@ Busboys and Poets 14th & V: Abubakar Adam Ibrahim - Season of Crimson Blossoms and Sarah Ladipo Manyika - Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun

A Nigerian writer and journalist, Ibrahim was named in the Hay Festival Africa39 list of the most promising writers under the age of forty, a promise already borne out by the accomplished stories of The Whispering Trees, long-listed for the Etisalat Prize for Literature. His debut novel tells the story of a love affair that flouts several social taboos. Binta, a devout and lonely widow who lost her only son and never found fulfillment in her marriage, falls in love with Hassan, the young leader of a street gang. Ibrahim is as insightful about the emotions of his characters as he is about the realities of a conservative Muslim community in Northern Nigeria

Manyika grew up in Nigeria and has lived in Kenya, France, and England. Host of OZY’s video series, Write, and the author of In Dependence, she currently teaches literature at San Francisco State University, and San Francisco is the setting for her bittersweet second novel. The story centers on the buoyant Morayo Da Silva, a retired professor of English. Originally from Nigeria, Morayo at seventy-four delights in the views from her apartment, her drives through town, and everyone she meets. Then she falls. Though she has to face the realities of aging, her spirit is undimmed.

Ibrahim and Manyika will be in conversation with Tope Folarin, a writer based in Washington DC. His debut novel, The Proximity of Distance, is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster. 

This event is supported by the Young African Professionals (YAP) DC Network. YAP DC is a network of more than 10,000 young African professionals in the D.C. Metro area, which provides a forum for professionals interested in Africa to engage with contemporary leaders in business, technology, philanthropy and social entrepreneurship; to network and discover opportunities among Africans; support Arts and culture from the African Diaspora; and promote entrepreneurial activities among our members. More information about YAP DC can be found on their website at yapdc.org.