Sarah Ladipo Manyika facts for kids

Sarah Ladipo Manyika is a British-Nigerian writer. She writes novels, short stories, and essays. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Sarah is known for supporting young writers and female voices in the world of books.

She has written two popular novels: In Dependence (2009) and Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun (2016). She also wrote a non-fiction book called Between Starshine and Clay: Conversations from the African Diaspora (2022). Her writing has appeared in many magazines like Granta and Transition. She was also the first Books Editor for OZY magazine. Her work is also in the 2019 book New Daughters of Africa, put together by Margaret Busby.

Early Life and Education

Sarah Manyika was born and grew up in Nigeria. She has lived in many countries, including Kenya, France, Zimbabwe, the United States, and Britain. Her father is Nigerian, and her mother is British.

She studied at several universities. These include the University of Birmingham in the UK, the University of Bordeaux in France, and the University of California, Berkeley in the US. She earned a PhD from Berkeley.

Her Writing Career

Sarah Manyika writes different types of books. She writes essays, academic papers, book reviews, and short stories.

Novels and Short Stories

One of her short stories, "Mr Wonder," was in the 2008 book Women Writing Zimbabwe. Her first novel, In Dependence, came out in 2008. It was chosen as a special book for Black History Month in the UK.

In 2009, In Dependence was published by Cassava Republic, a publisher in Abuja, Nigeria. Sarah chose an African publisher to help balance power in the book world. She wanted African stories to be published by African companies. A writer named Toni Kan said her first novel was "impressive."

In Dependence is now a required book for English Literature exams in Zimbabwe. It is also used for university entrance exams in Nigeria. Sarah even narrated the audiobook version of her novel. She was a finalist for an Audie Award for her narration in 2021.

Her second novel, Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun, was released in 2016. Many famous writers praised it. Bernardine Evaristo called it "quiet, sophisticated." Aminatta Forna said it was "gorgeous and finely crafted." The book has been translated into several languages.

In 2016, Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize. This award celebrates novels that are new and different. It was the first African novel to be considered for this prize. The novel was also a finalist for the California Book Award. Sarah said she wrote this book because she wanted to read more stories about older black women. The title of the book comes from a poem by Mary Ruefle.

Sarah also wrote the short story "The Ambassador's Wife." This story is in the 2019 book New Daughters of Africa.

Non-Fiction Works

Sarah Manyika's non-fiction writing includes personal essays and book reviews. For example, her essay "Coming of Age in the Time of the Hoodie" talks about her worries as a parent in America. She has written book reviews for newspapers like The Guardian. She has also written about famous people like Toni Morrison and Michelle Obama.

Between Starshine and Clay

Her 2022 book, Between Starshine and Clay: Conversations from the African Diaspora, is a collection of interviews. In this book, Sarah talks with people who have inspired her. The book celebrates stories of people from the African Diaspora. This means people of African descent living around the world.

The title comes from a poem by Lucille Clifton. The poem talks about surviving tough times and finding things to celebrate. The book includes interviews with important people like Toni Morrison, Wole Soyinka, Michelle Obama, and Bernardine Evaristo. Sarah said she wrote the book to find "answers, perspective, and hope" in difficult times.

Reviewers have praised Between Starshine and Clay. Brittle Paper magazine said the book gives a "powerful sense of history." David Olusoga called it "amazing." The book was chosen as one of the "100 Notable African Books of 2022" by Brittle Paper.

Supporting the Literary Community

Sarah Manyika works with groups that help young writers and female writers. She is the President of the Hedgebrook Board of Directors. She is also on the Advisory Council of 826 Valencia, a writing and tutoring center.

She used to be on the Board of the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD). She also hosted an interview series called "Conversations across the Diaspora" with MoAD. She hosted a video series called "Write" for OZY magazine and was its Books Editor. Sarah has also been a judge for several writing awards. These include the Etisalat Prize for Literature and the Goldsmiths Prize.

Personal Life

Sarah Manyika is married to James Manyika. They got married in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1994.

Awards and Recognition

In December 2022, New African magazine named Sarah Manyika as one of the "100 Most Influential Africans" of the year. Her husband, James Manyika, was also on the list.

In 2023, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a special honor for writers in the UK.

Works

Novels

• In Dependence (Legend Press, 2008; Cassava Republic Press, 2009)
• Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun (Cassava Republic Press, 2016, ISBN: 978-1-911-11504-5)

Non-fiction

• Between Starshine and Clay: Conversations from the African Diaspora, Foreword by Bernardine Evaristo (Footnote Press, 2022)

Short Stories

• "Mr Wonder" in Women Writing Zimbabwe (Weaver Press, 2008)
• "Modupe" in African Love Stories (Ayebia Clarke Publishing Ltd, 2006)
• "Girlfriend" in Fathers & Daughters (Ayebia Clarke Publishing Ltd, 2008)
• "The Ambassador's Wife" in Margaret Busby (editor), New Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Writing by Women of African Descent (Myriad Editions, 2019)

Book Chapters

• "Oyinbo" in Prolematizing Blackness (Routledge, 2003)

Selected Essays

• "Coming of Age in the Time of the Hoodie", Guernica, 23 June 2015.
• "Betting on Africa", Brittle Paper, 28 March 2016.
• "For the Love of Older Characters in Good Books", OZY, 29 October 2017.
• "Game of Tomes: The Struggle for Literary Prizes", OZY, 2 November 2017.
• "On Meeting Toni Morrison", Transition, No. 124, Writing Black Canadas (2017), pp. 138–147. Indiana University Press/Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University.
• "What James Baldwin Means To Me", Brittle Paper, 4 March 2019.
• "On Meeting Mrs Obama", Granta 146: The Politics of Feeling, 22 March 2019.
• "On Meeting Margaret Busby", Granta, 19 October 2020.

Research Reports

• Ph.D. Programs in African Universities: Current Status and Future Prospects. Report to the Rockefeller Foundation. Co-authored with David Szanton (University of Berkeley, California, 2002).

See Also

In Spanish: Sarah Ladipo Manyika para niños

• Nigerian literature