Our regular Book Digest segment spotlights new books by Foday Mannah, Tochi Onyebuchi, Olayinka Adekola, and King Kufulula.
The Search for Othella Savage by Foday Mannah
Publisher: Quercus Books
Date: May 22, 2025
Genre: Fiction, mystery
Language: English
Where to find it: Quercus Books
Foday Mannah
Born in London, Foday Mannah spent his formative years in Sierra Leone before returning to the United Kingdom. He currently lives in Scotland where he works as a teacher of English. His short story, Amie Samba, was shortlisted for the 2019 Bristol Short Story Prize, he has also had stories longlisted, shortlisted or highly commended for the Bridport, Sean O’Faolain, Mo Siewcharran, Brick Lane, Commonwealth, Morley, Bloody Scotland and Queen Mary Wasafiri writing competitions. His novel The Search for Othella Savage won the Mo Siewcharran Prize 2022.
The Search for Othella Savage
When one of their own is found unconscious in the boot of her car, Scotland’s Sierra Leonean community is cast into a state of shock. And the young woman’s death a few days later sparks a murder investigation.
Though Hawa Barrie lives on the fringes of that community, which revolves around the Lion Mountain Church, the disappearance of a second woman – her childhood friend Othella Savage – draws her in.
But as the police investigation drags on, Hawa grows increasingly suspicious of the charismatic Pastor Ronald Ranka – and increasingly fearful for her friend, Othella. Desperate, she launches her own search, which will take her from Scotland to Sierra Leone and back again, revealing the true nature of Ranka’s church whilst exposing dark secrets within the fabric of both countries she calls home.
A darkly compelling read inspired by a real incident, The Search for Othella Savage is an engaging and compulsive debut which examines the insidious nature of corruption – both religious and political – whilst also exploring the enduring power of friendship.
Conversations with African Women Publishers
Publisher: Modjaji Books, Huza Press, Paivapo Publishers
Date: February 13, 2025
Genre: Nonfiction
Language: English
Where to find it: African Books Collective
Editors
Olayinka Adekola, Jacob Anderson, Joel Cabrita, Katlo Gasewagae, Bena Habtamu, Brittany Linus, Barry Migott, Michelle Julia Ng, Anita Too, Kyle Wang.
Conversations with African Women Publishers
IMPRINT AFRICA is a collection of interviews that chronicles the work of a new network of female intellectuals and activists who have transformed African publishing across the twenty-first century. The rise of woman-led literary initiatives across the last two decades – from Blackbird Books in South Africa to Ake Arts and Book Festival in Nigeria – has led to major literary-publishing shifts. Bringing together voices from the African diaspora and the African continent; these conversations speak in vital ways to the successes and challenges of this ongoing and transformative literary moment.
The book includes a foreword by Margaret Busby, and an introduction by Joel Cabrita, of Stanford University. And an afterword by Kadija George Sesay (Sable Literary Magazine) There are interviews with 9 women publishers/literary activists: Ellah Wakatama (Caine Prize), Bibi Bakare-Yusuf (Cassava Republic Press), Zukiswa Wanner (Paivapo), Ainehi Edoro (Brittle Paper), Louise Umutoni (Huza Press), Lola Shoneyin (Ake Arts and Book Festival), Colleen Higgs (Modjaji Books), Goretti Kyomuhendo (African Writers’ Trust), and Thabiso Mahlape (Blackbird Books).
Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi
Publisher: Tor Books
Date: May 27, 2025
Genre: Fiction
Language: English
Where to find it: Bookshop.org, Macmillan
Tochi Onyebuchi
Tochi Onyebuchi is the author of Goliath, a Locus Award and Dragon Award finalist, the young adult novel Beasts Made of Night, which won the Ilube Nommo Award for Best Speculative Fiction Novel by an African, its sequel, Crown of Thunder, and War Girls. His novella Riot Baby, a finalist for the Hugo, the Nebula, the Locus, the Ignyte, and the NAACP Image Awards, won the New England Book Award for Fiction and an ALA Alex Award. He holds a B.A. from Yale, a M.F.A. in screenwriting from the Tisch School of the Arts, a Master’s degree in droit économique from Sciences Po, and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.
Harmattan Season
Fortune always left whatever room I walked into, which is why I don’t leave my place much these days…
Veteran and private eye Boubacar doesn’t need much—least of all trouble—but trouble always seems to find him. Work has dried up, and he’d rather be left alone to deal with his bills as the Harmattan rolls in to coat the city in dust, but Bouba is a down on his luck deux fois, suspended between two cultures and two worlds.
