Caine Prize-Winning Zambian Author Namwali Serpell is Coming to AISL This June to Launch her novel, The Old Drift!

In 2015 we were honored to host Caine Prize-winning author Namwali Serpell at AISL. The Caine Prize is awarded annually to the best short story published by a writer from the African continent. The writer then customarily travels to his or her country of origin to receive the prize. This was the first time that a Zambian author had won the prize. 

It is no surprise that Ms. Serpell's first novel, The Old Drift, published this March, has been met with immediate glowing critical acclaim. Opening in Livingstone and following four generations and Zambia's history, the novel explores complex issues of race, development, the role of women, and post-colonial themes. Her writing is richly detailed, powerful, and lush. The New York Times has published two rave reviews of the novel this past week alone- one by Dwight Garner & one by world-renowned author Salman Rushdie.

We are thrilled and honored that Ms. Serpell is willing to spend her very limited time back in Zambia this June with a visit to AISL (she is a professor at University of California at Berkeley). She will actually be coming directly from the airport to AISL for a 17:00 pm book launch in our Palm Pavilion on Wednesday 12 June! On Friday 14 June she will offer a large-scale launch in town at the National Gallery. 

The AISL Library is happy to help you purchase your copy of the book in advance through Penguin Randomhouse Publishers of Zambia. The cost per copy is 150 kwacha (please help us by bringing exact change if you can). Orders will close on Monday 15 April. That gives us time to get the copies here for you & for you to read in advance (566 pages). A limited number of copies will be for sale at the event.

​If you have any questions, please see or write secondary librarian Terry Maguire or a member of our library staff. We hope you can make it! We know the timing is tricky as it's the end of the year, but it was too fabulous an opportunity to pass up!

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