"A rich and vibrant novel with shades of brutality, romance and the pressures of a close knit community. " —Leila Aboulela, author of The Kindness of Enemies
"A powerful and compelling debut. The taboo subject of an older woman's sexuality, portrayed with courage, skill and delicacy, is explored in the context of the criminal underworld and the corrupt politics that exploits it. This is a novel to be savoured. " —Zoe Wicomb, author of October
Season of Crimson Blossoms tells the captivating story of an illicit affair between a twenty-five-year-old street gang leader, Hassan Reza, and a devout fifty-five-year-old widow and grandmother, Binta Zubairu, who yearns for intimacy after the sexual repression of her marriage and the pain of losing her first son. This story of love and longing—set in a conservative Muslim community in Nigeria—reveals deep emotions that defy age, class, and religion.
This novel gives a unique perspective on life and relationships in Northern Nigeria, a region vastly under-represented in the body of world literature.
Abubakar Adam Ibrahim's short story collection The Whispering Trees was long-listed for the Etisalat Prize for Literature in 2014, with the title story shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing. Abubakar is a Gabriel Garcia Marquez Fellow (2013) and a Civitella Ranieri Fellow (2015). In 2014, Abubakar was named in the Hay Festival Africa39 list of the most promising writers under the age of forty. Season of Crimson Blossoms has been shortlisted for the $100,000 2016 NLNG Prize for Literature.

Season of Crimson Blossoms

Literature & Fiction

Ibrahim, Abubakar Adam

Literary

Cassava Republic Press

From one of Nigeria's finest contemporary literary talents comes Elnathan John's highly awaited debut novel. Told through the irresistible voice of a young boy, Dantala, Born on a Tuesday is a masterful and haunting coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of extremist politics and religion in Northern Nigeria. Dantala is a naive but bright Quranic student, who falls in with a gang of street boys, surviving on a regime of petty crime and violence. After being paid to set fire to the local headquarters of an opposition party, Dantala is forced to run for his life. Still reeling from the trauma of events, he stumbles into a Salafi mosque where he quickly becomes the favoured apprentice of the Sheikh and finds stability and friendship. From his place of refuge, Dantala confronts the hurdles of adolescence, first love and the splintering of family life - as his mother becomes increasingly unstable in the wake of a family tragedy and his brothers join a rival religious sect. But as political and religious tensions mount, he is torn between loyalty to his benefactor, Sheikh Jamal, and adherence to the Sheikh's charismatic advisor, Malam Abdul-Nur.When bloodshed erupts around him, Dantala is tested to his limits. In this raw, authentic and deceptively simple novel, Elnathan John explores boyhood in the wake of extremism and fundamentalism. Born on a Tuesday delves behind the scenes of the media's portrayal of Boko Haram bringing us a powerful and intensely personal picture of life in Northern Nigeria today.

Born On A Tuesday

Elnathan John

"Dr. Morayo Da Silva is one of the most memorable characters you are likely to encounter on the page – intelligent, indomitable, author and survivor of a large life. In dreamlike prose, Manyika dips in and out of her present, her past, in a story that argues always for generosity, for connection, for a vigorous and joyful endurance." —Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, shortlisted for 2014 Man Booker Prize
"If aging be a lamp, then Morayo, the protagonist in Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun is a mesmerising glow. Astute, sensual, funny, and moving." —NoViolet Bulawayo, author of We Need New Names, shortlisted for 2013 Man Booker Prize
"From the instant you pick it up, you know that you will privy to the most intimate secrets. A beautiful, important new novel. " —Peter Orner, author of Love and Shame and Love
Morayo Da Silva, a cosmopolitan Nigerian woman, lives in San Francisco. Almost seventy-five, she has a zest for life and enjoys road trips in her vintage Porsche. But when Morayo has an accident, crushing her independence, she is prompted to reassess her relationships and recollect her past life and loves. A humorous, joyful read.
Sarah Ladipo Manyika teaches literature at San Francisco State University. Her first novel, In Dependence, has sold over 1.5 million copies in Nigeria. Sarah sits on the boards of Hedgebrook and San Francisco's Museum of the African Diaspora and was the Chair of Judges for the Etisalat Prize for Literature in 2015.

Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun

Ladipo Manyika, Sarah

United States

"Fast and furious, told from a kaleidoscope of different points of view, it's a rollercoaster ride through a world of extremes, where everything is up for grabs." —The Guardian
"Gritty, gripping, and hard to put down, Easy Motion Tourist delves into the dark side of Lagos, with a narrative structure that feels fresh and an incredibly immersive atmosphere. A welcome twist on the contemporary thriller." —The Crime Review
Easy Motion Tourist is a compelling crime novel set in contemporary Lagos, featuring Guy Collins, a British hack who stumbles into the murky underworld of the city. A woman's mutilated body is discarded outside a club near one of the main hotels in Victoria Island. The police pick up Collins, a bystander, as a potential suspect. After experiencing the unpleasant realities of a Nigerian police cell, he is rescued by Amaka, a guardian angel of Lagos working girls. As Collins discovers more of the darker aspects of what makes Lagos tick—including the clandestine trade in organs—he also slowly falls for Amaka.
Easy Motion Tourist pulsates with the rhythms of Lagos and entertains from beginning to end.
Leye Adenle has written a number of short stories and flash fiction pieces. He has appeared on stage in London in plays including Ola Rotimi's Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again. Leye comes from a family of writers, the most famous of whom was his grandfather, Oba Adeleye Adenle I, a former king of Oshogbo in South West Nigeria.

