Podcasts about cassava republic press

This episode features a conversation with writer, editor and strategic communications consultant, Chinelo Onwualu. It was recorded in March 2025.Chinelo is co-founder of Omenana, a magazine dedicated to African speculative fiction, and is the former chief spokesperson for the African Speculative Fiction Society. She's also one of the reviewers of entries for Grist's Imagine 2200 climate fiction contest.Her writing has been featured in several anthologies and magazines, including Uncanny magazine, Strange Horizons, The Kalahari Review, and Brittle Paper.It has also earned her many merits including a nomination for the British Science Fiction Awards, as well as for the Nommo Awards for African Speculative Fiction, and also the Short Story Day Africa Award.With a background in journalism, Chinelo previously worked as a reporter and online editor in Nigeria and the United States, including as a senior editor for Cassava Republic Press, one of the leading independent publishers in all of Africa.In her consultancy work, Chinelo has spent more than a decade supporting multi-national non-profits across the world with their strategic communications, including WE Charity International, ActionAid Nigeria, The BBC World Trust, and the University of Sussex's Institute for Development Studies.Amongst other things, Chinelo and I discussed the importance of stories in shaping our societies, how fiction can help us make changes in our real lives, and what Western storytellers might learn from those whose cultures have already faced apocalyptic scenarios. Additional links: Visit Chinelo's websiteGrist's Imagine 2200 climate fiction contestCheck out OmenanaPeruse Rosarium Publishing and Flame Tree PressExplore Roy Okupe's comicsDiscover Nightmare magazine and Uncanny magazineRead more about Chinese author Cixin Liu

Black Feminist Punk trio Big Joanie formed in London, but are now based over various cities in the U.K. Their sound is “punk” and… also looks to Riot Grrrl jaggedness and DIY sensibilities, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and girl group harmonies. Their 2022 album, Back Home, sees the band ruminating on the ideas of home, whether that's in the U.K., back in Africa or the Caribbean, and considering how second and third generation communities of Black & Brown folks define themselves as British people. Borne of guitarist/vocalist Stephanie Phillips's desire for a space “where I could be Black and be into punk and it wouldn't be seen as a conflict”, Big Joanie began as a post on social media, (Kerry Cardoza, Bandcamp), and is named for Phillips' mom. Stephanie Phillips of Big Joanie talks DIY and making one's own culture, and the band plays remotely from their London recording studio. On a literary note, Phillips is also a writer and journalist, whose own book Why Solange Matters is out now, via University of Texas Press. Drummer/vocalist Chardine Taylor-Stone's book, Sold Out: How Black Feminism Lost Its Soul, via Cassava Republic Press, is due out in late November of 2022. - Caryn Havlik Set list: “Your Words”, “Cactus Tree”, “Today” Watch "Your Words":

Jake Billingham, BEIS, discusses Climate Security with Chitra Nagarajan. Chitra focuses on civilian protection, climate change, conflict analysis and sensitivity, peacebuilding, and human rights, particularly those of women and girls. She has worked across West Africa for over a decade, including examining climate security in the Lake Chad basin region and in Mali. She takes intersectional feminist approaches, integrating gender and social inclusion throughout all her work. She Called Me Woman: Nigeria's Queer Women Speak, a collection of narratives which she co-edited, was published by Cassava Republic Press in 2018 and she is currently working on a book on the violence in the Lake Chad Basin. She tweets @chitranagarajan.

Emma Shercliff of Laxfield Literary Associates talks to us about being an agent outside of London and her efforts to better represent both regional writers and authors from Africa and the Middle East. Following a globe-trotting career with Macmillan, Hodder and Cassava Republic Press, encountering the Common People report prompted Emma to set up Laxfield Literary Associates with the aim of making agenting more transparent and representative of the population. We discuss the challenges of representation, the lack of childcare support for writers, how and when to contact an agent and lots more - including the two prizes being run by Laxfield Literary Associates which you can find out about on their website: https://laxfieldliterary.com/ Hosted by Simon Jones & Steph McKenna. Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/ Check out our workshops and Agent Insights sessions: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/courses/ Join our (free!) Discord community and say hi: https://discord.gg/3G39dRW Music by Bennet Maples.

