Real African Writers

There is Hannibal of Tunisia, The Queen of Sheba from Ethiopia, Cleopatra Selene IV, Yaa Asantewaa of Ghana , Nzinga of Matamba, Shaka ka Sezangakhona, Menelik 11, Amina of Zazzua, Mansa Musa of Mali, and the legendary Khufu ( Cheops ) of Egypt. The base of Khufu's 13- city- block pyramid of Giza is almost a perfect square. Every angle is exactly 90 degrees. It is located at the center of the landmass of the earth. The longitude and latitude is 31 degrees North and 31 degrees West. If you take the perimeter of the pyramid, divide it by 2 and multiply it by its height, you get a number equivalent to the mathematical formula PI (the irrational ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, approximately 3.14 or 22/7) to the 15th digit (3.141592653589793). PI is infinite. Scientists have been unable to replicate Petrie's cement, the mortar that has kept the Giza structure in place for 4500 years. Initially at 146.5 meters, it was the world's tallest building for 4300 years until the Eiffel tower in 1889 (324 m). Skeptics have opined that Giza was built by aliens. They are surprised it was built by Africans. It should be no surprise then that the first University in the World, according to the Guinness World Records is African; Al Karaouine in Morrocco ( 859 AD ). It is followed by the second University in the World, Al Azhar in Egypt ( 969 AD ). Then followed by the third, University of Bologna in Italy, (1088 AD), some 229 years after Al Karaouine. It is also no surprise that the greatest repository of knowledge in history, the library of Alexandria was 300 years before the birth of Christ. Throughout the course of history, cultures of the world has borrowed from one another, and imitated or improved upon the borrowed. Civilization has never been a franchise, and so the world simply rotates, revolves and evolves. To borrow from the French, volume one (and there are nine more to come) is just the hors d'oeuvre. Bon appétit!

Sea Never Dry is an adaptation (for 4-7 year-olds) of the extraordinary book Tofi's Fire Dance. Nii, a young boy from the West Coast of Africa stows away on a ship to the land of dreams, The United States of America. He is thrown away to sharks for breakfast because he does not look like the crew of the ship. Protected by a mysterious rainbow fish, he washes up on the shore of the South Coast of the Zulu Kingdom. After a misunderstanding over language and culture, he is accepted into the cattle herding community. He teaches them how to fish because "Sea never dry". They teach him about cows because "Cattle is wealth." When Nii has to go home to find his parents after a long stay, Tofi, the girl who hosted him, fights for his return. She is compelled to go on a pulsating search for the magical rainbow fish, and has to dance in fire. The language and its adapted version is rich. The author chooses his words with the carefulness of a surgeon between whose fingers dangles the scalpel upon a human heart. Each line is pregnant with meaning. Each sentence is clothed in poetic beauty.

Nii, a young boy from the West Coast of Africa stows away on a ship to the land of dreams, The United States of America. He is thrown away to white sharks for breakfast by the crew of a ship called Xeno. Protected by a mysterious rainbow fish, he washes up on the shores of the Zulu Kingdom in South Africa and meets Tofi, a Zulu maiden. After a misunderstanding over language and culture, he is accepted into the cattle-herding nation. He teaches the Zulus how to fish because "Sea Never Dry." They, in turn, teach him about cows because "Cattle is wealth." When Nii has to go home, Tofi fights for his return. She is compelled to go on a scintillating search for the magic rainbow fish, and has to dance in fire.

When a rainbow fish saves the stranger Nii and dumps him on the coast of the Zulu Kingdom, little did he know he would be starting a fishing revolution that will change lives. The Zulus had plenty of cattle and plenty of sea, but nobody went to fish. Nii begins to fish with his host and new partner Tofi, because "Sea Never Dry". Soon the whole community joins in the march towards the sea. One day the rains fail to fall, the grass withers, the cows die. But like true love, the sea never dries. There is plenty to eat. Nii feels homesick and returns to see his mother. Tofi wants him back but first has to find the rainbow fish. It's an impossible quest, but driven by faith alone she fishes the sea for months and eventually succeeds. But before Nii can come back, Tofi has to dance in fire. She is taken through a pulsating African Fire Dance, during which she gains FIREPOWER. She also begins to understand several languages. The fish then has to return to the sea. In a run to nowhere, Tofi returns the fish who rides the crest of the wave as King. Will Nii return? And how?

When Sindi decides that she will break from the stereotype of her background as a girl brought up around cattle, she plunges into a whole new world. The sea is too vast, the oceans too wide, and fishing skills in short supply. Yet she is determined to fish the oceans and challenge horizons. First she has to seek knowledge from those who know, skills from those who practice it, and then try, try, try. But even then, she has to go through a mysterious maze. She has to do the Lion dance, and she has to bear witness to the earth dance. She is not finished yet. In a surreal encounter with the African grey tweeting parrot, and the amicable fat cat, she becomes fortified to continue her quest. She encounters Mendala, Ghandia, and Nongse and becomes transformed. She is more determined not to give up on the dying Lionfish who had become her travel companion and mentor. In a pulsating race to the Scottburgh beach against time, Sindi is ushered into a brave new world. And her life would never be the same.

"All roads to wisdom leads to Timbuktu" according to an old saying. That is Africa's legacy to the world. The 700 year-old manuscripts of Timbuktu that exist covered most areas of science, arts, law and good governance. It was within the reign of the richest man that ever lived, Emperor Mansa Musa of Mali. His university of Sankore had 25000 students in 1324 AD. Not surprising, since the first University in the world was African; Al Karaouine of Morrocco in 859 AD, followed by Al Azhar of Egypt in 969 AD. Much later was the University of Bologna, Europe's first in 1088 AD. The library of Alexandria, 300 year before Christ is legendary. The Queen of Sheba in all her sophistication and splendor was 1000 years before Christ. The Pyramid of Giza was 2500 years BC. Throughout the course of history, and as one human race, the world has borrowed from one another, imitated and improved in a cycle, and hence the development that we see today . Civilization was never, and will never be a franchise. This first volume is just the hors d'oeuvre. Bon appétit!

A poetic journey of ten great African Queens and Kings through the sands of time. This lyrical narrative captures the inimitable Cleopatra Selene IV of Egypt as well as the richest man who ever lived, Emperor Mansa Musa of Mali. "I am the Nile," said Cleopatra. Meanwhile the treasures of wisdom could only be found in Timbuktu, Mali. No less glorious was the phenomenal Ethiopian, Makeda, the famous Queen of Sheba. The whole of Judah marveled at her beauty and sophistication when she paid a royal visit to King Solomon. The ever-lecherous King tricked the Queen into having a child with him, named Menelik 1. Solomon's winning poetry to the Queen? Come into the garden of spice/Perfect love has no price. Little Known Globally is the amazing story of the formidable Nzinga, the Queen of Matamba, in modern day Angola. For 30 years, in the 17th century, she fought for the independence of her kingdom and always led from the front. "Call me King," she decreed in verse. Khufu, the father of the pyramids has his say, while Hannibal of Tunisia terrorized the Roman empire. When asked, "Hannibal, why do you want to destroy the Romans?" His response was, "I do not wish to destroy the Romans/ I am only contesting for glory and empire." There are many more monarchs that are illustrious. This book, an interesting historical narrative in verse, will delight adults and children alike in its intensity and beauty. They have been set to song. Adapted from Volume One of 100 Great African Kings And Queens, by the same author, there are 9 more volumes to come, also to be captured in poetry and song.