Ghana Must Go is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Each sentence is finely crafted prose poetry. This is a book that you should dedicate your time to, not read in between meetings or on bus trips. This is a book that commands you to sit down and listen to its… Continue reading Read Women Write 2014/15: Book 19: Taiye Selasi: Ghana Must Go →

In December I won a short story competition. My prize was a Kobo Glo E-Reader which was delivered to me by post. I must admit that when Kindles and e-readers came onto the market that I was quite old school about the whole thing - I love the feel and smell of books, the time… Continue reading Read Women Write 2014/15: Book 18: NoViolet Bulawayo: We need new names →

I've been spending some time thinking about impermanence and destiny. They seem like mutually exclusive characteristics, but if you think about most narratives that include people who are destined to be together, at some point in their lives they are separated. Sometimes we don't know if they will ever be reunited, but often the reader… Continue reading Read Women Write 2014/15: Book 17: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Americanah →

Once I went to an American Embassy organised event and of the over 100 people who were there, they asked me and Sindiwe Magona to stand up as the two writers in the room. At that point I thought 'shit, I better start taking myself seriously if I'm going to be able to stand up… Continue reading Read Women Write 2014/15: Book 16: Sindiwe Magona: To My Children’s Children →

Can you escape to another country and become another person? Can you really let go of the things about yourself you didn't like, and be a little braver, wilder, freer? Past Imperfect, by South African writer Emma van der Vliet tackles these questions with gusto. It follows the story of Clementine who is stuck in a rut,… Continue reading Read Women Write 2014/15: Book 15: Emma Van Der Vliet – Past Imperfect →

It seems as though when you are experiencing something fiercely, the words of music and books come alive. Characters speak to you and of you. Grief is probably the least unique feeling, because it is the best and most frequently described. There is a Russian word I discovered the other day: ostranenie (n.) encouraging people to… Continue reading Read Women Write: Book 14: Mary Watson: The Cutting Room →