Ayesha Harruna Attah is the author of four novels: Harmattan Rain (Per Ankh Publishers), nominated for the 2010 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize; Saturday's Shadows (World Editions), shortlisted for the Kwani? Manuscript Project in 2013; The Hundred Wells of Salaga (Cassava Republic Press, UK; Other Press, US); and a forthcoming young adult novel, The Deep Blue Between (Pushkin Children's). Educated at Mount Holyoke College, Columbia University, and NYU, Ayesha has degrees in Biochemistry, Journalism, and Creative Writing. A 2015 Africa Centre Artists in Residency Award Laureate and Sacatar Fellow, she is the recipient of the 2016 Miles Morland Foundation Scholarship for non-fiction.

Celebrated writer and poet, Jumoke Verrisimo, discuss the complexities of fictionalising personal pain in fiction, idealisation of mothers in Yoruba culture, the infliction of emotional traumas on loved ones as coping strategy for much deeper unarticulated psychological distress, and her debut novel, A Small Silence - a quietly disturbing coded novel that humanises historically underserved communities in fiction while inviting the reader to explore the psycho-social implication of loneliness and isolation.Read Brittle Paper's review here. Songs referenced this episode (listen to the playlist on Spotify and YouTube): A Beautiful Imperfection – AsaThe Way I Feel – AsaI am A Rock – Simon and GarfunkelGravity – John Meyer Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood – Nina SimoneAin’t No Sunshine – Bill WithersArmy Arrangement – Fela KutiDisturbia – Rihanna This episode was recorded in partnership with Cassava Republic Press at Library - A luxurious members only club situated in central London. Share your thought on this episode using the hashtag #BooksandrhymesFollow @BooksAndRhymes on Instagram and Twitter,Subscribe to the mailing list at Booksandrhymes.comEmail your thoughts to BooksAndRhymes@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bibi Bakare-Yusuf is the publishing director of Cassava Republic Press and Ankara Press. After launching a publishing company to offer a platform for contemporary African writers, Bibi had another idea: why not start a romance novel-imprint that put black women at the center of the story? This is what happened next. Store Ankara Press Social Profiles Twitter Recommended James Baldwin's Another Country Sweet Honey in the Rock "Ella's Song" Host Anshuman Iddamsetty Producers Phoebe Wang Emma Fedderson Anshuman Iddamsetty Senior Supervising Producer Tammi Downey Engineer Spencer Sunshine Musical Score Jim Guthrie

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 ManyikaLike A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun - Sarah Ladipo ManyikaNew Daughters of Africa - Edited by Margaret BusbyWe Need New Names – NoViolet BulawayoLagos Noir – Edited by Chris AbaniThe books mentioned above are widely available for purchase online and 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 MasekelaWaiting in Vain – Bob MarleyReinfiltrator – FalanaStart Again – FalanaHear Me Lord – Oliver Tuku MtukudziShe’s a Bad Mama Mama – Carl CarltonAmen/ This Little Light of Mine – Etta James See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ASC seminar by Olumide Popoola and Bibi Bakare-Yusuf. For the last seminar of Michaelmas Term, we were joined by author Olumide Popoola and publisher Bibi Bakare-Yusuf for an interview with Olly Owen on Popoola's new book, 'When We Speak of Nothing' and the bigger vision of Cassava Republic Press, a Nigerian publishing house which aims to generate the 'African archival future.' Book abstract: Best mates Karl and Abu are both 17 and live near Kings Cross. It’s 2011 and racial tensions are set to explode across London. Abu is infatuated with gorgeous classmate Nalini but dares not speak to her. Meanwhile, Karl is the target of the local ‘wannabe’ thugs just for being different. When Karl finds out his father lives in Nigeria, he decides that Port Harcourt is the best place to escape the sound and fury of London, and connect with a Dad he’s never known. Rejected on arrival, Karl befriends Nakale, an activist who wants to expose the ecocide in the Niger Delta to the world. Increasingly distant from happenings in London, Karl falls headlong for Nakale’s feisty cousin, Janoma.Meanwhile, the murder of Mark Duggan triggers a full-scale riot in London. Abu finds himself caught up in its midst, leading to a tragedy that forces Karl to race back home. When We Speak of Nothing launches a powerful new talent. The stream of consciousness prose, peppered with contemporary slang, captures what it means to be young, black and queer in London. If grime music were a novel, it would be this.