Easy Motion Tourist (An Amaka Thriller, 1)

Adenle, Leye

Genre Fiction

A gripping new addition to the African crime genre, from a talented debut author.
Vee Johnson is an investigative journalist for the Cape Town magazine Urban. When she spots a photo of a familiar-looking girl at a local hospital, Vee launches an investigation, under the pretext of writing an article about missing children. Alongside her oddball assistant Chloe Bishop, Vee delves into the secrets of the fractured Fourie and Paulsen families. What happened to Jacqui Paulsen, who left home two years ago and hasn't been seen since?
Hawa Jande Golakai is from Liberia and trained as a medical immunologist.

The Lazarus Effect: A Vee Johnson Mystery

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Golakai, H.J.

Mystery

Safe House: Explorations in Creative Nonfiction

Wakatama Allfrey, Ellah

Essays & Correspondence

Things are changing for the staff of Lagos firm City Finance, and not necessarily for the best. But for Ada Okafor, a bright, dedicated and beautiful trainee accountant, the only change worth noticing is the dashing, British-trained new assistant MD, Tony Okoli.Ambitious and determined, Ada ignores her feelings for Tony and focuses on juggling her work in accounts with completing her degree in business and finance. But their love of books draws them closer together and they embark on a secret but passionate affair.They soon discover that the course of love does not run smooth and a host of obstacles, from Tony's disapproving family to jealous colleagues, litter their path. Their passion for each other is truly tested as they fight to persuade themselves and the world that love, in the end, trumps social status.

Love's Persuasion

Romance

Awonubi, Ola

Contemporary

Meet Mira Adure: an ambitious, creative twenty-something stuck as PA to the ruthless editor of high fashion magazine Black Sparkle. Her work is tedious, but her love life is even worse - a string of disastrous dates threatens to put Mira off men forever. And then she crashes into the flashy Mercedes of the gorgeous, tiger-eyed Dominic and is left fuming.Mira's luck changes when she is promoted to assistant editor. But when Dominic turns up at her office a few days later, she is infuriated to discover he's been hired as the photographer for her first edition in charge of Black Sparkle.As they embark on a photo shoot by the swaying palms of Coconut Beach, Mira and Dominic can't stop arguing. Will it be too late before Mira realises that beneath the tension is smouldering desire? Sparks fly as the creative energy of two talented individuals fuels a heady mix of fear, passion and desire.

Black Sparkle Romance

Okolo, Amara Nicole

Rabato Sabato aka Soni Dike is a Lagos big boy; a criminal turned grandee, with a beautiful wife, a sea-side mansion and a questionable fortune. Then one day he disappears and his car is found in a ditch, music blaring from the speakers. Soni’s older brother, Abel Dike, a teacher, arrives in Lagos to look for his missing brother. Abel is rapidly sucked into the unforgiving Lagos maelstrom where he has to navigate encounters with a motley cast of common criminals, deal with policemen all intent on getting a piece of the pie, and contend with his growing attraction for his brother’s wife. Carnivorous City is a story about love, family and just desserts but it is above all a tale about Lagos and the people who make the city by the lagoon what it is.

The Carnivorous City (Lagos Noir)

Kan, Toni

Winner of the John Avery Award at the André Simon Food &amp; Drink Book Awards 2016. 
"A breathtakingly original and fresh piece of food writing, which I found myself compulsively rereading. Aribisala is that rare writer who makes you laugh while also informing you about Nigerian food, which, as she points out, is something that has been 'misunderstood, atrociously photographed, not yet given its due.' Thanks to this book, this should now change."―Bee Wilson, food critic, author, and journalist
"Aribisala summersaults through geography, economics, popular culture, art, history, (and yes, of course, sex) via cuisine. Her tales of Nigeria's many mouth-watering foods are globally spiced with riffs on everything from Yorkshire puddings and Eccles cakes, to the tartufi bianchi, and South Asian red curries. Aribisala writes with verve, sass, and with such humor and confidence that it takes one's breath away. If ever a book deserves to be a bestseller, this is it." ―Sarah Ladipo Manyika, author of Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun
A sumptuous menu of essays about Nigerian cuisine, lovingly presented by the nation's top epicurean writer. As well as a mouth-watering appraisal of Nigerian food, Longthroat Memoirs is a series of love letters to the Nigerian palate. From the cultural history of soup, to fish as aphrodisiac and the sensual allure of snails, Longthroat Memoirs explores the complexities, the meticulousness, and the tactile joy of Nigerian gastronomy.
Yemisi Aribisala is a Nigerian essayist and writer. She currently lives in Cape Town, South Africa.

Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds

Biographies & Memoirs

Aribisala, Yemisi

Historical

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