Upcoming Africa in DC Literary Events

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Alan Weider, Aminatta Forna, anti-apartheid activists, Berlin Conference, Busboys and Poets, Joe Slovo, Politics and Prose, Ruth First, South Africa

For those of you who often ask me to give advance notice of events, there are two book events I’m hoping to attend this week.

Later today, Alan Weider, the author of a book on Joe Slovo and Ruth First, white anti-apartheid activists (and communists) speaks at Busboys and Poets (the 14th and V location).

Next week, on the 21st, the same venue of Busboys and Poets hosts a film viewing and discussion on the Berlin Conference (from 6 – 8pm).

Tomorrow, the Sierra Leonean/British author Aminatta Forna speaks at Politics and Prose about her latest book – which is apparently set in Croatia and has nothing to do with Africa.  Forna seems particularly cool, she even responded to a Tweet I sent her recently.

Paul Theroux on Mugabe’s Longevity, Angola’s Xenophobia, African Urbanization, and the Demise of the Bookstore

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Agostinho Neto, Amnesty International, Angola xenophobia, Cape Town Urbanization, Lubango, Malawi, Paul Theroux, Paul Theroux Peace Corps, Politics and Prose, Robert Mugabe, The Last Train to Zona Verde

While I believe I have only read one of Paul Theroux’s books, the travelogue Dark Star Safari, his political activism as a Peace Corps volunteer (which ultimately got him expelled from Malawi) has fascinated me.  Theroux made an appearance at Politics and Prose yesterday, to promote his new book The Last Train to Zona Verde (which appears to focus on South Africa, Namibia, and Angola but draws from a trip that went as far north as Nigeria as I understand it).

Friday Night (Diaspora) Africa in DC: Seeing a Common Humanity at Politics & Prose

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Ghana Must Go, Politics and Prose, Taiye Selasi

Politics and Prose (which rather surprisingly brings in some good African, or Africa-focused writers, Peter Godwin, Dambisa Moyo, etc.) hosted Taiye Selasi, an extremely worldly emerging young (early 30s) writer of Ghanaian and Nigerian descent tonight.

Selasi began by quoting a passage from The Economist, making a few subtle digs at the publication (something that will always go down very well with me).