Videos: Highlights and Readings from the African Literary Evening

Hello friends,

Compliments of the Season to all. Hope you had a lovely Christmas and you're looking forward to a wonderful New Year in 2015.

As promised, we now have a video showing the highlights of the discussions, readings, spoken word performances and other happenings at the African Literary Evening. I think it is a lovely summary of the event.


I also have a video recording of my reading two flash fiction stories. It's the first time I've recorded a reading and it feels very weird to watch myself.

I'm now considering signing up for public speaking classes.....

Hope you enjoy both videos.



Please feel free to comment and share. Thank you.

Upcoming Event: African Literary Evening

Hello friends. Hope you've had a good week and a relaxing weekend. I mentioned in my last post that I was working with a friend to put together a literary event in London this November. Well, we're almost ready! So if you are in this part of the world, and you love books, writing, literature, poetry etc, and you would like to meet some really amazing, talented writers, then come along! I'll be there too ;)

Here are the full details of the evening:

Accomplish Press in conjunction with Femy and Remy Ltd and Nigerian Writers, presents an evening of reading, conversation and inspiration with the best of new generation African Writers. 

The event will be a mixture of literature, poetry and spoken word performances, as well as a panel to discuss issues relevant to writers in the UK.

Featuring: A panel of African Writers, Publishers, Journalists, Poets and Book Bloggers.

Abidemi Sanusi

Nuzo Onoh

Ola Nubi

Sade Adeniran

Kémi Ogunniyi

Irenosen Okojie

Kiru Taye

Abimbola Dare

Adura Ojo

Tolulope Popoola

Tundun Adeyemo

Amanda Epe

and many more.

Topics:

•Is it possible to make a living as a writer?

•The future of publishing in the UK: is it traditional publishing, self-publishing and collaborative publishing or hybrid publishing?

•Beyond print; moving with the digital revolution: ebooks, podcasts, audio books and short films

•Who is our audience? Our community or beyond?

•Genres: moving beyond expectations placed on African writing

Hosted by: David G. Balogun

With readings and spoken word performances from: 

Ola Nubi - she will be reading from her soon-to-be published novel

Adura Ojo - she will be reading from her newly published collection of poems, “Life is a Woman Breaking Eggs”.

Amanda Epe - she will be reading a chapter from her new book

Tolulope Popoola - she will be reading from her book as well as a couple of flash fiction stories.

There will be a variety of books for sale, and an opportunity to network and chat with the panel and other guests informally over snacks and drinks in the bar afterwards.

Date: Saturday, 8th November 2014

Time: 5pm to 8pm

Venue: The Proud Archivist, 2 - 10 Hertford Road, London N1 5ET http://www.theproudarchivist.co.uk/

Tickets: Early Bird £5, General £8

Please register and order tickets via Eventbrite:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/african-literary-evening-tickets-12822098241

I look forward to seeing you there!

Book Launch: Update and Photos

So it was the 1st of December 2012, and the date for the launch party for "Nothing Comes Close". I was excited cos I'd planned most of the details myself and I was looking forward to it, hoping everything would go well. I prayed for good weather (very important in London), and I was hoping there wouldn't be major issues with transport or parking for my guests. I was also nervous because I had to read an excerpt of the book and I've never done a public reading before!

The venue was the Vortex Jazz Club, a nice cosy space with great, helpful staff. They kindly set up the space, the projector so that we could show the book trailer and manned the bar so we could have drinks :)

After waiting a bit for the venue to fill up, we started the event by showing the book trailer:

And then it was time for me to do a reading:

Afterwards, I was interviewed by the lovely Abidemi Sanusi (so excited she came to my book launch!)

Next there was a Q&A session with the audience. Lots of people asked thoughtful questions about my choice of genre, if I intend to write a sequel, if I would like my stories translated onto the big screen, etc. There were also questions about the publishing side of things, and if I intend to take on other writers as time goes on. Then my dad (yes, he came from Nigeria to attend my book launch!) totally hijacked the rest of the session and chatted for ages about how I got my writing skills from him because he studied English at university, how he's been friends with me since day one, why I should work faster on my next book, etc etc.

