African Reading Challenge + Birthday Party Pledge
Two things today that I’m really excited to share.
The first is that Kinna has officially announced / launched the African Reading Challenge, which I am incredibly excited to participate in and share with you here. I’ll be hosting a Nigerian Reading Week later in the year as part of the challenge, and will be trying to pull a few suggested reading lists together. My own reading list will come once I get home to my bookshelves – I’ve got to go through and see exactly what I have! I do want to read more Lusophone literature especially but am on a buying ban now so will check the shelves first.
As she says:
Challenge Period
January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012
Region
The entire African continent, including its island-states, which are often overlooked. Please refer to this Wikipedia “list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Africa”. Pre-colonial empires and regions are also included.
Reading Goal
5 books. That’s it. There will be no other levels. Of course, participants are encouraged to read more than 5 books. Eligible books include those which are written by African writers, or take place in Africa, or are concerned with Africans and with historical and contemporary African issues. Note that at least 3 books must be written by African writers.
Genres
- Fiction – novels, short stories, poetry, drama, children’s books. Note: You can choose to read a number of individual and uncollected short stories. In this case, 12 such stories would constitute 1 book. Individual poems do not count but books of poetry do.
- Non-fiction – memoirs, autobiographies, history and current events
Reading Suggestions
- Cover at least two regions, pick from North Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa and Central Africa
- Include translated fiction from Arabic, Francophone and Lusophone literature
- You can mix classic and contemporary fiction
- If you are intend to read mostly non-fiction, then please include at least one book (out of the five) of fiction
I’m not inclined to push any reading philosophy, I would however like to encourage participants to broaden their knowledge of African literature.
I do hope that you will join in!!
I also wanted to share something that has been brought to my attention by Zetta Elliot, Jill of Rhapsody in Books, and Carleen of White Readers Meet Black Authors. The Birthday Party Pledge states:
I promise to give multicultural books as gifts to the children in my life for ONE year.
I promise to encourage them to read about and appreciate diversity in all its forms.
I commit myself to building a new generation of readers!
How cool is that? Now that I have a little niece myself I’m sure you’re not surprised to know that I’ve already sent books (to a 3 month old) including ones I picked up in Africa. I look forward to sharing much more reading diversity with her in the future.
And on that note – if anyone has great recommendations for Inuit or First Nations books from Canada for young readers, do please let me know!
Check out this post on Paper Tigers, which features Canadian Aboriginal Children’s Literature.
http://www.papertigers.org/homepage_archive/index_Apr10.html
Thank you so much for the link Jill! I’m really excited about it!
I’m sure it’ going to be a really fun Challenge, I hope lots of people participate. As you know I’m going to focus on Lusophone Africa, but will try to join your Nigerian Week as well.
I love your chosen focus Alex! Really looking forward to your reviews
I promised myself no challenges this year, but I think sending multicultural books to the kids in my life is like not really a challenge right….
I wouldn’t call it a challenge no, Trisha. Just a pledge
and not reading but gifting. Definitely doable 
The African Reading Challenge sounds perfect for my goal of reading more African Lit. Heh, isn’t that obvious. Anyway, I have a few books on the shelves that would work, so I’m definitely joining in! (Now only have to let Kinna know
)
It does work well doesn’t it Iris?? So glad you’re going to join!
I am looking forward to reading about books that people give to the children in their lives considering that this is my top gift (books) for my N&Ns.
Books are always my top gift too Care
I’m excited I follow what people gift as well.
This is so cool, and I want to join the Birthday Challenge. I have a couple of kids to give gifts to both in my home, and in the close family, so this can be my project for the year! Thanks, Amy!
Awesome zibilee! So excited I hear it – and good luck!
I love the birthday challenge, I’m taking the pledge:-)
Yay I’m glad to hear it bookish butch!
I’m also doing the African Reading Challenge. It;s going to be great !
Glad to hear it maphead! Can’t wait to see what you read
This is a brilliant challenge, and as soon as I find some breathing space, I’ll draft my sign-up post at Novel Niche. I’m reasonably sure I’ll pick a couple of books from Alexandra Fuller’s list of her top ten African memoir reads, which, if you’ve not come across it before, is here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/oct/26/alexandra-fuller-top-10-african-memoirs?CMP=twt_fd
Cheers to Kinna for launching the challenge, and to you for presenting it so well!
So glad to hear it Shivanee! I believe you’ve sent me the list before but thanks for sharing again for me and everyone else! I can’t wait to see what you read and your thoughts on them.
it’s a great pledge and a great challenge announcement. Perhaps I’ll join in and expand the list of my over committed reading challenges this year!
You can never have too many challenges Jo
That is a fabulous idea! Kudos.
Thanks Lydia.
Thanks for promoting the Africa Reading Challenge. I look forward to your list. The Birthday pledge is fantastic; I give books as gifts all the time.
Thanks Kinna, I do as well
I look forward to seeing your choices for African reading challenge Amy ,all the best stu
Thanks Stu! I look forward to pulling it together.
I’m staying out of challenges this year, but I’m excited to see what everyone is going to read for this one. I bet it will give me lots of ideas.
I hope it does Ana
I had not heard of the Birthday Party Pledge! Thank you for sharing.
Glad I could share Lu.
Ooh, I’m tempted by this one. I could probably manage an extra five books on my TBR, and I really do need to expand my geographical literary horizons this year. I also want to catch up on my classics, so perhaps I can do classic African literature…
What’s an extra 5 reads Stephanie. So do-able
Classic African lit would be really exciting!
I had to go and google Lusophone…I had NO IDEA it would mean Portuguese speaking.
I only recently learned that too Jill
The african reading challenge is one i cannot ignore. Good to see you participating.
I’m excited to see what you read with it Geosi!