Books With Abena

On this episode, I speak with Accord Literary about publishing in Africa, writing for young readers, and the 2023 Authors and Illustrators Creative Retreat in Accra, Ghana. In this interview, Sarah Odedina speaks of her experience as a publisher, mentor and nurturer, and the importance of publishing African voices. Accord Literary is a venture designed to develop, mentor and support writers based...

In today’s episode, we will discuss self Publishing in Ghana with my guests Yeayi Kobina author of The Usurper’s Dream, Emma Ofosua author of I Wish You Courage and Grace Dorcas Annan author of Children’s Books and Indie Publisher. We talk about why they chose to self-publish, the cost of self-publishing in Ghana, and the publishing industry in Ghana. 

The topic of today's show is Building a Reading Life - Reading for Pleasure in honour of World Book Day. Guests: @ka_karang, @bene.reads & @bookedwithamba World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place worldwide to recognise the scope of books - a link between the past and the future, a bridge bet...

Hey book people, welcome to Books With Abena! I'll discuss my first quarter reading schedule and some life updates on today's show. Enjoy! Books Mentioned: Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson Quiet by Victoria Adukwei Bulley I am Becoming the Woman I've Wanted by Sandra Martz On the Rooftop by Margret Wilkerson Sexton Even Though I Knew The End by C.L Polk Maame by Jessica...

My guest on this episode is Christian Adofo, author of A Quick Ting on Afrobeats published by Jacaranda Books. During our conversation, we discuss the writing and publishing of the book, the social and cultural development of Afrobeats and how it has provided new expressions of Black History and Pride. Christian Adofo is a writer, journalist and curator, with a passion for writing about the inters...

My guest on this episode is Aiwanose Odafen, the author of Tomorrow I Become A Woman.  Our conversation covers the publishing deal, the writing process, the inspiration for the book and what it means to be a woman. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Aiwanose Odafen is an MFA fiction student at the Iowa Writer's Workshop. She has contributed to published non-fiction works and participated in Chimamanda Ng...

A discussion about Black History Month, colourism and racism in books, the importance of reading Black authors, and book recommendations are featured in this episode. Guest: Alexis Milton is a bookstagrammer, a book tuber, a book blogger and a book toker that highlights black individuals, events and books she classifies as “Unsung Blacks”. Book Recommendations The Mis-Education of the Negro by Car...

Host Abena interviews poet Victoria Adukwei Bulley about her book Quiet. Victoria Adukwei Bulley is a Poet, writer, and artist. An alumna of Barbican Young Poets and recipient of an Eric Gregory Award. She has held residencies in the US, Brazil, and the V&A Museum in London. Her debut collection Girl B was published by the African Poetry Book Fund in 2017. She is a filmmaker and the director o...

Host, Abena speaks with author, Bisi Adjapon about her new book Daughter in Exile in this episode. Bisi Adjapon is the author of The Teller of Secrets, titled initially Of Women and Frogs. Bisi has written for and been featured in many publications including McSweeney’s Quarterly Washington Times, Washington Post, Aljazeera, and New York Times. Her new novel is a gut-wrenching, yet heartwarming, s...

Happy New Year. In this episode, host Abena discusses her Bookish In&Outs along with anticipated books of 2023. Enjoy!

This month's episode features Abena Maryann, Bene and Jeifa discussing 2022 in reading. In addition to discussing their reading goals, they also discussed some of their favorite books.

In this episode, host Abena Maryan and her guests share their experiences at the 6th edition of Pa Gya! A Literary Festival in Accra. Pa Gya! A Literary Festival in Accra  is a three-day literary arts festival featuring activities such as readings, panel discussions, performances, book launches and sales, literary prize awards and many more. Over the years, the festival has grown to include art ta...

In this episode, host Abena Maryan talks with guest Mamle Wolo about her book "The Kaya Girl" published by Little Brown and Company. She also talks about writing, publishing, and Pa Gya - a literary festival in Accra, Ghana. Mamle Wolo is an award-winning Ghanaian-German author who studied at the University of Cambridge and Lancaster University in the UK and is an Honorary Fellow in Writin...

In this episode, I talk to my guest Aekua about reading, why reading is important, life as a mother and a reader and book clubs in Ghana. Aekua Bobson is the co-founder of five book clubs catering to niche readers. The mom's book clubs Beautifully Booked and Eccentric and Sassy are open to all mothers, while The Book Addict and Black Lit are open to all women. She also manages Vine and Verse .

A conversation between host Abena Maryan and guest Ama Asantewa Diaka, known as Poetra Asantewa, about her book "Woman Eat Me Whole" published by Ecco Books an Imprint of Harper Collins also available on Scribd. She talks about her challenges and how she overcame them by keeping a positive attitude in the face of rejection. Poetra Asantewa is the founder of Black Girls Glow, a non-profit o...

For so long, there have been white or western Book Influencers and Reviewers telling us which books are worth our attention. It is satisfying to see that bookstagram is increasingly becoming diverse with African Book Influencers creating content about books on the continent and in the diaspora. African Book Influencers are what I call the new voices in Africa's literary space creating and maki...

In this episode, I discuss Ghana's prominent female author, Ama Ata Aidoo. First Reading: Two Sisters read by Abena Maryan Second Reading: Images of Africa at a Century's End read by Sarpong Osei Asamoah Third Reading: Changes: A Love Story read by Abena Maryan 

In this episode, I share some not-so-fun facts about myself. I also talk about books I read in 2021 and what I will be reading this year (2022). Books mentioned are categorized into Favourite books, New Releases I enjoyed, Favourite Young Adult, Best Non-Fiction and Books Around The World.

Welcome to the show!