Emma Naomi is a Rising British Star …

Emma is currently reprising her role of Alice Mondrich, wife of boxer turned Gentleman’s Club owner ‘Will Mondrich’ played by Martins Imhangbe in Season Three of Shonda Rhimes’ Bridgerton.

Emma has also reprised her starring role as ‘DI Lisa Donckers’ in the third season of award-winning crime drama Professor T for ITV. This performance has garnered widespread acclaim, earning her the title of Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series award at the National Film Awards 2022.

Emma has worked extensively on stage, including Dead Don’t Floss at the National Theatre; and Blithe Spirit at the Theatre Royal Bath.

We spoke to Emma about Bridgerton and the success of diverse casting in the series …

Please introduce yourself …

Emma Naomi, Actor born in London with mixed Jamaican/Irish heritage

Describe your life right now in a word or one sentence …

Ten-year-old me would be jumping for joy.

Bridgerton is one of Netflix’s biggest-ever hits and Alice Mondrich was your breakout role. Tell us how you secured the part of Bridgerton’s Alice?

I got the part on a self-tape. The casting was very different at the time, I didn’t think I had a chance.

How does Alice’s character arc develop in Season 3, especially since her family now have social standing in high society and what does it mean for the relationship between her and her husband Will whose relationship we have seen flourish over the past few seasons?

Alice has always wanted to solidify the family’s social standing but never expected it to be handed to them. It’s sudden… it’s strange. I think she and Will wrestle with their sense of identity, there is a lot of anxiety around how they should behave and whether they should leave a part of themselves behind.

There seems to be a mentor/mentee relationship building between Lady Danbury and Alice as she advises Alice on what is expected of her and her husband …

Yes. Lady Danbury has taken us under her wing. We have a mutual connection with Simon (The Duke) and I think she is excited about what the Mondrich’s can bring to the table.
 
Bridgerton’s diverse casting, although successful has been a huge topic of conversation since the first season. Do you think it has changed, or at least expanded the industry’s approach and audiences’ acceptance of black actors in roles outside of the usual stereotypes?

Yes. I mean, look at the queen! I think Shondaland is doing a wonderful job of increasing visibility each season across the board with racial diversity, sexual orientation and those who are differently abled. I’ve read many essays from actors from the generation before us who thought it was impossible to play a lead or love interest in a period/regency piece like this. Look at us now.
Do I think it’s changed the industry completely? No, but I certainly think it’s a shining example of how it can be done, the audience wants it, and how successful it can be, how enriching it is for all of us. I came in for a hair fitting at the top of season three and walked in on a workshop about different hair types, how they react to heat, curl patterns, how to get better definition in 4C curls and how that’s different to 2B. I thought “YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!”

You have also worked extensively on stage, as an actor, what’s more exposing, walking onto the stage opening night at the National Theatre or onto a big-budget Netflix set for the first time?

Highs, lows, solutions (tell us the high points, any obstacles to getting the project completed and how you resolved the obstacles)…

Big Budget Netflix for sure. I trained in theatre and then did years of it. You have the cushion of weeks or months of having the script beforehand, 4-5 weeks of rehearsals, bonding with the cast, time to mess up, make mistakes, and get to the other side. I don’t think everything rides on the press for theatre either; the performance develops every night. For screen, you have one shot. That can be pretty terrifying.

HIGH: Getting the job.
LOWS: The mental noise of actually trying to do the job. Is it enough? Is it too much? Have I understood the beats correctly? Am I living in this character yet or am I ‘acting’? Am I executing what I think I’m executing? There’s a good chunk of the project where I second-guess everything.
RESOLUTIONS: Solving the above. There’s no way through but to work, one section at a time.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

If not this, then what?
Probably a fitness instructor or I’d own my own well-being business.

What are you watching right now?
Baby Reindeer. Finished it in a day.

What are you reading right now?
Paradise Lost by John Milton. I recently finished Tweak by Nic Sheff and The Sellout by Paul Beatty.

