Book Moves

Whilst Wordsbody was sleeping, the world of books has rolled on, as it should. Here are just a few happenings we've been unduly silent on...

Jude Dibia went down south for the launch of the South African edition of his second novel, Unbridled, published by Jacana. The Pretoria News said of the author: “He is lively, interesting and willing to have a laugh at himself... [a] talented young Nigerian voice.” The judges and organisers of the richest literary prize in Nigeria seem to be in agreement, and Dibia is one of two shortlisted authors (alongside Kaine Agary, author of ‘Yellow Yellow’) contending for this year’s NLNG Prize, worth $50,000. Read Lauri Kubuitsile’s review of Unbridled – here. The winner of the NLNG Prize 2008 is announced at the Muson Centre, Lagos, on October 11.

Meanwhile, Uche Peter Umez, winner of this year’s BSU Creative Writing Competition, went on to participate in the Iowa International Writers’ Program.

Women Writing Zimbabwe, a new anthology edited by Irene Staunton, came out, with contributions by the some of the most vibrant females writing out of Zim today, including: Blessing Musariri and Wadzanai Mhute. In there also is Petina Gappah who has been making transatlantic publishing waves with international deals for her forthcoming books – yes, not one but two – An Elegy for Easterly (a collection of short stories) and a novel, The Book of Memory (lovely title). Read all about it on the author’s blog.

In the Women Writing Zimbabwe anthology is a writer who straddles straddles Zim and Nigeria and other places/heritages besides. Her name is Sarah Ladipo Manyika, and she’s going to be making waves of her own. Her novel, In Dependence, is published this month by the UK’s Legend Press. An Anglo-Nigerian tale by an Anglo-Nigerian writer, In Dependence will be published later in a West African edition by Cassava Republic.

We hope to stay awake as books move on...

• Sarah Ladipo Manyika's image © Robert Birnbach