writers for the 2020 AKO Caine Prize for African Writing. Today’s guest is Jowhor Ile, a Nigerian writer, author of the novel And After Many Days and visiting professor at West Virginia university whose story, Fisherman Stew is vying for the £10,000 prize.

We use the music of Fela Kuti, Sade, Lauryn Hill, Nina Simone, Onyeka Owenu, Cardinal Rex Lawson and more as selected by Jowhor to discuss food as an expression of love in his story Fisherman's Stew - an intimate otherworldly love story. We also explore the process of conveying intimacy in writing, reflecting older women in romantic relationships and Jowhor’s writing habit.

Listen to the playlist of the songs referenced in this episode Spotify, Deezer and YouTube

The winner of the AKO Caine Prize will be announced online. Read the 2020 AKO Caine Prize shortlisted stories here.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @BooksAndRhymes

Tweet your thoughts by using the hashtag #BooksAndRhymes

The song you heard in the intro and outro of this podcast is titled: Reset by Meakoom the song is available for purchase on Bandcamp

Listen to Rémy Ngamije's playlist to Fisherman on Brittle Paper

Books referenced in this episode:

Arrow of God – Chinua Achebe

And After Many Days - Jowhor Ile

What It Means When A Man Fall From the Sky – Lesley Nneka Arimah

Quintessentially Efik Recepies: Foods of Nigeria-- Nky Iweka

Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds-- Yemisi Aribisala

Songs referenced this episode:

Berebote - Cardinal Jim Rex Lawson

Nothing Even Matters - Lauryn Hill ft D’Angelo

Iyogogo - Onyeka Onwenu

Look before you Cross - Evi-Edna Ogholi

Miles Runs the Voodoo Down - Miles Davis

Nights - Frank Ocean

Sade - The Sweetest Taboo

Trouble Sleep Yanga go Wake Am - Fela Kuti (song)

Lilac Wine - Nina Simone

Listen to the full playlist on:

Spotify,

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Journalist and Lambda award winning author, Chike Frankie Edozien, offers an intimate portrait of his life in his memoir, Lives of Great Men: Living and Loving as an African Gay Man. We begin the discussion with Edozien’s reaction to the attention the memoir has garnered (including winning the 2018 Lambda literary award), after which we reflect on the importance of being reviewed critically by astute readers, coming of age as same gender loving young man in Nigeria, the criminalisation of homosexuality in West Africa, and the circumstances that compelled Edozien to pursue a career in journalism.

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Follow @BooksAndRhymes on https://instagram.com/booksandrhymes/ and https://twitter.com/booksandrhymes,

The playlist of the songs referenced in this episode is available on Spotify and YouTube.

Lives of Great Men is published by: Team Angelica (UK), Ouida Books (Nigeria), Jacana Media (South Africa).

Songs referenced this episode: (listen to the playlist on Spotify, Deezer, and YouTube.):

Taxi Driver (I Don’t Care) - Bobby Benson

Taxi Driver (I Don’t Care) - Mandy Brown Ojugbana

Proud - Heather Small

Work - Masters at Work

Reviews of Lives of Great Men referenced:

Lives of Great Men by Chike Frankie Edozien by Diana Evans– An African exodus

Diriye Osman Reviews Chike Frankie Edozien’s Triumphant Memoir in HuffPost

Books referenced in this episode: (Available for purchase online and in bookshops)

Sista! An Anthology of Writing by and about Same Gender Loving...

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Novuyo Rosa Tshuma provides deeper context to her critically acclaimed novel, House of Stone – a sophisticated, philosophical and darkly humorous (re)telling of Zimbabwe’s history. We explore writing for a specific audience, censorship in Zimbabwean publishing landscape, weaponisation of history, the importance of documenting Gukurahundi massacre in fiction, understanding the ‘Born Free’ generation and so much more.

Books mentioned in this episode (widely available for purchase online and your local bookshops).

House of Hunger – Dambuzo Marechera

These Bones Will Rise Again – Panashe Chigumadzi

Stone Virgins – Yvonne Vera

My Sister The Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite

Nervous Conditions – Tsitsi Dagaremba

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers – Yiyun Li

A Strangers Pose – Emmanuel Iduma

Songs referenced this episode (listen to the playlist on Spotify, Deezer, and YouTube):

Zimbabwe – Bob Marley

Danger Zone – Thomas Mapfumo

Rhodesians Never Die – David Scobie

What’s Love Got To Do With It – Tina Turner

Aboki – Ice Prince

Coffin For Head of State – Fela Kuti

Umoya Wami – Lovemore Majaivana

Keep It Moving – Empire Cast

Cries of the Motherland - Caiiro

Reviews:

Books & Rhymes’ review on Bookstagram

Helon Habila’s review in The Guardian Newspaper

Yiyun Li’s recommendation in Vanity Fair magazine

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In celebration of its 10th anniversary launch, Sarah Ladipo Manyika takes us through the musical landscape of her novel, In Dependence, a sweeping love story spanning four decades, steeped in pan-African post colonial politics. We use the playlist curated by Sarah Ladipo Manyika to unpack the reasoning, research and writing process behind the novel, In Dependence. We explore the import of musicians such as Hugh Masekela, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, and many more in bringing literary narratives to life. Sarah Ladipo Manyika also expands on the import of Toni Morrison’s advice to writers in her acceptance speech for the 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature.

This episode was recorded live at Foyles flagship bookshop in Charring Cross, London, in partnership with Cassava Republic Press.

Books and articles mentioned:

In Dependence – Sarah Ladipo Manyika

Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun - Sarah Ladipo Manyika

New Daughters of Africa - Edited by Margaret Busby

We Need New Names – NoViolet Bulawayo

Lagos Noir – Edited by Chris Abani

The books are widely available for purchase online and in your local bookshops.

Articles referenced: interview with Toni Morrison, On meeting Toni Morrison, and ‘On Meeting Mrs Obama’

Film referenced: Mother of George – directed by Andrew Dosunmu

Songs referenced this episode (listen to the extended playlist on Spotify and YouTube):

Market Place – High Masekela

Waiting in Vain – Bob Marley

Reinfiltrator – Falana

Start Again – Falana

Hear Me Lord – Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi

She’s a Bad Mama Jama – Carl Carlton

Amen/ This Little Light of Mine – Etta James

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