What are you listening to right now?
Maverick Sabre, Kendrick Lamar and Jungle are my top listens at the moment. Other than that, many audiobooks.

The last thing you saw on stage?
Red Pitch at Soho Place – Brilliant play

What’s on your bucket list?
I love to travel. See new places. Too many destinations to list but I’ll start with Bali.

Where’s your happy place?
In a good coffee shop or the gym.

Celebrate someone else (who do you rate right now?)
Adjani Salmon is absolutely killing it right now and is an inspiration on how far your own work can take you.

Celebrate yourself … (make us proud of you):
I’m not sure!

What’s Next?
I can’t say yet but it’s a fantastic project

Where can we see your latest work?
We shot season 3 of Professor T on ITV after Bridgerton. You can catch that (and catch up if you missed previous seasons) on ITV player or Britbox

We have some exciting new series coming this week

Candice Carty-Williams’ brand new series Queenie and Star Wars spinoff The Acolyte brings the beautiful Jodie Turner-Smith back onto our screens.

Some of our favourite shows are returning with their final seasons including, Sweet Tooth, Power Book II: Ghost. With other shows like Mayor Of Kingstown returning for a new season.

What will you be watching?

Mayor Of Kingstown – Monday 3rd June | Paramount+

Follows the McLusky family – power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. With Tobi Bamtefa, Derek Webster, Michael Beach and Nichole Galicia.

This Time Next Year – Monday 3rd June | On Digital Platforms

Flung together at a New Year’s Eve party, Minnie and Quinn quickly realise they share a connection – they were born on New Year’s Day of the same year, in the same London hospital. Minnie grew up convinced that this mysterious Quinn stole all her luck, setting her on a path of misfortune. Horrified at the misunderstanding, Quinn is set on making amends. But is it Quinn or is it fate that is scheming to bring the two together? With Lucien Laviscount, Golda Rosheuvel and Shiloh Coke.

Star Wars: The Acolyte – Tuesday 4th June | Disney+

This brand new Star Wars series is set during the High Republic era and the prime of the Jedi Order, and stars Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg and Carrie Anne-Moss. It follows a respected Jedi Master, whose investigation into a shocking crime spree forces him to come up against a dangerous warrior from his past. Starring Amandla Stenberg and Jodie Turner-Smith. Writer Jocelyn Bioh.

Queenie -Tuesday 4th @ 10pm & Wednesday 5th June @ 10.35pm | Channel 4

Tells the story of Queenie Jenkins, a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman straddling two cultures who seeks comfort in all the wrong places after a messy breakup from her long-term boyfriend Tom. Starring Dionne Brown, Samuel Adewunmi, Bellah and more.

Sweet Tooth: S3 – Thursday 6th June | Netflix

Gus, Jepperd, Becky and Wendy after defeating General Abbot, embark on a journey to Alaska in search of Gus’s mother, Birdie, who has been working to uncover the mysterious origins of the deadly Sick. Starring Nonso Anozie.

Tell Me Everything: S2 – Thursday 6th June | ITV2 & ITVX

Jonny and his family have moved to Hitchin – a new house, new college, and a fresh start. Jonny is continuing his journey of recovery, and has started to make friends with other students at college – Naisha, Dylan, Ella and Bex. With Ammar Duffus and Dylan Brady.

Power Book II: Ghost: S4 – Friday 7th June | MGM+

Tariq St Patrick and Brayden Weston form new alliances and find their way back into the game. However, when Brayden starts to flirt with a reckless new lifestyle, Tariq starts to question whether there really is room for two at the top. Starring Michael Rainey Jr, Mary J. Blige, Method Man, Caroline Chikezie and more.

The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live – Streaming now | NOW TV

On her quest to find Rick, Michonne finds help from an unexpected source and comes face-to-face with the mysterious CRM. Starring Danai Gurira.

