Celebrate Regional Reads at the AISL Library

Ms. Namwali Serpell reading from her novel The Old Drift in the Tiyende Pamodzi Theatre

Whether you are returning or new, stop by the library (currently situated in the Palm Pavilion during the construction project) to stock up on some fantastic regional reads. In addition to having a wide array of guidebooks and field guides for South Central Africa (with the newest ones arriving in our shipment shortly), we also have an excellent selection of regional fiction & non-fiction reads. Topping the charts in this area is the great Zambian novel The Old Drift (2019) by Zambian author Namwali Serpell. On the penultimate day of school last year, we were honored to have Ms. Serpell join us in Tiyende Pamodzi Theatre for a reading from her acclaimed novel and a presentation about the history of Zambia's space program. Our AISL Poet Laureate for the 2019-20 school year, Laura (class of 2020), introduced our esteemed guest and a group of National Honor Society students served as greeters and ushers for the evening. Barefeet Theatre, a local arts group, performed a spoken word piece based on the mosquito chorus from The Old Drift. The event concluded with a book signing by the author. We have multiple copies in the library for checkout.
 
If you are looking for some titles to get you started with regional reads, here is a shortlist:

1. The Old Drift by Namwalli Serpell
2. The Garden of Burning Sand by Corbin Addison
3. The Eye of the Leopard by Henning Mankell
4. The Africa House by Christina Lamb
5. We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
6. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
7. Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
8. Black Moses by Alan Mabanckou
9. The Book of Memory by Petina Gappah
10. The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu

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