It’s three days to the New Year and Bookshelf can’t wait to show bookworms what 2020 has in store. Here’s a small list.
This year saw the release of many books fresh from Nigerian publishers. But beyond that, we are already looking forward to 2020 offerings. Publishers, including Masobe Books, Parresia Publishers, Farafina Books and Konya Shamshrumi have been kind enough to share with Bookshelf some of those on their agenda for next year.
Masobe
This publishing house launched its activities this year and 2020 may well be its year of glory as it plans to push out five books. One of these is authored by TJ Benson titled ‘The Madhouse,’ due to be released in October where (according to the synopsis) “a house brings two unique souls together by the unlikeliest of chances.” Another is by Angel Patricks Amegbe, titled ‘The Days of Silence,’ centred around Osasé who has a secret she cannot share. Then there’s Chimeka Garricks’ collection of short stories inspired by songs, ‘A Broken People’s Playlist,’ Othuke Ominiabohs’ ‘Aviara: Who Will Remember You’ (October) where twenty-five-year-old Anthony Mukoro returns from the city with news that he’s dying, and Michael Afenfia’s ‘The Mechanics of Yenagoa’ (March) about Ebinimi, a star mechanic on Kalakala Street who’s always in trouble.
Parresia
Obinna Odenwe is no stranger to book lovers. He’s a prolific short story writer who has one novel to his name. Guess what? The second, to be released in January by Parresia Publishers titled ‘Colours of Hatred’ is described as “a complex web of plots detailing a woman’s journey from childhood through the fire and anvil of love, loss, betrayal, lust, and duty.” Then there’s ‘Èfó Rírò,’ a collection of stories that cover varied social themes including spousal abuse, religious dogma, love, bravery, betrayal and vengeance.
Farafina
Do you remember that poet (and founder of Word Rhymes & Rhythm Publishers), Kukogho Iruesiri Samson, who won the GTB Dusty Manuscript Prize in 2018? His debut novel, ‘Devil’s Pawn,’ described by the editor of Pulse.ng as “a story of death, love, politics and the metaphysical.” Then there’s also Onochie Onyekwena’s ‘The Orchid Protocol,’ where a bomb blast by a terrorist group sets off a chain of events that challenges the Directorate of Counterterrorism in Lagos. Onyekwena came second in the same contest. Both books are going to be released under Farafina’s Breeze imprint.
Konya Shamshrumi
In the month of February, this African poetry press will be unveiling Funmi Gaji’s ‘The Script of Bruises’ and Rasaq Malik’s Gbolahan’s ‘The Other Names of Grief.’
Taken from the publisher’s website, here’s an excerpt from Gaji’s poem, ‘A Broken Scale:’
on my head, I bear no doves
but golden plovers
my tongues, bruises
turning off my television set
I open my arms
And oblivion ducks underneath them
my country makes bonfires of men
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