Christopher Farai Charamba: The Reader

At the start of 2016, I committed myself to reading one book a week. Unfortunately by the end of the first week, I had already failed that challenge. So, I changed it to 25 books, roughly one every two weeks.Dear reader, you would not be surprised to know that at this too I did not manage. For the greater part of the year, I traded traditional novels, biographies and non-fiction material for online blogs and articles on a plethora of topics.

I acquainted myself with African travel bloggers as I intend to one day visit all 54 countries on the continent. I also read up on what’s happening in industries of other African countries, technology, education, agriculture and sport being the more interesting. Traditional books were also traded in for podcasts on a range of topics, from history and politics to sport and food.

Had I more hours in the day, I would have certainly met the 50-books target I had initially set myself.

Although I didn’t read all the books, I would have loved to, I did read some. Among them were some classics that I had been yearning to get my hands on, some new books from my favoured contemporary authors and books by authors I had never heard of. My penchant to African literature meant that of the 10 or so books I read in 2016, most were by African authors.

A few of my favourites include “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi. It tells the tale of two lineages of half-sisters, one sold into slavery and residing in the United States of America, the other Ghanian-based, tracking their trajectories through slavery and colonialism to modern times.

I also read for the first time Cry, the Beloved Country by South African writer Alan Paton. It was first published in 1948 and tells the tale of an African priest who travels to Johannesburg to tend for his ill sister and look for his son. His son is accused of murder and stands trial for his crime.

Paton takes on issues of social justice, race relations and poverty, particularly at a time when apartheid was initially being enforced in South Africa. What was striking is that a number of the themes and concerns of that time still remain today, despite the end of the apartheid regime in South Africa some 23 years ago.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is another book I also enjoyed. It took me back to my younger years when I was quite enthralled by fantasy and gobbled up all of Harry’s adventures as soon as they were out.

This offering was quite different from what Potter fans were used to. It was written as a play, and co-authored by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. The story line focused more on the next generation of Potter, Weasley and Malfoys and had an interesting twist.

Although it was not the best of the Harry Potter series, the book did play on nostalgia and was a fun trip down memory lane. As one gets older and the type of books one reads change, it is often pleasurable to sink back into some favourites of yester-year.

This year, I intend to do a lot more reading than I did last year. I will not commit to any number of books but will attempt to always have something to read with me at all times.

My first read of the year is a book titled The Looting Machine: Warlords, Tycoons, Smugglers and the Systemic Theft of African Wealth by Tom Burgis.

The book feels like an apt read for the times the continent finds itself in. I also intend to read more diverse literature from around the world and will be looking for books by Asian and Latin American authors.

What is certain is that in this digital age, the traditional reader seems to be losing his/her place. In 2017, one intends to debunk this position and make an avid reader out of oneself and those who wish to share the journey.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Take our Survey

We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey