A journalist finds himself embroiled in a disastrous government campaign as well as a sweeping romance in this landmark English translation of Ethiopia's most famous novel.

An engrossing political thriller and a tale of love and war for readers of John Le Carré and Philip Kerr.

December 1981, Ethiopia. Tsegaye Hailemaryam, a well-known journalist for the state-run media, has just landed in Asmara. He is on assignment as the head of propaganda for the Red Star campaign, a massive effort by the Ethiopian government to end the Eritrean insurgency. There, amid the city's bars and coffeehouses buzzing with spies and government agents, he juggles the demands of his superiors while trying to reassure his fiancée back home that he's not straying with Asmara's famed beauties.

As Tsegaye falls in love with Asmara--and, in spite of his promises, with dazzling, enigmatic local woman Fiammetta--his misgivings about the campaign grow. Tsegaye confronts the horror of war when he is sent with an elite army unit to attack the insurgents' mountain stronghold. In the aftermath, he encounters betrayals that shake his faith in both the regime and human nature.

Oromay became an instant sensation when first published in 1983 and was swiftly banned for its frank depiction of the regime. The author vanished soon thereafter; the consensus is that he was murdered in retaliation for Oromay. A sweeping and timeless story about power and betrayal in love and war, the novel remains Girma's masterpiece.

A sharp and playful critique of colonialism from the leading voice of French-Rwandan literature, animated by memories, archival specters, and powerful women

In sentences of great beauty and restraint, Mukasonga rescues a million souls from the collective noun 'genocide, ' returning them to us as individual human beings. -- Zadie Smith

In a 4-part narrative brimming with historical asides, alluring anecdotes, and murky questions left in the margins of colonial records, Sister Deborah heralds a life that is more alive as it explores the tensions and myths of Rwanda's past.

When time-worn ancestral remedies fail to heal young Ikirezi's maladies, she's rushed to the Rwandan hillsides. From her termite perch under the coral tree, health blooms under Sister Deborah's hands. Women bear their breasts to the rising sun as men under thatched roofs stand, stunned and impotent before this female fury.

Now grown, Ikirezi unearths the truth of Sister Deborah's passage from America to 1930s Rwanda and the mystery surrounding her sudden departure. In colonial records, Sister Deborah is a pathogen, an incident. Who is the keeper of truth, Ikirezi impels us to ask, Who stands at the threshold of memory? Did we dance? Did she heal? Did we look to the sky with wonder? Ikirezi writes on, pulling Sister Deborah out from the archive, inscribing her with breath.

A beautiful novel that works in the slippages of history, Sister Deborah at its core is a story of what happens when women -- black women and girls -- seek the truth by any means.

In his first new novel since winning the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature, a master storyteller captures young people in Tanzania in a time of dizzying global change.

At the turn of the twenty-first century, three young people come of age in Tanzania. Karim returns to his sleepy hometown after university in Dar es Salaam with a new swagger and sense of ambition. There he catches the eye of Fauzia, who sees in him a chance at escape from a smothering upbringing. When the two of them offer a haven to Badar, a poor boy still unsure if the future holds anything for him at all, they little imagine how deeply their fates will entwine and diverge. As rapidly accelerating global change reaches even their quiet corner of the world, bringing tourists, technology, and unexpected opportunities and perils, each arrives at a different understanding of what it means to take your fate into your own hands.

Swahili is the future. The first collection of Swahili fiction in English translation, No Edges introduces eight East African writers from Tanzania and Kenya as they share tales of sorcerers, Nairobi junkyards, cross-country bus rides, and spaceships that blast prisoners into eternity. Here we're encouraged to explore the chaos of life on a crowded Earth, as well as the otherworldly realms lying just beyond our reach. Through language bursting with rhythm and vivid Africanfuturist visions, these writers summon the boundless future into being.

A beguiling novel that does for contemporary Kenya and its 1,000 species of birds what Alexander McCall Smith's Ladies Detective series does for Botswana

For the past three years, the widower Mr. Malik has been secretly in love with Rose Mbikwa, a woman who leads the weekly bird walks sponsored by the East African Ornithological Society. Reserved and honorable, Malik wouldn't be noticed by a bystander in a Nairobi street--except perhaps to comment on his carefully sculpted combover. But beneath that unprepossessing exterior lies a warm heart and a secret passion.