Sarah Ladipo Manyika’s second novel, Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun (Cassava Republic Press, 2016), is an excellent addition to the larger, and ever-expanding, genre of Nigerian literature. The novella begins slowly, teasing out details of the main character’s life as she interacts with the people of her San Francisco neighborhood. Morayao Da Silva, the main protagonist, is an elderly Nigerian woman, who is positive, youthful and independent. A fall interrupts her independence and forces her to become dependent on others, which exposes to the reader a hidden loneliness to her cheer and allows Morayo to reflect back on her life of world travel and eventual limitations brought about by age. Each character in this book, from the young mother named Sunshine, to the older African American man visiting his dementia-afflicted wife at the rehabilitation center, allows the reader to get deeper insight into the world of Morayo, while also exploring other character’s insights on the protagonist from an outside perspective. Overall this is a complex and nuanced read. The meandering pace is a testament to the lived experience, and the reader is rewarded for their patience with a thoughtful and satisfying character study. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Ladipo Manyika’s second novel, Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun (Cassava Republic Press, 2016), is an excellent addition to the larger, and ever-expanding, genre of Nigerian literature. The novella begins slowly, teasing out details of the main character’s life as she interacts with the people of her San Francisco neighborhood. Morayao Da Silva, the main protagonist, is an elderly Nigerian woman, who is positive, youthful and independent. A fall interrupts her independence and forces her to become dependent on others, which exposes to the reader a hidden loneliness to her cheer and allows Morayo to reflect back on her life of world travel and eventual limitations brought about by age. Each character in this book, from the young mother named Sunshine, to the older African American man visiting his dementia-afflicted wife at the rehabilitation center, allows the reader to get deeper insight into the world of Morayo, while also exploring other character’s insights on the protagonist from an outside perspective. Overall this is a complex and nuanced read. The meandering pace is a testament to the lived experience, and the reader is rewarded for their patience with a thoughtful and satisfying character study. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah Ladipo Manyika’s second novel, Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun (Cassava Republic Press, 2016), is an excellent addition to the larger, and ever-expanding, genre of Nigerian literature. The novella begins slowly, teasing out details of the main character’s life as she interacts with the people of her San Francisco neighborhood. Morayao Da Silva, the main protagonist, is an elderly Nigerian woman, who is positive, youthful and independent. A fall interrupts her independence and forces her to become dependent on others, which exposes to the reader a hidden loneliness to her cheer and allows Morayo to reflect back on her life of world travel and eventual limitations brought about by age. Each character in this book, from the young mother named Sunshine, to the older African American man visiting his dementia-afflicted wife at the rehabilitation center, allows the reader to get deeper insight into the world of Morayo, while also exploring other character’s insights on the protagonist from an outside perspective. Overall this is a complex and nuanced read. The meandering pace is a testament to the lived experience, and the reader is rewarded for their patience with a thoughtful and satisfying character study. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acclaimed author ZZ Packer has been the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award, a Whiting Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her story collection Drinking Coffee Elsewhere won the Commonwealth First Fiction Award and an ALEX award, and was selected for the Today Show Book Club by John Updike. She is currently at work on a novel, Thousands, about the Buffalo Soldiers, which was excerpted in The New Yorker’s 20 Under 40 Fiction Issue. Here, we present Packer reading from Thousands, followed by a wide-ranging conversation with author and professor Sarah Ladipo Manyika. ZZ Packer’s stories and nonfiction have appeared in Harper’s, Story, Ploughshares, Zoetrope All-Story, and The New York Times Magazine. She was recently named a professor of Creative Writing at San Francisco State University. Sarah Ladipo Manyika was raised in Nigeria and her writing includes essays, academic papers, reviews and short stories. Her first novel is In Dependence (Legend Press, London; Cassava Republic Press, Abuja). She teaches literature at San Francisco State University. This program is co-presented by MoAD and Litquake.

Widely regarded as the father of modern African literature in English, Chinua Achebe was born in Nigeria in 1930. A prolific writer, Achebe authored several works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. His debut and most well known novel, Things Fall Apart, was first published in 1958 and has since sold over 12 million copies internationally. He passed away on March 21, 2013 at the age of 82. He was a widely influential figure in the literary world and within academia. The Museum of the African Diaspora presents a roundtable discussion in celebration of the life and legacy of Chinua Achebe. Sarah Ladipo Manyika is an author and teaches literature at San Francisco State University. She will moderate and be joined in discussion by G. Ugo Nwokeji, Associate Professor of African American Studies at UC Berkeley; Saikat Majumdar, Assistant Professor of English at Stanford University; Sarita Cannon, Associate Professor of English Literature at San Francisco State University; and Donna V. Jones, Associate Professor of English at UC Berkeley. Sarah Ladipo Manyika was raised in Nigeria and has lived in Kenya, France, and England. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and currently teaches literature at San Francisco State University. Her writing includes essays, academic papers, book reviews and short stories. Sarah’s first novel, In Dependence, is published by Legend Press and Cassava Republic Press.