The International Book Show

In this enlightening episode, Makonnen Sankofa welcomes Nathaniel Wilkins and Shebah Carfagna to discuss their book on achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The conversation explores the challenges many people face in sticking to a healthy diet and regular exercise, and how small, consistent habits can make a significant difference. The book emphasizes that a healthy lifestyle isn’t just...

In this insightful episode, host Makonnen Sankofa welcomes Nicole Bennett Blake, author of The Good Parent and the Happy Child . Nicole shares practical, research-based guidance for professional women striving to balance a demanding career with effective, joyful parenting. She discusses how to establish healthy routines, set boundaries, support children’s development, and introduce better eating h...

📚 Spotlight on Two Powerful Books by Paul Posey I Am My Own Dad & 75% Man In a world where countless boys grow up without fathers, author Paul Posey steps forward with two transformative works that speak directly to the heart of manhood, healing, and generational change. 🔹 I Am My Own Dad This deeply personal book takes readers on an emotional journey through the eyes of a boy who had no fat...

In this inspiring episode, host Makonnen Sankofa sits down with Francisca Epale, author of How I Conquered Breast Cancer Without Chemotherapy , to discuss her remarkable journey of healing and hope. Drawing from her personal battle with breast cancer and the loss of five family members to the disease, Francisca shares how she chose unorthodox methods, grounded in faith and determination, to overco...

In this compelling episode, Makonnen Sankofa speaks with Mamalucy about the raw and emotional memoir of Ethel Smiter, a survivor of fourteen years of domestic violence. The conversation highlights Ethel’s struggle to rebuild her self-esteem, reclaim her identity, and transform her trauma into strength. Mamalucy shares how Ethel turned intimidation into motivation, rising against the odds with the...

Host Makonnen Sankofa talks with author Reginald Williams about Reginald's book, A Marginalized Voice . The book shines a light on the systems and practices that keep Black boys at a disadvantage and often push them into difficult situations. Williams challenges readers to look beyond the narrow stereotypes that society often imposes on Black boys. His work encourages reflection, challenges ha...

In this gripping episode, host Makonnen Sankofa speaks with author Robert Faai about Robert's powerful and emotionally charged story centred on Ferdi—a young man from Shangkwa, Cameroon, whose community has been devastated by the HIV epidemic. Seeking a better future and hoping to earn enough to marry his beloved Janie, Ferdi travels to Nigeria. But his journey takes a dramatic turn when he meets...

In this exciting episode, Makonnen Sankofa welcomes Romona Myles to discuss Life Along the Nile Magazine , a bi-monthly digital publication dedicated to exploring the rich history and vibrant culture of Ancient Egypt and the Nile Valley. With a soft-launch approach, Romona is slowly building awareness, gathering feedback, and shaping the magazine’s future direction. The magazine focuses on life al...

In this episode, host Makonnen Sankofa talks with author Leislene Hendrickson about Leislene's book The Boda-Boda Driver (A Tanzanian Experience) , a vivid and culturally rich story inspired by her experiences in Arusha, Tanzania. Leislene shares how the everyday scenes of the city—the constant movement of boda-boda drivers, the variety of people they transport, and the unique items they carry...

In this engaging episode, host Makonnen Sankofa speaks with author Desmond Clarke about Desmond's book Stolen Inheritance , a work that explores deep historical connections between the peoples of Africa and Eurasia. Clarke highlights how these groups have traded, interacted, and shaped one another since the earliest records of human history. The book challenges long-held assumptions about race...

In this powerful episode of The International Book Show, host Makonnen Sankofa welcomes historian and author Simon Hudson for an illuminating discussion about Simon's two-volume work, History Through the Black Experience . Hudson shares the vision behind his books, which re-center global history through the lives, struggles, and triumphs of African and African-descended peoples across continen...

In this enlightening episode of The International Book Show, host Makonnen Sankofa engages author James Baihinga. Baihinga opens up about the political pressures, economic struggles, and social realities that influence life across many African societies, bringing attention to the challenges communities face in the wake of corruption, exploitation, resource battles, and post-conflict rebuilding. Th...

🎙️ Women of the Waiting Room with Carolyn Coleman In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Carolyn Coleman—author, nurse, and one of the Fab 7 co-authors of Women of the Waiting Room: Surgery for Your Soul , the transformative new anthology and devotional created by visionary author Jacquiline “Listen Linda” Cox. Carolyn shares her deeply personal perspective on what it means to be “in the wait...

