New Daughters of Africa, the seminal anthology edited by Margaret Busby, launched in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 4, 2019.
New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby, features the writing of over 200 women writers in Africa and its diaspora. It is a sequel to Daughters of Africa, also edited by Busby and published in 1992. The 2019 edition published by Myriad is not only unique in featuring so many women but all writers forfeited their royalties which will contribute to an award worth £20,000 for black, female students ordinarily resident in Africa to study at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
The book has previously launched in the United Kingdom in April and at the Uganda International Writers Conference in May. This month, a particularly apt one as August in South Africa is designated as “Women’s Month,” the anthology launched in Johannesburg.
The launch event happened at the Market Theatre in Newtown, Johannesburg on August 4th with some of the South African contributors performing their contributions. They included Lebogang Mashile, Natalia Molebatsi, Nomavenda Mathiane, Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, Vangile Gantsho, and Yewande Omotoso. Contributor Isabella Matambanadzo also came in from Zimbabwe especially for the event.
The launch also had music by DJ Wenawedwa who played some of the sounds from the New Daughters of Africa soundtrack compiled by editor Busby.
Here are more images from the packed event.



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