Great African Reads discussion

My novel The Boy who Spat in Sargrenti’s Eye was first published in Ghana where it won a Burt Award for African Literature which included the donation of 3000 copies to libraries by the Ghana Book Trust.

A new edition is now available from CreateSpace and Amazon where there is more information about the book.

In April 2016, at the annual conference of the African Literature Association held in Atlanta, GA, it received the ALA’s annual Creative Book of the Year Award. This prize is awarded for “an outstanding book of African literature, whether novel, non-fiction prose, play or poetry collection, published in the preceding calendar year by an African writer.” The award committee liked “the multiple voices and the multiple audiences addressed (children, young adults and grown-ups)” and spoke of the depth of the author’s research and his “passion to archive a chapter in Ghanaian history that might fall into oblivion.”

Prof. Kwesi Kwaa Prah, Centre for Advanced Studies of African Societies, Cape Town writes,

“This book, for the present, is definitely one of a kind; the first I have seen in this genre on an African historical subject. It takes history out of the recesses of memory and obscurity, and expresses it in vivid and dazzling light, for all to see and understand; providing educational details which substantially augment our perceptions of the past. It is well-researched and written in lucid language for the younger audience, but should be enjoyed by adults who need introductions to this salacious slice of history. It will do very well in the Ghanaian educational system.”

Prof. Stephanie Newell, University of Sussex, England, author of Ghanaian Popular Fiction and Literary Culture in Colonial Ghana, writes,

“The Boy Who Spat in Sargrenti’s Eye is a meticulously researched historical novel, beautifully situated in real events of late nineteenth-century Ghana. Manu Herbstein has done what the best cultural historians of Africa should do: that is, read between the lines of the colonial archives to imagine what it was like to be an African alive at that time, witnessing and interpreting events. He gives a voice to all the local actors, from small boys to big men, and he breathes life into Ghanaian history from the perspective of Ghanaian witnesses. This is at once a historical novel and a reflection on the future of Ghana as projected out of those significant conflicts of the 1870s.”

Dr. Ineke van Kessel, African Studies Centre, Leiden, Netherlands, editor of Merchants, Missionaries and Migrants: 300 years of Dutch-Ghanaian Relations writes,

“Readers of this historical novel will be witness to a dramatic episode in Ghanaian history: the advent of British colonialism, with all the ruthless, cruel and absurd features that accompanied European penetration of the African hinterland in the late 19th century. Vividly written, thoroughly researched and lavishly illustrated, the book gives a lively account of this African-European encounter, as seen through the eyes of an enterprising youth from Elmina/Cape Coast who accompanied the British campaign to Kumasi in 1874. Although a work of fiction aimed at a youthful readership, the book rests on firm historical foundations.”

Dr. Mawuena Kossi Logan, University of the West Indies, author of Narrating Africa: George Henty and The Fiction of Empire writes,

“Kofi Gyan’s story is overdue: as a counter-discourse to the young adult literature of Empire for which Henty was/is famous, Kofi’s perspective is crucial to the process of decolonization and will definitely challenge our views and perceptions.”

Finally, Prof. Thaddeus P. Ulzen, Chair, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, University of Alabama, author of Java Hill: An African Journey writes,

“This book is a highly instructive window into a critical period of Ghanaian history. The nuances of racial attitudes of the colonialists and their reasons for being in the Gold Coast unfold in simple language and paint a picture that is very relevant to conditions in Ghana today. Young Kofi Gyan conveys the experience of his world changing irreversibly and the questions raised along with lessons learnt make this a critical addition to the history curriculum of Ghanaian schools.”

Manu,
I have ordered my copy. Thank you for the detailed posting. I am looking forward to getting home from my travels and having your book, The Boy who Spat in Sargrenti's Eye by Manu Herbstein waiting for me.
Best regards,
Jack

After recovering rights from mainstream publishers, I’ve self-published six works of fiction at KDP and Ingram Spark, two for young adults, but none for children.

I had one text intended for use in a children’s picture book, called Rosie was a Dawdler.

Two factors suggested to me that it was unlikely to be of interest to major publishers.

Firstly, at 1350 words, it is too long for most publishers of picture books; and I can’t see any way to shorten it.

Secondly, the text includes several terms which would be familiar to my target readers in Ghana (which is my home) but not to children abroad. Examples include: chale-wote (flip-flop sandals), Sasabonsam, silk cotton tree, Asafo Company, gong-gong, okyeame and fontomfrom.

So I put the manuscript aside.

Then the African Writers Development Trust called for contributions on the theme Re-imagining African Literature: New Voices, New Narrative in The Fight for The Girl Child.

My story won and, approaching 83, I find my face on the cover of a magazine for the first time.

You can find Rosie was a Dawdler, a ten minute read, on-line until the end of January, by scrolling down to page 32 at http://www.writersspace.net/

I’ve started looking for a publisher.

Manu Herbstein

https://www.amazon.com/Manu-Herbstein...

www.manuherbstein.com

Hi Manu,
So happy to hear this. I am now packing for a big move, but have ordered the books on my Kindle (yes, I have finally entered the modern age). Hope all goes well.

I am glad to hear there are some works including more elements of Ghana, I look forward to reading them and the eventual release!!