New-Generation African Poets
Subtitle: A chapbook Box Set
Edited by Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani
Illustrator/Book Cover Artist: Tariku Shiferaw
Publisher: Akashic Books
Paperback Chapbooks
ISBN: 9781617758164 (Full Box Set)
Limited Edition
Released September 8, 2020
Available on Amazon
$34.95 for boxed set of 12
Here is a lovely set of poetry chapbooks, beautifully illustrated, and thematically suited for this world, now more “global” than ever. Travel, immigration, the Internet and media as a whole have made it so. One of the editors of this project—for it is indeed a project, an annual project—calls it a “porous” world in his introduction. That indicates that though these chapbooks are by poets with African roots all, they are all part of Editor Kwame Dawes’ permeable world. Therefore, these are voices and viewpoints that should be read and appreciated across all borders including nationalities, religions, and races.
Further, these poets speak from the heart, mostly in poetic language that could easily be mistaken for everyday prose. Well, maybe not “everyday.” Maybe that should be qualified as prose of the highest order. Easily understood. Intrinsically felt.
Individual chapbooks by Michelle Angwenyi, Afua Ansong, Adedayo Agarau, Fatima Camara, Sadia Hassan, Safia Jama, Henneh Kyereh Skaku, Nadra Mabrouk, Nkateko Masinga, Jamila Osman, and Tryphena Yeboah.
MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugallyseries of books for writers including her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion and a whole lot you didn't know including how to use blurbs from reviews to sell books to catalogs. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically! Learn more about her and her poetry at http://howtodoitfrugally.com.