But just as Malik is getting up the nerve to invite Rose to the Nairobi Hunt Club Ball (the premier social occasion of the Kenyan calendar), who should pop up but his nemesis from his school days. The jokester Harry Khan, good-looking in a flashy way and quick of foot, has also become enraptured with the object of Malik's affection.
So begins the competition cooked up by fellow members of the Asadi club: whoever can identify the most species of birds in one week's time gets the privilege of asking Ms. Mbikwa to the ball.
Set against the lush Kenyan landscape rich with wildlife and political intrigue, this irresistible novel has been sold in eight countries and is winning fans worldwide.

FINALIST FOR THE 2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

A new masterwork of satire, lore, and living memory from the leading voice of French-Rwandan literature

Mukasonga breathes upon a vanished world and brings it to life in all its sparkling multifariousness --J.M. Coetzee

In four beautifully woven parts, Mukasonga spins a marvelous recounting of the clash between ancient Rwandan beliefs and the missionaries determined to replace them with European Christianity.

When a rogue priest is defrocked for fusing the gospels with the martyrdom of Kibogo, a fierce clash of cults ensues. Swirling with the heady smell of wet earth and flashes of acerbic humor, Mukasonga brings to life the vital mythologies that imbue the Rwandan spirit. In doing so, she gives us a tale of disarming simplicity and profound universal truth.

Kibogo's story is reserved for the evening's end, when women sit around a fire drinking honeyed brew, when just a few are able to stave off sleep. With heads nodding, drifting into the mist of a dream, one faithful storyteller will weave the old legends of the hillside, stories which church missionaries have done everything in their power to expunge.

To some, Kibogo's tale is founding myth, celestial marvel, magic incantation, bottomless source of hope. To white priests spritzing holy water on shriveled, drought-ridden trees, it looms like red fog over the village: forbidden, satanic, a witchdoctor's hoax. All debate the twisted roots of this story, but deep down, all secretly wonder - can Kibogo really summon the rain?

A luminous collection of dryly humorous stories that revel in the surreal and fantastic, from the pen of José Eduardo Agualusa, winner of the International Dublin Literary Award

Perfect for readers of Haruki Murakami, Julio Cortázar, and Namwali Serpell's The Old Drift

Vividly translated into English for the first time by long-time Agualusa collaborator Daniel Hahn, the jewel-like tales gathered in this collection are an exuberant celebration of story-telling in all its various forms.

On the sands of Itamaracá, an old fisherman dreams of fish: shad in the morning, when the water's smooth and silvery, the Atlantic tarpon after it rains, and a jack when the sea goes blue. Elsewhere, Borges sulks away in a plantation of neverending banana tree, and the president of the United States wakes from a coma speaking only Portuguese.

With the lyrical experimentalism and unabashed weirdness of the surrealist (The Arts Desk), Agualusa offers a sly wink to the fictional quality inherent in all narratives, whether they're fishermen's tales, national histories, or the stories we tell ourselves.

An Anthology of East African Literature: A Collection of Masterfully Crafted Pieces from 50+ Contributors across 10+ Countries.

The literary world has received a gift in the form of An Anthology of East African Literature. This new book, featuring the works of more than 50 contributors from over 10 countries, promises to be a granary of artistic abundance. With over 300 pages of literary art, this anthology is a rich tapestry of poems and short stories that draw from the African oral storytelling tradition.

The poetry section of the anthology is rich and sundry, reflecting the diverse spectrum of literary expression to be found across the East African region. From playful use of verb repetition to create a sense of frequency and emphasis, to the conversational form of Ngonjera, readers will find a wide range of styles and themes.

The short stories section is equally diverse, covering a range of societal and personal issues. From terrorism to romantic cravings, political disenchantment to justice and gender equality issues, the writings in this section showcase some of the finest writing in terms of both form and meaning.

We are excited to present An Anthology of East African Literature to the world, says Josh Mali, one of the editors. This book is a fitting gift to the lovers of literary art in this first quarter of the 21st century, and we hope readers will enjoy the rich variety of masterfully crafted pieces that it contains.

