Harare Review of Books

First published in 2020.

Finished on 22 Dec 2020.

Genre: Fiction (anthology)

In September 2018, the Goethe Institut announced a new project for writers of young adult fiction on the continent. The project called AfroYoungAdult, coordinated by publisher and novelist Zukiswa Wanner, aimed at shining a light on fiction for young adults, a demographic often ignored in writing circles. To this end, the Goethe-Institut invited aspiring African writers interested in writing for Young Adults to submit short stories in Kiswahili, English or French.

Those who submitted entries and qualified attended workshops in Accra, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Kigali, Johannesburg, Lagos, Lome, and Nairobi moderated by some of the most respected names in African writing today. On March 1, the seventeen writers whose stories would be featured in the anthology were announced.

I loved this anthology! As with any anthology, some stories were stronger than others; but it was a solid read overall. I particularly enjoyed Last Places by Priscillar Matara, about the experiences of the child of a domestic worker.

Rated: 10/10