Welcome to new members!!... and introduction... if you want

[Andrea]

Hi Mary,
I've followed your blog for a while now. I really enjoy it.

[Yejide]

Welcome to the new folks :) I'm still pretty new myself since I've not been active here in recent months. I hope to join in some of the readings this year.

[Yejide]

Sally906 wrote: "G'day all

My name is Sally and I am an Australian. I lived in Nigeria from the age of 6 months until my parents were recalled to England and then moved to The Gambia for a few years. We moved to ..."

Hi Sally,
Welcome. I was born in Nigeria so I'm curious to what part of the country you lived in. Australia happens to be my dream place to visit :)

[Mary]

Sally906 wrote: "Mary wrote: "Hey there,
I Mary. African Lit. blogger. www.maryokekereviews.blogspot.com

Please feel free to visit, join, leave comments.

Thanks."

Mary - I love your blog - what a great source of..."
Thank you Sally!

[Muphyn]

Vered wrote: "...I'm starting an online radio show interviewing African authors (as well as musicians and film makers) in order to help get them more into the international limelight..."

That is so cool, Vered! Keep us posted as who you're interviewing and what's happening!!

[Muphyn]

Welcome to all the new people here, it's fabulous to have you in the group!! Hope you'll find some inspiration here, and please feel free to dive into any discussion!

[Sally906]

Yejide wrote: "Hi Sally,
Welcome. I was born in Nigeria so I'm curious to what part of the country you lived in. Australia happens to be my dream place to visit :) ..."

We lived mostly in Lagos - in a area called Apapa near the port, as that is where my father worked. We also lived in Ibadan and Warri.

Australia is a huge place, we have everything from deserts to snow and all points in between :)

[Yejide]

Sally906 wrote: "Yejide wrote: "Hi Sally,
Welcome. I was born in Nigeria so I'm curious to what part of the country you lived in. Australia happens to be my dream place to visit :) ..."

We lived mostly in Lagos - ..."

Not very familiar with Lagos but I do know Apapa. But I was born/lived in Ibadan. I thought I'll start with a visit to Syndey :)

[Yejide]

Mary wrote: "Hey there,
I Mary. African Lit. blogger. www.maryokekereviews.blogspot.com

Please feel free to visit, join, leave comments.

Thanks."

Hi Mary, I've also visited your blog :) Welcome!

[Jill]

Hi All,
My name is Jill. I was born in Toronto, Canada but live in Trinidad which is an island in the West Indies.

[Mary]

Jill wrote: "Hi All,
My name is Jill. I was born in Toronto, Canada but live in Trinidad which is an island in the West Indies."

Hi Jill, welcome, I am more or less new myself here too.

[Marieke]

Hi Jill--welcome to the group! did you grow up in Trinidad?

[Andrea]

Hi Jill. Welcome to the group. What a wonderful place to live!

[Jill]

Hi Marieke and Andrea. I live in Canada until I was about 6 years old hen moved to Trinidad. Then when I was about 15 I moved back to Toronto for about 22 years. I am now back in Trinidad for about the last 10 years. Thank you all for welcoming me.

[Marieke]

Jill wrote: "Hi Marieke and Andrea. I live in Canada until I was about 6 years old hen moved to Trinidad. Then when I was about 15 I moved back to Toronto for about 22 years. I am now back in Trinidad for about..."

it must be really beautiful there, Jill!

[Muphyn]

Hi Jill and Mary,

Welcome to the group! :)

[Slakin]

Hi all. Thanks for the welcome! Been living in Rwanda for 2.5 years and working in East Africa and soon in West Africa and between, but been back in the States for a bit; may be moving back soon! I find reading a really helpful way to start to understand the contexts in which I work!I hear the group is headed to Malawi, and we start work there soon, so looking forward to so many great reads!