An insightful conversation with author Vincent Krivda as we uncover the stories behind the stories — exploring how oral traditions shaped the origins of Genesis and influenced the messages we know today. We’ll also journey into Pharaoh’s Power , where Krivda blends historical analysis and creative insight to reimagine the Bible’s most powerful figures through the lens of historical fiction . This...

🎙️ Host: Makonnen Sankofa 🎨 Guest: Thea Wray A vibrant conversation about Anancy Tek a Trip — the story of Anancy the Magic Spiderman , who travels from Jamaica on a banana boat in search of his relatives in England. Originally from Ghana, Anansi’s tales were first told in the Akan language of the Ashanti and carried across the Atlantic during the slave trade. In Jamaica, these colourful stories...

Host Makonnen Sankofa sits down with Phil Coffin , author of When Baseball Was Still Topps: Portraits of the Game in 1959, Card by Card and A Baseball Book of Days: Thirty-One Moments That Transformed the Game . In this nostalgic and insightful conversation, Phil Coffin takes listeners back to the heart of America’s pastime — when baseball wasn’t just a sport, but a shared cultural experience. Thr...

Host Makonnen Sankofa interviews Marcine M. Moore about Marcine's compelling book, Gemini Echoes. Gemini Echoes explores the deep emotional connections and hidden tensions between twin sisters whose lives take dramatically different paths. As secrets from their past begin to surface, the story dives into themes of identity, family bonds, trauma, and healing — asking how far we’ll go to protect...

In this powerful episode, author Chiatulah "Chi" Ameke joins host Makonnen Sankofa to discuss two deeply moving works: Black Lives Rising and Black Lives Shining . Black Lives Rising is a gripping collection of 33 flash fiction stories—some standalone, others interwoven—that explore the lived and imagined realities of Black life in a world shaped by racial injustice. Through satire, spec...

On this episode of The International Book Show , Makonnen Sankofa interviews author Kyle Powell about his bold and provocative new novel, More Black People: Diving into the Dark Side of Diversity and Inclusion . Set within the slick walls of top advertising agency Inertia , the story follows Jonathan Archer , a reserved Black graphic designer unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight as the company’s...

Elonzo Phillips to discuss his explosive new book, The Seattle Fugitive: The Story of Jimmy James III . The story follows Jimmy James III, a brilliant high schooler who wakes up at a horrifying crime scene — covered in blood, accused of murdering two classmates, and with the entire school watching. Now branded a killer and hunted by law enforcement at every level, Jimmy must prove his innocence wh...

In this powerful episode of The International Book Show , host Makonnen Sankofa speaks with writer Fanen Chiaheman about her deeply moving debut, Never Make A Sound —a raw, poetic narrative that explores childhood trauma, emotional neglect, and the quiet power of resilience. Told through a blend of short stories and poetry, the book follows a young girl growing up in a turbulent, emotionally barre...

Makonnen Sankofa interviews Tom Coffey, author of the books called Special Victim and Public Morals. Tom Coffey’s book Public Morals tells the story of Terence Devine, a disgraced NYPD officer caught in a corruption scandal, sentenced to life for a murder he claims he didn’t commit. Years later, his daughter, Sheila, a documentary filmmaker, investigates his case, uncovering dangerous secrets that...

Makonnen Sankofa interviews MeShorn T. Floyd Daniels, author of "I Am Not Your Black, America!" MeShorn Daniels challenges how racial identity—especially the label “Black”—has been constructed by dominant culture rather than by the people to whom it’s applied. He argues that these labels are often imposed, restrictive, and do not reflect the full humanity of those they purport to describ...

In this episode, host Makonnen Sankofa talks to author Alle C. Hall about her debut novel As Far as You Can Go Before You Have to Come Back , a gritty and heart‑wrenching coming-of-age journey set across Southeast Asia and Japan in the late 1980s. Hall guides us through the life of Carlie (née Jen), a teenager who flees a traumatic family life, stealing money to escape to places she hopes will let...

In this episode, host Makonnen Sankofa talks to Amanda Denham, author of the haunting and heart-wrenching Young Adult Fantasy called Sin Eater: Memories Vanish When She Appears . Amanda takes us deep into the mind of Jayde Holloway, a girl gifted—or cursed—with the ability to erase memories. Together, we explore the emotional weight of forgetting, the ethics of erasing pain, and the lonely burden...