Girl In The Video – Streaming now | Paramount+

When an unsuspecting 15-year-old is kidnapped by a depraved online predator, her mother joins forces with a seasoned FBI investigator and local detective to bring her home. Starring Cush Jumbo, Tia May Watts and Amaree Ali.

The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is returning for its 26th edition this summer, with an extensive lineup of films recently announced.

The festival will screen multiple documentaries and films from within and outside the African continent. It will feature thirty-two feature-length films and fourteen short films. Twenty-seven African films and nineteen international films will be screened. Also, forty-three films will have their South Africa premiere at the festival, thirty-seven films will have their first African premiere, and fourteen films will have their world premiere.

Miki Redelinghuys and Pearlie Joubert’s Mother City has been selected as the festival’s opening film. The feature has been described as a “deeply human and often heart-breaking look at the politics of urbanism” where the filmmakers follow activists of the Reclaim the City movement over six years as they make Cape Town’s abandoned spaces their home, and use it as a base from which to lobby for the needs of the working class.

Explaining the decision to open the festival with Mother City, the festival’s director, Mandisa Zitha, remarked, “It has been selected as our opening film, as it represents the heart of what documentary filmmaking is about. It is dedicated, tenacious, and vociferous in its approach to following a group of activists over a long period, to capture their challenges and frustrations, and indeed their successes. It speaks to the power of film in exposing the arduous journey so many in this world have to embark on to effect change. It is also a universally powerful story of the triumph of the collective.” 

The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is the country’s formative documentary event, screening contemporary South African and International features and short documentaries since 1999. The festival is supported and funded by: City of Cape Town, Bertha Foundation, National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa,  University of Cape Town and the Centre for Film and Media Studies, Mail and Guardian (Media Partner), Al Jazeera Documentary, Known Associates, Refinery, Goethe-Institut of South Africa, Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Heineken Beverages,  Documentary Filmmakers Association, German Films, South African Guild of Editors, anima, and Pressure Cooker Studio.

This year’s edition of Encounters will take place at venues in Cape Town and Johannesburg from 20 to 30 June 2024. 

Click here to see the festival’s complete lineup of films.

Nigerian recording artist Seun Kuti and his Egypt 80 band will embark on a tour of North America from 8 June to 27 July. 

This will be the band’s first appearance in North America since 2022 when they headlined The Independent in San Francisco.

The tour, presented by Django Music, includes 18 dates, of which two performances – in New York and Chicago – will be free. They will join New Orleans-based brass ensemble The Soul Rebels as special guests in San Diego and Los Angeles, and open for Red Hot Chili Peppers in Toronto and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

On tour, the youngest son of Afrobeat icon Fela Kuti will play selected music from an extensive catalogue that perpetuates the genre pioneered by his father, fusing West African rhythms with American funk and jazz, all infused with socially conscious messages.

Seun Kuti, who took over leadership of the Egypt 80 band following the death of his father in 1997, is renowned for his activism and socially conscious music. The 41-year-old has collaborated with acts like Calle 13, Jidenna, Janelle Monae and the late Sinead O’Connor. In 2018 his album Black Times was nominated in the World Music category at the Grammys. In 2019, he was named one of the “100 Most Influential People” by TIME Magazine for his music and activism. 

See more about the tour here.

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize has announced five regional winners for this year’s edition, with Mauritian writer Reena Usha Rungoo emerging as the winner in the African region.

The other winners are India’s Sanjana Thakur for Asia, Canada’s Julie Bouchard for the Canada & Europe Region, Trinidad and Tobago’s Portia Subran for the Caribbean Region, and New Zealand’s Pip Robertson for the Pacific Region.

Rungoo, who had been shortlisted for the Prize with 22 other writers (four of whom were African), clinched the regional award for her story “Dite”, an exploration of a Mauritian woman’s love of tea and her ties to the colonial history of tea. Each tea in her collection contains an olfactory memory in which her relationship with education, language, sex and other women is captured.