Featuring:

Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva Lydia Kasese Bigoa Chuol Kagayi Ngobi Raïs Neza Boneza Sitawa Namwalie Betty Kituyi Josh Mali Gervaz Lushaju Prof. Laban Erapu Julius Ocwinyo Billy Kahora Sam Okoth Opondo Troy Onyango Dennis Mugaa Aress Mohamed Dessale Berekhet Alex Teyie Lucky Grace Isingizwe Barbara Oketta Lilian Akampurira Aujo Jameela Siddiqi Derek Lubangakene Rosey Ssembatya Sophie Alal Ayeta Anne Wangusa Carey Baraka Muthoni wa Gichuru Neema Komba Regina Asinde Dilman Dila Muthoni Garland Davina Philomena Kawuma Abraham T. Zere Tim Baroraho Bob G. Kisiki Josh Mali Julius Ocwinyo Acan Innocent Immaculate Beatrice Lamwaka Hilda J. Twongyeirwe

In an Ivory Coast village where Christians and Muslims are squaring off for war, against a backdrop of bloody conflict and vibrant African life, Jack Diaz--an American relief worker--and Mamadou, his village guardian, learn that hate knows no color and that true heroism waits where we least expect it.

During lulls in the violence, Jack learns the cycles of Africa--of hunting in the rain forest, cultivating the yam, and navigating the nuances of the language; of witchcraft, storytelling, and chivalry. Despite the omnipresence of AIDS, he courts a stunning Peul girl, meets his neighbor's wife in the darkened forest, and desperately pursues the village flirt. Still, Jack spends many nights alone in his hut, longing for love in a place where his skin color excludes him.

Brimming with dangerous passions and the pressures of life in a time of war, Whiteman is a stunning debut and a tale of desire, isolation, humor, action, and fear.

The World is Ours is an exciting romance adventure with multiple settings within Africa and the United States.

Kevin and Shenzi are connected by the unfortunate circumstances of their existence.

Forced to grow up too fast, they find themselves flung deeper into the intricacies of life when they are driven to the streets of Kampala, fighting for survival, begging for food, and ultimately becoming street smart.

By a stroke of luck, a white American family adopts Shenzi separating the bonded friends by distance and eventually time.

Still holding on to promises they made as children, Kevin sets his heart on reuniting with his best friend through betrayal and loss to an unexpected fortune, and the mentorship of a mysterious magnate, Ssaka.

From bustling Nairobi to the Streets of Kampala; from the deathly gold mines of Congo to New York City lights; from Dubai's pristine environ to the dazzling catwalk stage of Milan, The World is Ours is an epic journey of love, survival, pain, betrayal, violence and the unbreakable bond of those meant to chart a way through life together despite the circumstances.

A masterwork by the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Literature, in which two immigrants' conflicting stories about their common homeland reveal the buried truths that drove them from it

On a late November afternoon, Saleh Omar arrives at Gatwick Airport from his native Zanzibar. With him he has a small bag in which lies his most precious possession--a mahogany box containing incense. He used to own a furniture shop, have a house and be a husband and father. Now he is an asylum seeker from paradise, silence his only protection. Meanwhile, Latif Mahmud, a distinguished young professor, lives quietly alone in his London flat. When the two encounter each other in an English seaside town, the narratives each carries of their mutual past begin to unravel--revealing an infinitely more fascinating story of love and betrayal, seduction and possession, and of a people desperately trying to find stability amidst the maelstrom of their times.

Political upheaval in Munuka degenerates into a gruesome insurgency between the People's Revolutionary Army (PRA) and the government forces.

The loss of lives and countless attempts on the lives of survivors define the daring novel, The Seeming End of Hope.

Some things in life are hard to imagine. None of the survivors of this conflict ever imagined that victory would come their way. The story intertwines life and death in a balance where the emphasis is more on the side of death, hence the title of the book.

(About the Author)

Charles Kisembo was born in 1959 at Kahunge, Tooro Kingdom, presently the Kamwenge District in western Uganda. He attended primary at Bishop Balya School Kyabenda. In 1974, he joined Nyakasura School. He obtained bachelor's and master's degrees in history at Makerere University. In 2007, he earned a master's degree in defence studies at Kings College London (KCL). He has 38 years of military experience and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Warnborough College, Ireland.

