African Dance

African Dance with Passion is a vibrant introduction to African Dances from all over the continent. This book breaks down the various dance techniques, educates you about the cultures that created the dances, and explains the meanings behind them. You will learn the detailed choreography of 10 different dances and become familiar with the elements, such as the use of a live drummer, that make African dance authentic and unique. This book helps prepare your mind and body for the dancing and introduces foundational techniques. It provides a template for dances that can be taught in classes ...

A “meticulously researched and comprehensive” (Financial Times) history of the devastating war in the heart of Africa’s Congo At the heart of Africa is the Congo, a country the size of western Europe. It borders nine other nations, and since 1996 it has been racked by a brutal war in which...

In this latest and completely delightful installment of Alexander McCall Smith’s bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the unflappable Mma Ramotswe and her steadfast colleague Mma Makutsi take on a sensitive new case and learn valuable lessons Life is never dull for Botswana’s...

WINNER OF THE 2025 ALDISS AWARD FOR WORLD BUILDING A young magician fighting for liberation is drawn into a battle between the gods in this West African-inspired epic from an incredible new voice in fantasy . . . Rumi and his family are Odu, stricken with poverty and disparaged by the other...

In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry Jones spans Josephine Baker's early years in servitude and poverty in America to her rise to fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt to her activism against discrimination, and her many loves and losses. From 1920s Paris to 1960s Washington to her final, triumphant performance, one of the most extraordinary lives of the 20th century comes to stunning life on the page. With intimate prose and comprehensive research, Sherry Jones brings Josephine Baker into focus for the first time in a joyous celebration of a life lived in technicolor.

Africa’s Child is the story of a mixed-race girl growing up in the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania, East Africa. Raised in an orphanage with no knowledge of her origins or family, she endured abandonment, hardships, severe illnesses, and bullying. Her experiences as a child and teenager included physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, social stigma, and racial discrimination. Yet Nhambu tells her inspiring story with warmth and humor.

War rages on in the second heart-pounding novel in M. H. Ayinde’s relentless epic fantasy series The Invoker Trilogy, a sweeping epic of revenge and rebellion set in a richly drawn world of warring clans and ancestor magic. Tension simmers across the Nine Lands. In the capital, the people of...

Michaela DePrince was known as girl no. 27 at the orphanage where she was abandoned at a young age and tormented as a "devil child" for a skin condition that makes her skin appear spotted. But it was at the orphanage that Michaela would find a picture of a beautiful ballerina en pointe that would help change the course of her life. At the age of four, Michaela was adopted by an American family who encouraged her love of dancing and enrolled her in classes.

From celebrated ballerina and New York Times bestselling author Misty Copeland, a heartfelt memoir about her friendship with trailblazer Raven Wilkinson which captures the importance of mentorship, shared history, and honoring the past to ensure a stronger future. Misty Copeland made history as...

"In the Heart of the Savanna: Tales of Rabbit and Baboon" is a captivating journey through the vibrant landscapes of the African savanna, where unlikely friends, Rabbit and Baboon, embark on adventures that transcend the boundaries of species and echo with universal truths. From the enchanting moonlit dances to the wisdom of an ancient baobab tree, the duo faces challenges that test the resilience of their friendship, ultimately emerging as symbols of unity and cooperation. As the savanna weathers a crippling drought, Rabbit and Baboon's unshakeable bond becomes a beacon of hope, leaving a ...

Nia Carter, a dedicated middle‑school teacher with a quiet strength and a heart full of hope, never expected her life to collide with Landon Hale — a guarded billionaire whose world is built on power, precision, and control. What begins as an unexpected spark quickly deepens into something neither of them can ignore. But when a single photo of them together leaks online, Nia’s life spirals into chaos. Overnight, she becomes the center of a media storm. Parents complain. The school board panics. And Nia — who has done nothing wrong — is placed on leave. As the pressure mounts, ...

Nii, a young boy from the West Coast of Africa stows away on a ship to the land of dreams, America. He is thrown overboard to sharks. Protected by a mysterious rainbow fish he washes up on the shores 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 to fish because "sea never dry". They,in turn, teach him about cows because "cattle is wealth". When Nii finally goes home, Tofi, the little girl who fought for his acceptance into the community, again fights for his return to Zululand. She ...

JC Burke catapulted straight from film school to Hollywood darling, churning out “Black trauma” films that have made her a household name but at what price? When she abandons the set of her latest production to flee to her hometown Parable, Texas, JC is forced to reconsider the career that made her a superstar, as well as reexamine her deteriorating relationship with her producing partner, Hudson Pyke.

A ballerina at the height of her powers becomes consumed with finding her missing brother in this “striking debut” (Oprah Daily). “A compelling novel about the spiritual and bodily costs of the dogged pursuit of art.”—Raven Leilani, author of Luster LONGLISTED FOR THE CAROL SHIELDS...

The past is a tricky place. For some, it's a place to be held on to desperately, for others, a place never to be revisited. For Micah Oramah, the pain of a profound loss has caused his faith to be shaken. Blinded by grief, he questions if serving God is actually worth it. Former gay makeup artist, Zainab Baruwa-Phillips is head over heels in love with God. The only cloud is her past which she is desperate to erase. However, she'll learn that her past is a strength God is looking to use for his glory. Almost everything in Shola's life seems to be falling apart. With a rain of emotions ...

For many communities in the developing world, rivers and gorges can be dangerous obstacles to clinics, schools, and markets. In a forgotten corner of Eastern Zambia, south of the Great East Road and 5 kilometers from the Mozambique border, two middle-aged Americans, armed with little more than bags of cement, “free children” and volunteers from eight surrounding villages, set out to build something amazing—a 350-foot-long bridge that dances. Drawn from the author’s journal written under a shady tree next to her tent in the witchcraft free zone and under the watchful eye and ...

Almost everything in Shola's life seems to be falling apart. With a rain of emotions breaking him, Shola faces the temptation of returning to his past life of women and alcohol, yet no matter how sweet it was, he must also remember it's a past that almost cost him his life. But will Tobi's long kept secret be the final blow that pushes him over?Tobi is fed up with the deception that is her marriage after hiding her true sexuality for years. She has only wanted one thing in life: freedom. And she's so close to getting it. The itch to leave her husband for a woman appeals to her day by day. ...

This long-awaited story collection from Wesley Brown summons up the smoky clubs and gritty streets of a long-gone New York City, one that moved in the frenetic rhythms of jazz. A more innocent city fueled by cool, not money. We meet Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Coleman Hawkins, Cab Calloway, and many giants of the era in these sharply observed, carefully intertwined stories. In Brown's deft hands, these legends become real - like we've never seen them before.

A 2023 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Nonfiction An Electric Literature “Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Book of 2022” Selection A love letter to the legendary Black and Latinx LGBTQ underground subculture, uncovering its abundant legacy and influence in popular culture. What is Ballroom? Not a...

A “lyrical debut” (USA Today) about a Black woman who is finally given a chance to pursue her dream of becoming a renowned choreographer, only to find that it comes at a tremendous personal cost “Lauren Morrow’s smart, incisive and hilarious debut is an ode to the creative process and to...