Here's an update to our series "Bookclubs in Ghana"In this episode, I speak with the founder of Read Along With Cally's Bookclub about creating a reading club.

About the Bookclub:

Read Along With Cally's Bookclub is a community of readers, catering to both avid readers and those seeking to reignite their love for reading. The book club provides a nurturing environment where members can bond, network and share their passion for Literature.

Abena speaks to Bene about what love means, her favourite romance books and authors

Bene's Favourite Romance Authors:

• Beverly Jenkins
• ⁠Abby Jimenez
• Kennedy Ryan
• Farrah Rochon
• ⁠Nisha Sharma
• ⁠A.E Valdez
• Natasha Bishop
• Adesuwa O’man Nwokedi
• Mimi Grace
• Kimberly Brown
• Alexandria House
• Talia Hibbert
• Asia Monique
• Grey Huffington
• Kasha Thompson
• ⁠B.K Borison
• K.C Mills 
• Allysa Cole
• Comfort Omorve 
• Bolu Babalola
• Tia Williams 
• Ebony Dalle 
• Ben Philippe

On this episode, I talk to author Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond about her book My Parents' Marriage, which was published by Amistad Books (an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers). The discussion focuses on marriage, the characters in the book, the setting of the book, and publishing.

About the Guest:

Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond children's picture book Blue: A History of Color as Deep as the Sea and Wide as the Sky, illustrated by Caldecott Honor Artist Daniel Minter, was named among the best of 2022 by NPR, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, Kirkus Reviews, The Center for the Study of Multicultural Literature, Bank Street College of Education, and more.

Brew-Hammond also wrote the young adult novel Powder Necklace, which Publishers Weekly called “a winning debut”, and she edited Relations: An Anthology of African and Diaspora Voices. Her newest novel for adult readers, My Parents' Marriage was featured in The New York Times. 

Brew-Hammond's short fiction for adult readers is included in the anthologies  Accra Noir edited by Nana-Ama Danquah, Africa 39 edited by Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, New Daughters of Africa edited by Margaret Busby, Everyday People edited by Jennifer Baker, and Woman's Work edited by Michelle Sewell, among others. Additionally, her writing has appeared in Now2, African Writing, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Sunday Salon.   

From 2018-2023, Brew-Hammond was a Pa Gya! Literary Festival Guest Author, and she was a 2019 Edward Albee Foundation Fellow, a 2018 Aké Arts and Book Festival Guest Author, a 2018 Hobart Festival of Women Writers Guest Author, a 2017 Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar, a 2016 Hedgebrook Writer-in-Residence, a 2015 Rhode Island Writers Colony Writer-in-Residence, and in both 2015 and 2014, she was shortlisted for a Miles Morland Writing Scholarship.  

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2025!

Maame Wirekoa and I discussed books we read last year (2024) and this year's reading goals (2025)

This episode features Bene Read and Ka_karang (Nasiba) discussing 2024 in reading.

Books Mentioned by Bene Reads

• All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
• Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abdulhawa
• Someone Birthed Them Broken by Ama Asantewa Diaka
• Don't Cry For Me by Daniel Black
• The God of Good Looks by Breanne Mc Ivor
• The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
• Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah
• Difficult Women by Roxanne Gay
• Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
• How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
• Hold My Girl by Charlene Carr

Books Mentioned by Nasiba

• Broken Not a Halal Love Story by Fatima Bala
• New York My Village by Uwem Akpan
• Someone Birthed Them Broken by Ama Asantewa Diaka
• Difficult Women by Roxanne Gay
• We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan
• All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
• House of Shells by Efua Traore
• Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Safak
• All My Mothers Lovers by Iiana Masad

Books Mentioned by Abena

• Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah
• Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer
• And Then He Sung a Lullaby by Ani Kayode Somtochukwu
• Someday Maybe by Onyi Nwabileni
• Someone Birthed Them Broken my Ama Asaantewa Diaka
• How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
• Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
• Only for the Week by Natasha Bishop
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold Series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
• The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
• If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Naga Noor
• God's Children are Little Broken Things by Arinze Ifeakandu

Abena Maryan hosted a session at the just-ended Pa Gya Literary Arts Festival, which was organized by the Writers Project of Ghana (WPG).

Guests:

Kwame Brenya is an award-winning poet, a published writer, a Twi language teacher, and a traditional music artist with five (5) studio albums.

Kwame’s music is mostly storytelling palm wine music through which he has documented his personal life story on the BRENYA NE BARIMA album as well as his experiences across West Africa on his EP, FOUR DAYS IN FASO. His art is Akɔm; the Akan philosophy of life and existence. Kwame Brenya is KWABRE NYAME.

Kofi Dzogbewu is a Ghanaian storyteller. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Psychology and English from the University of Ghana, where he read Creative Writing. He also has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Central University in Ghana. He works with words in non-fiction, fiction, playwriting, and poetry. He is an alumnus of the Mo Issa Writing Workshops. His works have been featured in the Kalahari Review and other online literary journals. He is the author of the novel, Adze. When he is not writing, he spends most of his time performing, reading, or watching movies. He is a producer and director at Dzomoko Productions – a film and theatre organization. His writings explore African culture, ambition, Afro-futurism, and modernity.

This is a live recording from the just ended All African Book Fair

Guests:

1. Leanne Lectern
2. TayTales
3. Flipping Chapters

This is a live recording from the just ended All African Book Fair.

This is a live recording from the just ended All African Book Fair.

In this episode, we spoke with:

1. Grace Dorcas Anan: Author, publisher and the founder of the All African Book Fair
2. The Black Archives: A cultural center and archive on Black (Dutch) history, arts and culture in Amsterdam
3. Dr. Martin Egblewogbe: Author, Lecturer and one of the directors of the Writers Project of Ghana (WPG)
4. Poetra Asantewa: Author, Spoken Word Artist and founder of the Black Girls Glow
5. Emma Ofosua: Writer, Poet and founder of the All African Women Poetry Festival

This is a conversation with Bene and Nasiba inspired by @ka_karang's Unpopular Opinion.