I Do Not Come to You by Chance
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
( Hyperion, paperback,
$15.99)
This bright, boisterous and engaging novel deals with a subject we are all excessively familiar with, and yet know nearly nothing about: the world of Nigerian e-mail scammers. Whereas most African authors on the world literary scene now teach in western capitals, Nwaubani lives and publishes in Nigeria. Accordingly, her work is more boisterous and upbeat than most African fiction that comes our way, reminiscent in its way of afro-pop music. Still, she is alert to the moral and political complexities of Africans who “exploit” the gullible west, within the broad context of global economic scamming. Through her protagonists, we come to see e-mail scams as an art form, drawing its power and effectiveness from the human desire for connection.
- ADD TO CART
|
Trading Places: The Merchants of Nairobi
Steve Bloom
( Thames & Hudson, hardback,
$50.00)
For people living in the outskirts of Nairobi, where supermarkets and malls have yet to penetrate, "shop locally" is more than a slogan; it is a way of life. Goods and services of all kinds are sold to the community from micro-businesses operating out of tin shacks or from the backs of vehicles. These are advertised with vibrant, joyously colored hand-painted signs that not only announce the nature of the business, but also express the personality of the shopkeeper. Steve Bloom's glorious photographs of these shops, accompanied by interviews with the shopkeepers, convey the incredible resilience and positive energy that still make Africa a continent of optimism and fortitude. As the sign painted on the side of the Bora-Bora Bar proclaims: "Never Give Up & Life Continues."
- ADD TO CART
|