According to South African writer Keletso (judge for the African region), “From the first time I read it, ‘Dite’ stayed with me. Its brilliance is distinguishable on first reading and even better when read once more. It is intentional and carefully layered. A masterful blend of memories alongside the protagonist’s love for tea. The story demonstrates skill, shifting between points of view and time, depicting generations of women and the strain left behind by colonialism.”

Reena Usha Rungoo is a Mauritian writer, scholar, teacher, speaker, and mother. As an islander, an African and a diasporic South Asian, she uses the language of fiction (whether as a writer or a literary critic) to speak on how colonial violence infiltrates our beings, our languages and our desires, and on the creative ways in which we resist. She is an assistant professor of literature at Harvard University.

The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded annually for the best piece of unpublished short fiction from any of the Commonwealth’s 56 Member States. The Prize is administered by the Commonwealth Foundation. Regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives £5,000.

Chaired by Ugandan-British writer Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, this year’s judging panel includes South African writer Keletso Mopai, Singaporean novelist O Thiam Chin, Canadian writer Shashi Bhat, poet Richard Georges from the British Virgin Islands, and Australian Bundjalung writer Melissa Lucashenko.

“The short story form has neither the luxury of time nor the comfort of space. It is an impatient form; it does not dance around. The punch of a good short story leaves you breathless. As the judging panel, we enjoyed, sorrowed, celebrated and eventually agreed that these stories came up on top of the different regions”, said Makumbi, commenting on the winning stories.

This year’s prize attracted the highest-ever number of entrants (7,359 in total), and the regional winners are writers who are being nominated for the first time. These winners will go through to the final round of judging and the overall winner will be announced on 26 June 2024. Their stories will be published online by the literary magazine Granta.

Click here to read more about this year’s winners.

NC Grey is a talented UK-based musician and voice actor known for her captivating performances in the jazz and soul genres.

She has achieved significant success in voice acting, securing high-profile gigs with organizations like the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

Besides her thriving music and voice acting careers, NC Grey is also an author, with her latest book being Your Vocal Goldmine, an eBook designed to help aspiring voice actors.

Please introduce yourself …
I’m NC Grey, a British-Nigerian singer and voice actor.

Describe your life right now in a word or one sentence …
I’d describe my life right now as learning to walk on a rope.

Which came first the music or the voice acting and where and how did the two cross over?
The music came first; I’d been living and performing in Ireland for years and only fell into voice acting when the world closed during lockdown. With no shows to play, I had to find another creative outlet.

Telling your relevant close ones that you wanted to pursue a career in the arts was like?
I’m Nigerian. You can only imagine the look on my mum’s face. My family fought it for a while. There was a point I was threatened to be disowned. However, I was able to prove that I could balance creativity with doing well at uni. It also helped when my mum came to see me live and finally believed I could “actually sing“.

Your bio says you went from recording in an IKEA Wardrobe to booking significant jobs with big brands please share that journey …
My journey into voice acting happened over lockdown. I believed the first few jobs were a fluke so I didn’t want to invest a lot of money into a home set-up until I was sure it was an actual thing. I started off using spare mattresses my mum had in the shed to build my first booth. And although mattresses work really well for soundproofing, they were quite tedious to set up every other day. At the point I realised I was booking 2-3 small projects a day, I decided it was time to get something more permanent.

The average home studio booth would run me nearly £800 so I did some YouTube-ing and decided to DIY it with a cupboard and some soundproof squares from Amazon. The total set up including glue cost me £150. The quality of my work greatly improved with this setup and I saw that reflected in the calibre of clients that reached out. From that same setup, I was able to work with the British Arts Council, SalesForce and the NHS. I’ve now been able to reinvest in the business and get a top-of-the-range mic and plugins that mean I can record with or without my cupboard.