When a bleeding woman stumbles onto his doorway, only to vanish just as quickly, Bouba reluctantly finds himself enmeshed in the secrets of a city boiling on the brink of violence. The French occupiers are keen to keep the peace at any cost, and the indigenous dugulen have long been shattered into restless factions vying for a chance to reclaim their lost heritage and abilities. As each hardwon clue reveals horrifying new truths, Bouba may have to carve out parts of himself he’s long kept hidden, and decide what he’s willing to offer next.
From the visionary author of Riot Baby and Goliath, Harmattan Season is a gripping fantasy noir in the tradition of Chandler, Hammond, and Christie that will have you by the throat—both dryly funny and unforgettably evocative.
Zaiire The Prince of Kongo and The Necklace of Destiny by Hrm King Kufulula
Publisher: Independent
Date: April 3, 2025
Genre: Fiction, Comic
Language: French
Where to find it: Isolele, Amazon
Hrm King Kufulula
HRM King Kufulula, known as “The Lion of Congo,” is an African royal, world leader, author, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is deeply connected to his people and homeland, Kinshasa, and is dedicated to uplifting Africa through his work. He also serves as President of the Crown Council of Bapindi Congo since 2009 and is a strong advocate for human rights and economic development.
Zaiire The Prince of Kongo and The Necklace of Destiny
In the heart of Africa, where tradition and legacy intertwine with modernity, a royal prince will soon discover his true destiny.
“The Prince of kongo: Necklace of Destiny” tells the epic story of Zaiire, a young boy from the bustling city of Kinshasa, raised in a life of unimaginable wealth and privilege. His family, one of the richest in Africa, has built an empire of prosperity, yet Zaiire’s heart belongs to something far greater.
Unknown to him, an ancient legacy flows through his veins, a legacy tied to the very soul of his people and rooted deep within the rich culture and history of Kongo.
On the surface, Zaiire is a boy accustomed to luxury, prestige, and respect. But when he visits his estranged mother in the poorest slums of Kinshasa, his world is turned upside down. During their reunion, his mother entrusts him with a powerful and ancient relic-the Necklace of Destiny, a mystical artifact passed down through generations of Congolese royalty. This necklace holds the power of time travel to awaken his inner strength and connect him to the primal forces of the earth, the spirits of his ancestors, and the true role he is destined to play as a protector of the Congo.
Zaiire’s journey begins in Kinshasa, but it will take him far beyond the modern streets of the city, into the wild heart of Africa, where he will encounter the sacred and the unknown. Alongside a new band of young super heroes, Zaiire will learn the ways of the ancestors, battle ancient enemies, and rise as a warrior-king destined to protect his land and its people. But with great power comes great responsibility, and Zaiire will have to balance his privileged life with the demands of a hero’s calling.
Infused with vibrant African Royalty culture, “The Prince of kongo: Necklace of Destiny” is an uplifting, action-packed adventure that echoes the spirit of The Lion King and Black Panther, while offering young readers a celebration of heritage, african black history, courage, and self-discovery.
Readers will embark on a journey to the majestic Palace of the Lost City of King Zola, where Zaiire’s father, Shango, met his mother, Kimoya, beneath the revered Madagascar Baobab tree. The vibrant city of Kinshasa features the African Renaissance Monument, Cape Town Stadium, the Ghana Black Star Gate, and the transformed Kingfisher Towers, now an African Gold map tower. Alongside the Kinshasa Interchange and Hillbrow Tower in Johannesburg, the Congo River flows and the Kenyatta International Convention Centre stands tall, blending the essence of Africa in one city. Ganga Zumba, a heroic figure in history, is celebrated for escaping slavery and founding his own kingdom in Brazil. Jameela, with Elegance, Embodies the Iconic sign of the West Coast. Hailing from the sun-soaked shores of California, she captures the vibrant Spirit of Queen Califia. Patrice Lumumba, often called the African Panther, joins the ranks of great warriors like Kimpa Vita, Manikongo, Memnon, Zumbi Quilombo, Dandara, Aqualtune, Zacimba Gaba, Ota Benga, the Leopard Society, The Lyrans, Mobutu, Nicolau l Misaki, Haile Selassie, Mansa musa, Shaka Zulu, Menelik, Ismenie, Makeda, Marcus Garvey, Kandake, piye, Amanirenas, king kufulula, Bapende, Bapedi, Laamsa, mami Wata, Thomas Sankara, Nandi Bhebhe, Moremi Ajasoro, The Mangbetu, Anacaona, Caonabo, and Jomo Kenyatta, Nzinga Ndongo and The African Cosmology.
Welcome to the extraordinary realm of real African superheroes, mythology, and sci-fi comics, where stories inspire and empower.
Join Zaiire on his path to becoming a hero, and witness the rise of a legend who will change the fate of the Kongo forever.
The destiny of a nation rests around his neck. Will Zaiire embrace it?
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