Africa: Stories in the 55

RFI English
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Africa: Stories in the 55

A monthly programme on African authors, book publishing and news throughout the 55 countries on the continent, hosted by RFI's Laura Angela Bagnetto.

  1. 09/25/2019

    Camaraderie and Irish attitudes in Nigerian writer’s short story collection

    Poignant, upsetting, at times quite funny, the short story collection This Hostel Life, from Nigerian novelist Melatu Uchenna Okorie, elicits a response. Okorie’s stories stem from her life and the lives of others, ranging from childbirth in rural Nigeria to racism in rural Ireland.

    17 min

  2. 06/26/2019

    Helon Habila's novel 'Travelers' explores the lives of Africans in exile

    In Nigerian author Helon Habila’s latest novel, “Travelers”, Habila brings African expat and migrant stories to life in a number of short stories that are woven into a complex narrative of safety, identity, loss, and love. He also reflects on his own experiences, dealing with homesickness in “a new place that you’re trying to make sense of.”

    16 min

  3. 04/24/2019

    Contrasting images of his native Nigeria in Nnamdi Ehirin's debut novel, The Prince of Monkeys

    In April's Stories from the 55 podcast, Laura Angela Bagnetto speaks to Nnamdi Ehirin from Nigeria about a coming-of-age story called The Prince of Monkeys. The author also reads an extract from his work.

    20 min

  4. 03/27/2019

    South African novelist Mphuthumi Ntabeni shines a light on the Xhosa narrative

    In this month's Africa: Stories in the 55, South African writer Mphuthumi Ntabeni describes his twenty-year journey into the mind of Maqoma, a chief in the Xhosa community who lived in the 1800s. Ntabeni uses Maqoma's lifelong struggle against the British as the backdrop for his novel The Broken River Tent, as Maqoma guides modern-day character Phila through the realities of fighting for their land.

    12 min

  5. 02/27/2019

    Life and sensuality in a refugee camp in Suliaman Addonia's "Silence is My Mother Tongue"

    In "Silence is My Mother Tongue", the latest novel by Eritrean-Ethiopian writer Sulaiman Addonia, teen Saba and her brother Hagos arrive at a refugee camp in Sudan, where she is determined to continue her studies, while he is content to take care of her. The other Eritrean refugees bring their conservative views to the camp, especially when it comes to women. Addonia brings Saba to life through her fight to determine her own future, refusing the traditional restrictions imposed on her gender.

    19 min

  6. 01/30/2019

    Somali writer Ubah Cristina Ali Farah speaks of trauma intertwined with beauty in her story "Jujube"

    In this month’s Africa: Stories in the 55, Somali-Italian writer Ubah Cristina Ali Farah speaks about her character, Ayan, a Somali refugee seeking asylum. Ayan tells part of her own story that may not be clear, or true, due to the trauma she had suffered.

    10 min

  7. 10/18/2018

    Zimbabwean novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga explores post-war trauma in "This Mournable Body"

    The lasting aftereffects of the Liberation War on Zimbabwe's society creates the backdrop for Tsitsi Dangarembga's new novel, "This Mournable Body". The story is set in 1999, 10 years after the war, taking a look at the daily life of Tambudzai Sigauke, a Zimbabwean woman who is trying to get ahead. It is part of Dangarembga's groundbreaking trilogy that began with her award-winning novel "Nervous Conditions", but can be read as a standalone book. Dangarembga spoke to Africa: Stories in the 55 about this poignant look at Tambudzai, a Zimbabwean everywoman.

    13 min

  8. 10/03/2018

    The perils for Zimbabweans crossing the border into South Africa personified in Sue Nyathi's new novel, The Gold-Diggers

    In this month's Africa: Stories in the 55, Zimbabwean author Sue Nyathi delves into the dangers of crossing into South Africa illegally in the hopes of finding work and a better life. The Gold-Diggers explores the lives of six people who illegally cross the border in a combi, or van, and how their hopes and dreams-- independently from each other-- are thwarted as they try to start their lives in South Africa.

    9 min
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About

A monthly programme on African authors, book publishing and news throughout the 55 countries on the continent, hosted by RFI's Laura Angela Bagnetto.

Information

  • Creator
    RFI English
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2019
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Radio France Internationale
  • Show Website
    Africa: Stories in the 55

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