Tell us about your new ebook Your Vocal Goldmine. What’s it about and who’s it for?
As I progressed along my journey, I got a lot of DM’s from people wanting to know how they could also get into voice acting. There were a lot of misconceptions like you couldn’t do it without an agent etc. and I found myself repeating the same answers every other day. I started building an FAQ doc in my notes app and with how frequently I opened it to copy and paste, decided it was time to build a resource. Your Vocal Goldmine is my ebook that provides a step-by-step guide on becoming a voice actor. It covers everything I wish I’d known, how to accurately understand your niche and how best to monetise your voice. There are tasks at the end of every chapter with the aim that on completion of the ebook, you’ll be fully set up.

Highs, lows, solutions …
Did I mention I work a full-time job in a tech company? Balancing a full-time career, delivering my booked voice over jobs and writing a book was no small feat. I’m definitely a calendar girlie so I leveraged that and over-indexed on time blocking. There were social functions I had to decline and prioritise content that would deliver immediate impact to the reader as opposed to storytelling. As I began to fine-tune the book, I knew I had to shut down my corporate brain. I took a week off work, went to sunny Malta and spent hours every day completing the book. For efficiency, I leveraged my network; one of my closest friends Marve Anson is an author and helped with the copywriting. Another friend who was a photographer shot the cover photo. It was truly a team effort and I’m super grateful that I have a network I could lean into.

Which project to date do you feel best demonstrates why you do what you do?
Working on the W.H.O. project is one of my career highlights. There is a huge sense of fulfilment working on projects that truly matter and that project focused on the huge lack of investment in healthcare services around the world.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

If not this, then what?
That’s a really hard question. I’ve got a career in tech, the music, and then this. So if not this, I’d probably index more on one of the other things I’m doing. I’m a strong believer in leaving no stone unturned so I feel like I’m currently doing all the things I’d want to do in some capacity.

What’s made you Sad, Mad, Glad this week …
Sad, I saw a pastry I really wanted and couldn’t have (I’m currently cutting out gluten to see how I feel). Mad, the news. I mean, there’s nothing on there that wouldn’t make you mad. Glad, I found a gluten-free peanut butter blondie that was so good.

What are you watching right now?
A lot of Nigerian movies on Netflix. I’m trying to work on a really specific Nigerian accent so I’m doing a lot of character analysis and understanding tone. No, there isn’t a specific project I’m working on, but you never know when the opportunity may arise.

What are you reading right now?
I’m really in my black author bag right now and I’ve literally just finished ‘Some Angels Dont See God‘ by Ever Obi. It’s such a gripping read.

The last thing you saw on stage?
MW the Musical. I haven’t laughed that much in a while.

What’s on your bucket list?
To voice an animated character.

Where’s your happy place?
On a beach. I’m my happiest when I’m by water.

Who’s the most important person in your life?
God. And yes, he’s not exactly a person. But with where I am right now, he’s the most consistent.

Celebrate someone else …
I’m super excited for Marve Anson who just got a book deal with Penguin Michael Joseph. I’m a big fan of the Penguin brand and super cool to see someone I know get a signing.

Celebrate yourself …
I’m very proud of the risks I’ve taken to get to where I am. Spinning multiple plates isn’t for everyone and not every venture is a success. But so far, so good.

Whose footsteps are you following in?
I’d like to think I’m following in the footsteps of Issa Rae and Jamie Foxx who are masters of many crafts.

What’s Next?
I’ve begun to lend my expertise to coaching some new voice actors and I’m looking forward to seeing them doing great things in the V/O space.

Where can we find you?
You can find me on Instagram and TikTok – @ncgrey

Where can we find your latest work?
www.ncgrey.com hosts all my projects; both music and voice acting.

There’s lots to watch this week ….

Including the highly anticipated second season of We Are Lady Parts, and season three of The Outlaws.

Let us know what you’ll be watching!

Clive Myrie’s Caribbean Adventure – Monday 27th May @6:30pm | BBC Two

From the vibrant streets of Cuba to the beautiful beaches of Barbados, Clive explores his family roots – and celebrates the energy, creativity and joy of a place close to paradise.

He begins by heading east towards the wild beauty of Jamaica’s longest mountain range, and catches up with his sister, Judith, who has recently moved from the UK to live on the island.