[Muphyn]

Hi Slakin,

Welcome!! :) Wow, you've worked in a few different places! :)

And yes, we've just headed to Malawi now with "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope". Feel free to join us! The discussion thread has been opened early but it's going to fully kick off in April so still time to read the book! :)

Or you could join us for the Contemporary Lit tour, which is exploring speculative fiction and Zakes Mda's "The Heart of Redness" this month.

Or feel free to explore any of the other threads! :)

[Ndeye]

Hi all, my name is Sene,im from Senegal but i live and work in Canada. I love to read and i just start blogging about what i read here: http://undertheneemtree.wordpress.com...

Im super excited, i saw a lot of books that i don't now about.i will finally get a chance to discuss my reading!!

[Marieke]

Ndeye wrote: "Hi all, my name is Sene,im from Senegal but i live and work in Canada. I love to read and i just start blogging about what i read here: http://undertheneemtree.wordpress.com......"

Welcome Ndeye! i really hope you love it here with us. You might have noticed we have a couple of different projects going on, but we welcome everyone to discuss whatever it is they are reading. In fact, i need to go post something in the thread for "what else are you reading." :)

[Muphyn]

Ndeye wrote: "Hi all, my name is Sene,im from Senegal but i live and work in Canada. I love to read and i just start blogging about what i read here: http://undertheneemtree.wordpress.com......"

Welcome to the group Ndeye, great to have you here! :) Hopefully you'll find lots of books that pique your interest. Feel free to join discussions, even if you haven't read the book that's being discussed. :)

[Ndeye]

Thank you so much both of you!!

[Ava Catherine]

Hi All!
This looks like the group to join to meet the world travelers and the ones who know all the places we read about in our far flung travel adventures. I look forward to discussing books with you.

[Marieke]

Connie wrote: "Hi All!
This looks like the group to join to meet the world travelers and the ones who know all the places we read about in our far flung travel adventures. I look forward to discussing books with ..."

Glad you found us, Connie!

[[deleted user]]

Welcome!

[Muphyn]

Connie wrote: "Hi All!
This looks like the group to join to meet the world travelers and the ones who know all the places we read about in our far flung travel adventures. I look forward to discussing books with ..."

Hi Connie, welcome, good to have you here! :)

[Andrea]

Hi Connie and Ndeye, welcome to the group!

[Mariam]

Hi, I'm just wondering where the discussion thread is for Open City?

[Marieke]

Mariam wrote: "Hi, I'm just wondering where the discussion thread is for Open City?"

Shoot. How did it get to be April? I'm very sorry. I will set it up tomorrow morning. With profuse apologies.

[Siobhan]

Hi everyone! I've just finished "Ghana Must Go", and am eager to explore books from regions of Africa that don't usually get much exposure. I'm really disheartened at how difficult it can be to discover new African authors and exciting contemporary African fiction. Happily, it didn't take long to find this extraordinary group, and I am very excited to start discussing books with you all!

[Andrea]

Siobhan, you will have no problem finding new books in this group! Welcome.
BTW, I had just bought "Nairobi Heat" after putting off the purchase for some time. Brought it into the house and my college son walked by, picked it up and walked off with it. Guess I won't be starting on that one soon:)

[Beverly]

Siobhan wrote: "Hi everyone! I've just finished "Ghana Must Go", and am eager to explore books from regions of Africa that don't usually get much exposure. I'm really disheartened at how difficult it can be to dis..."

Welcome Siobban.
I have also read "Ghana Must Go". I really enjoyed the book and it is my fav/best fiction read of 2013. I know this book will be in my top ten reads for 2013.

I am anxiously waiting for the release date of May 21st for "We Need New Names" by NoViolet Bulawayo.

[Marieke]

Welcome Siobhan! I'm pretty sure that very soon you might have more books on your list than you know what to do with. :)

We have fun projects here AND your fellow members will surely have many suggestions whenever you ask for recommendations!

