CONTEMPORARY FICTION (NIGERIA)
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin, 2010
R295 from Clarke’s Bookshop
Three women are married congenially to a large, rich, illiterate man from Ibadan. Baba Segi Alao is a simple man. A family man who has seven children with his three wives. Then the arrival of a fourth wife – Bolanle, a young university graduate – unexpectedly threatens the stability Baba Segi and his wives have built. Lola Shoneyin’s novel draws you into the world of each member of the Alao family, and her characters are written with a warmth that leaves room for understanding, even in their darkest moments. Overall, this is a story about family, and the secrets we hide to keep our families intact. Faye Kabali-Kagwa
CONTEMPORARY ART (CONTINENT-WIDE / DIASPORA)
The New African Portraiture by Florian Steininger, 2022
R1205 from Clarke’s Bookshop
The New African Portraiture includes both short, accessible texts about the 24 artists featured, and an insightful interview with Amir Shariat, one of the brothers whose collections of African and diasporan art provided the basis for the exhibition it was produced to accompany. The highlight, however, remains the beautifully rendered and presented imagery of the art itself, as these compelling works reward multiple viewings, provoking questions to ponder as well as providing insight and pure aesthetic pleasure. Unless you’re an expert on the continent’s contemporary art, you’re likely to discover at least one or two new names worth noting – and following – here. Robyn Alexander