We Are Lady Parts: S2 – Thursday 30th May @ 10pm | Channel 4

The band returns with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first UK tour, only to find a rival band threatens their delicate status quo. As the reality of chasing success sets in, Lady Parts embark on recording their first album, juggling personal ambitions and deciding whether ‘making it big’ is really what they wanted. With faith Omole, Kimani Arthur and Bradley Banton.

The Outlaws – Thursday 30th May @ 9pm | BBC One

With crime boss The Dean behind bars, The Outlaws are moving on with their lives – but Rani’s shock return and the discovery of a dead body sends them hurtling back into mortal danger. With Clare Perking, Gamba Cole, Kojo Kamara, Charles Babalola, Brett Curtis and Nadia Violet-Johnson.

Eric – Thursday 30th May | Netflix

Puppeteer Vincent clings to his missing son’s drawings of a blue monster puppet named Eric, convinced that if he can get Eric on TV then his son will come home. With Clarke Peters, McKinley Belcher III and Gloria Obianyo.

Die Hart 2 – Thursday 30th May | Prime Video

In this sequel, Kevin Hart, now the world’s biggest action star, finds himself the victim of an evil revenge plot and must enlist the help of his favourite co-star and his over-eager assistant if he wants to survive. With Nathalie Emmanuel.

Cold Copy – Saturday 1st June | Netflix

Bent on impressing her ruthless professor with a sensational scoop, a journalism student brushes ethics aside to manipulate the son of a famous author. Starring Tracee Ellis-Ross

The Famous Five: The Eye Of The Sunrise – StreamingNow | BBC iPlayer

It’s late August 1939 and George comes across the Great Supremo who is on the run from malevolent pursuers. She manages to convince her cousins that they should protect him and the Five hide him in their den where he tells them about a powerful treasure he guards, the Eye of the Sunrise.

But the Five’s promise proves impossible to keep as Dr Rosamund Graves and her burly assistant Bradley arrive from the local psychiatric institute to take Supremo away. He’s not just a magician, he’s a psychiatric patient. Can the Five trust anything he says? Starring Diaana Babnicova and Ann Akinjirin.

The Journey Of Self – Streaming Now | MYM’s Youtube Channel

Set in one room, spanning over the course of one year, the traumatic inner turmoil of one young woman is exposed through the lens of therapy, as she questions her sense of self and belonging in the world. Starring Zakiyyah Deen.

South African documentary film, Empathy in Africa: Bridging The Healthcare Divide, is set to premiere on Apple TV and other streaming platforms this week.

Diepsloot township, in Johannesburg, South Africa, is known for its challenging infrastructure, overcrowding and limited access to basic resources — but within it exists an oasis that is bringing hope to the community. The Rhiza Babuyile Clinic, founded in 2022, is Diepsloot’s first private brick-and-mortar healthcare facility, offering basic care and paediatrics and reducing inequities for the people of the township. 

Empathy in Africa follows three women empowered by the clinic, who personify resilience in the face of tremendous obstacles. The film shows the many benefits the clinic brings to the community and highlights a nurse who is given the opportunity to build and own a new clinic in a nearby township.

In addition to streaming on Apple TV, Empathy in Africa will be featured on WaterBear Network, the first free streaming platform dedicated to the future of the planet, bringing entertainment and action together. It hosts a diverse array of award-winning documentaries, compelling short films, and impactful series, all created to drive real-world change.   

Empathy in Africa was directed by Dan McDougall (a four-time Amnesty International Award Winner and British Foreign Correspondent of the Year) and produced by Miran Media. McDougall received the Best Director Award at the Barcelona Film Festival for his film on climate change, and won best short film at The Munich Film Awards and The Stockholm Independent Film Festival. 

Empathy in Africa has been selected to screen at the Charlotte Black Film Festival, the People’s Film Festival and the Cleveland International Film Festival’s FilmSlam® Streams Program, a virtual media literacy programme that allows educators to stream films directly in the classroom. The programme encourages teachers to incorporate social impact films into their curriculum and class discussions.