Moving on, there was a book presentation, and then it was time for book signing and refreshments!

Mini-book cupcakes anyone?

The cupcakes were so cute! Very tasty too, all courtesy of Deluxury Cupcakes

Then we had the the raffle giveaway! Some of the gifts and prizes included two special goody bags, jewelled scented soaps, umbrellas, handmade chocolates, wine and Amazon gift cards. Congratulations to the guests who won something!

Signing copies :)

 Posing with my very good friend, Sefa.

 A very special someone wanted his own copy signed too :)

(Blogger is taking ages to upload the photos, there are more on my Facebook  page)

I just want to say a very big thank you to everyone who pitched in to help with the event, to the guests and friends who came, the venue staff, everyone who sent me congratulatory messages, and to you all who have been a big part of my writing journey since way back in 2008! I really appreciate your kindness and your support.

Two other lovely bloggers have posted their summaries of my book launch. Drop by to read their views and say hello:

Bookshy: An African Book Lover - Book Launch
Fairy God Sister - Nothing Comes Close

That's how it went! Thank God for everything :)

Book Launch for "Nothing Comes Close"

Hey friends, for those of you who live in London, you're invited to my book launch!

I would love to meet you :)

Book Launch Party

for

Nothing Comes Close, a novel by Tolulope Popoola

Date: 1st December 2012

Venue: Vortex Jazz Club, 11 Gillett Square, London N16 8AZ

Time: 2pm – 6pm (prompt)

Meet the author, win a goody bag, have drinks and nibbles, enter our giveaway competition, have your book copies signed, have fun!

For more information about the book, please visit http://www.accomplishpress.com/books

For information about the venue, please visit http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/

If you live in the UK and would like an invitation card in the post, please RSVP with your address to sarah@accomplishpress.com

PS: If you can’t make it to the event, you can still purchase the ebook or paperback online from many retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones, WHSmith, Foyles, Book Depository and many more!

Find the event on 

On Life: Books on My Desk

My books arrived from Amazon! So I've now got six books on my desk to devour. I've already started reading "In Dependence" by Sarah Ladipo Manyika. I might do a review of it when I'm done.

Apart from reading, I've been getting back into the swing of writing again. I've had to abandon my book manuscript for now. I hope to start working on another one very soon. Will keep you all posted.

And finally: I want to apologise to you guys for the closure of our "In My Dreams It Was Simpler" series blog. One of our writers was indisposed, and we were also making some changes to the story. Thanks for being patient with us! The blog has reopened now, and the series would be updated tomorrow so do check it out!

Have a lovely weekend ahead!

FG

Book Reading Event

Last week I attended a book reading in London and it was a book written by Halima Bashir and Damien Lewis titled Tears of the Desert. The organisers had claimed that it was one of the very rare memoirs of a woman born and raised in the conflict-torn area of Darfur in Sudan, so my curiosity was piqued. The reading was quite an eye-opener. Prior to this, I'm ashamed to say, I knew very little about the conflict in Darfur. I just read little bits of information in the newspaper and on the TV without really registering what's going on. The book goes into detail about this young woman's life, how she grew up in a small, peaceful and happy village until the conflict started and tore her community apart. After the reading there was an interview with the writers, and there were questions asked for her to explain things on a clearer level. There was also a discussion on how people in the West can help to alleviate the suffering of countless thousands of people, refugees in their own country. At the end of the event, I bought the book and I have just started reading it and it's so powerful, yet full of hope. I would urge anyone who cares about the state of the world we live in to buy the book and educate themselves. And safe to say that I prefer knowledge to ignorance of what's happening in Darfur.

Well I hope the good weather lasts, it makes such a difference. I have some fun plans for the weekend - a high school reunion and a friend's birthday party so I'm looking forward to them. In the meantime, hope you enjoy the rest of your week.