[Siobhan]

Thanks all! Very excited to jump right in! Andrea I have "Nairobi Heat" in my queue as well, luckily my son is only 2! has anyone read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie? I believe she is Nigerian and I'd love to start her latest, "Americanah" which has been well received but perhaps she has a previous novel that is a better introduction?

[Ndeye]

Hi, by the same author purple hibiscus and half of a yellow sun... Those are the two i know about

[Beverly]

Siobhan wrote: "Thanks all! Very excited to jump right in! Andrea I have "Nairobi Heat" in my queue as well, luckily my son is only 2! has anyone read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie? I believe she is Nigerian and I'd lo..."

I have read all of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's published works - Purple Hibiscua, Half of a Yellow Sun and The Thing Aroubd Your Neck (short story collection).
And have enjoyed all of her work My and also eagerly waiting for Americanah to be published in the US on May 14th.
What to start with is liking asking to pick a fav child. :)
I think reading her books in order of publication date you see the maturity of her writing and her characters and the issues she presents all against the history/politcal/cultural background of the times of the books.

[Marieke]

I second Beverly... :)

[Andrea]

I've read Adichie's first two but not Americanah. I'm pretty sure they are self contained works that could be read in any order.

[Beverly]

Andrea wrote: "I've read Adichie's first two but not Americanah. I'm pretty sure they are self contained works that could be read in any order."

Yes, each of the works are self-contained and each stands on its own.

[Marieke]

I'm a big fan of chimamanda, too.

I'm not much of a short story reader, but I loved her collection, The Thing Around Your Neck and am eagerly anticipating her new one. :)

[Sally906]

I have just got my e-book copy of
Americanah I have to confess that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichieis an author whose shopping list I would read :)

[J.L.]

Thankyou so much Mariekafor inviting me to this group - and what a wonderful idea to "travel" round Africa in alphabetical order!
I'm only sorry you have already passed the Ks, as I lived in Kenya for over half a century - love that country - and my first novel, based there, has just been published.
Am I allowed to reveal its name?

Breath of Africa

I look forward to being an active partaker, because I also love to read and review books.

[Andrea]

Jane, delighted to hear that! Where did you live in Kenya?

[Marieke]

Welcome aboard, Jane! :)

[J.L.]

Just found your messages, Andrea and Marieke!
My, this site is a maze...
I was brought up in the Rift Valley: Nakuru and Njoro. Went to Loreto Convents, Eldoret and then Msongari, Nairobi.
Then spent most of my adult married lives in and around Nairobi: Tigoni, Langata, Karen.

[[deleted user]]

Hi all! New to the group, looking forward to reading the wonderful selections and making new friends. I have always found World Lit fascinating and will enjoy participating in this group. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this community.

[Lori]

I am thrilled to find this group. I have a blog, AfricaInside.org where people give me their recommended books on Africa. Usually I have read them. I just looked through your reading list (I want to join your book club) and found lots of new titles. THanks. I am so excited and will probably be adding lots of titles to the list on my blog. YEAH!

[Mary]

Lori wrote: "I am thrilled to find this group. I have a blog, AfricaInside.org where people give me their recommended books on Africa. Usually I have read them. I just looked through your reading list (I want t..."
Hello Lori, welcome here. this is an amazing group I must say. I read and blog on African Literature. I have a blog where you can as well find some titles you can add to your list. www.maryokekereviews.blogspot.com

Regards.

[Sally906]

Welcome Mel and Lori. I haven't been in the group very well but my African literature has grown very quickly :)

[Andrea]

J.L. wrote: "Just found your messages, Andrea and Marieke!
My, this site is a maze...
I was brought up in the Rift Valley: Nakuru and Njoro. Went to Loreto Convents, Eldoret and then Msongari, Nairobi.
Then spe..."
That's so lovely. My husband is from the Iten area and went to high school at St. Patrick's, Iten. We are currently building a high school for girls near there. I'm leaving for Kenya in a couple of weeks! Hope you enjoy the group.