The film was funded and developed by Viatris, a global healthcare company with a mission to empower people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life. Viatris is also a funder of the Rhiza Babuvile Clinic profiled in the film.

Click here to view the trailer. You can also stream the film on Apple TV or on WaterBear.

The 2024 edition of the All African Women Poetry Festival (AAWP Festival) is scheduled to take place in Ghana this week from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 May, 2024. 

In this four-day thread of events, specifically curated to educate and enhance playfulness, the festival will celebrate the legacy of Ghanaian playwright Efua Theodora Sutherland under the theme “Poetry & Play.” The events will be hosted at the W.E.B Dubois Memorial Centre and the Foundation for Contemporary Art in Accra.

Some of the scheduled guests, panellists and performers at this year’s festival include Moyosola Olowokure, Winnie Madoro, Nyangari Macharia, Claudia Owusu, Deborah Johnson, Effie Nkrumah, Titilope Sonuga, Maryam Bukar Hassan (Alhanislam), Mo’Africa Wa Mokgathi (born Muriel Mokgathi-Mvubu), vangile gantsho, Theresa Ankomah, Agness Panfred and Vivian Boateng, among others.

The noteworthy events in this year’s showcase include an exclusive listening of Sonuga’s latest album SIS (scheduled for Thursday 23 May), the “Writing as an African” panel which features literary experts Prof. Helen Yitah and Prof Anne Adams, and the “Publish Her Inked Realities” panel which features literary experts Ama Dadson, Akoss Ofori-Mensah and Akuvi Agueze. There is also the Voice On Words (VOW) competition, a poetry contest featuring high school students.

 The AAWP Festival seeks to celebrate African literature and literary legends, empower African women, women of African descent and the African Diaspora, educate the youth, and engage with marginalised communities through sustainable events, programming, and projects. The festival hosts poets, spoken word artists and stakeholders in shaping the African narrative from across the continent and the African diaspora, in a bid to foster collaboration, networking, and knowledge sharing. 

One key element of the festival is the annual honouring of one female literary legend. This year, the focus is on Efua Theodora Sutherland (1924-1996), playwright, director, dramatist, children’s author, poet, educationalist, researcher, child advocate, and cultural activist. Sutherland’s works include the plays Foriwa (1962), Edufa (1967) and The Marriage Of Anansewa (1975).

Visit the festival’s official website to learn more about this year’s lineup of events.

Ghanaian pop star Amaarae has been confirmed as a special guest on U.S rapper Childish Gambino’s upcoming world tour starting next month.

The announcement coincides with the surprise release of Childish Gambino’s album Atavista on Monday. 

Amaarae was named alongside U.S singer Willow for the global marathon, christened The New World Tour, which will include nearly 80 dates and conclude in February 2025.

The 29-year-old confirmed her guest appearance via a post on her official X (formerly Twitter) account.

“On tour w/ childish (@donaldglover) this fall thru to 2025 ! it’s gonna be a wild time!” 

Amaarae’s announcement follows the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA’s) platinum certification of her “Sad Girlz Luv Money” remix featuring Kali Uchis & Moliy, marking more than 1 million unit sales.

Born in New York to Ghanaian parents, Amaarae is known for her fusion of pop, R&B, Afrobeats, and Alté, as well as her fluid representation of gender and sexuality. In 2020, Amaarae released her critically-acclaimed debut album The Angel You Don’t Know, which spawned the global hit “Sad Girlz Luv Money.” In 2023, she released her sophomore album Fountain Baby and later that year she became the first Ghanaian artist to appear on NPR Tiny Desk. In the course of her career, she has collaborated with several leading African acts, including Stonebwoy, Santi, Blaqbonez, Bnxn FKA Buju, Odunsi the Engine, and Wande Coal.

Click here to learn more about tickets for the New World Tour.