Horizon Unveiled is a fictionalised autobiography of Fellowes Mwaisela. As a child, standing outside their home in Ilinga Village, Tukuyu District in Mbeya Region, Fellowes was always fascinated by the Nyika Mountains in the distance. What fascinated him the most was the horizon. To him, the horizon line seemingly separated the mountains from the blue sky. In his imagination, his grandmother's village, Ilalabwe, laid at the foot of the Nyika Mountains. As far as he was concerned, beyond the horizon was a bottomless abyss and so there was no life, no nothing. However, his first trip outside Tukuyu District took him beyond the horizon. The trip was to take him hundreds of miles to Precious Stone Town. This revealed to him new realities about life. Later, as a young adult and an adult, he crossed more horizons going even beyond the borders of his country. As the 'horizon became unveiled', he realised that there was more to life than just what one sees within the limits of his or her horizon. The possibilities are endless. It is a journey from innocence to awareness.

From the award winning author of Waiting...

Promises are like tilapia from Lake Victoria--glittering, evasive... slippery.

From warm Kampala to gloomy London, Goretti Kyomuhendo's novel charts the joys and tribulations of Ajuna and her fiancé, Kagaba. Young, highly skilled, and ambitious, both are caught up in financial hardship in their native Uganda. When Kagaba leaves for the UK as an economic immigrant, Ajuna's happy, fulfilling relationship is under threat. And in the indifferent UK, Kagaba must battle the cold, and the cold shoulder of London.

Promises exposes the shadow world of illegal immigrants, and the creativity with which people in the legal margins rise to meet an inhumane system. But for both Kagaba and Ajuna, a glimmer of hope comes from unexpected quarters.

Populated with an expansive array of vibrant characters, Goretti Kyomuhendo's novel examines the promises we keep and those we break when relationships are profoundly tested by circumstance and twists of fate. It is a vivid tapestry of Ugandan family life, and catches the universal emotions of love, death, and betrayal.

Georgina and her two sisters are boarding a police truck in front of their family home. Their life in Uganda has been wrapped up in mere hours, since their Baba's words this morning.

We are leaving. We are leaving tonight...

Fleeing the threat of Idi Amin's army, the girls and their Baba are making the treacherous journey of a lifetime. But little does Georgina know that the danger that she leaves behind is only a precursor to the twists and turns of the life journey to come...

This sweeping story, both heart-wrenching and joyful in turn, traverses events of historical magnitude, such as the HIV epidemic in Africa and the Kenyan boycott of the Olympic Games, explored through eyes and experiences of Georgina. Despite numerous and significant challenges, Georgina's faith, resilience, and humanity continue to draw her forwards to a purposeful life. The course of her life events ultimately leads to another story: a lifelong friendship and charitable partnership that will go on to change the lives of Georgina's community forever.

A father's worst nightmare. A dangerous game of power. A race against time.

When diplomat Maur receives a chilling message-his daughter has been taken-he is forced into a deadly negotiation with a ruthless adversary. Kwame is no ordinary criminal; he is a man with his own code, his own past, and a plan that will leave no loose ends.

As Maur is pushed beyond his moral boundaries, he must decide how far he is willing to go to save his child. With corruption, betrayal, and blood money at every turn, he soon realizes that in this world, not all villains wear masks-and not all heroes play fair.

Will he outsmart his enemy, or will the cost of survival be too great to bear?

A gripping, high-stakes thriller perfect for fans of Frederick Forsyth and John Grisham.

Get your copy today!

In the Name of Our Fathers

Exciting and fast-paced, this debut novel by a young Somali writer is set against the fall of a ruling dictatorship in Africa in 1991, and the ensuing panic in the capital city. The first-person narrative tells of a traumatic passage to adulthood in circumstances which many experienced but which none would have chosen.

Ali is seventeen and interested in having a good time. But his immediate, self-centered concerns are suddenly and dramatically interrupted, and his life is forever changed as he struggles to come to terms with the chaos around him. This often-dark story is streaked with tenderness and optimism.