Sulaiman Addonia’s essay WRITING LIKE DEGAS PAINTS has been shortlisted for the Brittle Paper Award for Essays & Think Pieces 2019. Addonia’s essay, which explores how his latest novel SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE was inspired by the works of Degas, was published by Granta in October 2018 and can be read here. Launched in 2017, Brittle Paper’s annual awards aim to recognize the finest original pieces of literary writing by Africans published online — writing that has prompted, enhanced, or defined conversations. The winner of the Essays & Think Pieces Award will be announced on 10th December 2019.
Addonia’s second novel SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE was published by The Indigo Press in October 2018 and will be published in the US by Graywolf in 2021. Russian rights have been sold to Arkadia, and Italian rights to Francesco Brioschi Editore (at auction). It was longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2019 and is a New Statesman Book of the Year 2019. Brittle Paper published an essay about the writing of this novel yesterday – THE VOICES I OVERCAME TO WRITE SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE, which can be read here.
Praise for SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE
‘It is brutal on aid politics, it is damning on FGM, yet this book is infused with love as Saba, the heroine, outwits all the voyeurism of the refugee camp and of the novel form.’ — Preti Taneja, New Statesman, Books of the Year 2019
'Addonia spent several years as a child in a Sudanese refugee camp and you can sense the impact of that period on his richly written second novel, which brims with the sensory flavours of remembered experience... A sobering reminder of the way war brutally circumscribes the shape of women's lives.' — The Daily Mail/The Scottish Daily Mail
'While his portrayal of the exiled community that tries to remake its home in the camp is brilliantly alive with incidents and personalities, more beguiling still is his double portrait of teenage Saba and her brother Hagos... a gripping and courageous narrative... A feminist book... and exhilaratingly, so much more.' — The Guardian
Sulaiman Addonia is an Eritrean-Ethiopian-British novelist. His first novel, THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE, shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, was translated into more than 20 languages. He currently lives in Brussels where he has launched a creative writing academy for refugees and asylum seekers & the Asmara-Addis Literary Festival (In Exile). He appears regularly at international literary festivals.
Follow Sulaiman Addonia on Twitter
Blake Friedmann Authors in Best of 2018 Lists
With 2018 drawing to a close, everyone is sharing their favourite books of the year. At Blake Friedmann, we are so proud that our authors have been featured in so many of these selections. In celebration of these amazing achievements, we have compiled this summary of the lists in which our authors were included, along with the praise that accompanied their selection.
SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE by Sulaiman Addonia
Brittle Paper, African Books of 2018
'Mesmerizing story… It's impossible not to fall in love with Saba. She brings a ton of emotional texture to the story.'
SLAY IN YOUR LANE by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinene
Grazia, The 12 Books We Couldn’t Stop Talking About This Year
‘Guide to being a black girl in modern urban Britain which is essential reading for both the women it describes and anyone who could do with a crash course in understanding their lives. Unmissable.’
The Guardian, Favourite Books of 2018
‘Never would I have thought a modern take on the British black female experience would be covered so wonderfully and with such excitement by two British black females. The range of topics were discussion worthy, and filled me for weeks with talking points … BUY A COPY FOR THE NEW YEAR AND BE SURPRISED AND EXCITED.’
Kimberley Sheehan, The Reading Agency, Books of the Year 2018
‘This book is a brilliant starting point to understand what it's like to be woman, black and a Londoner in 2018. It ultimately left me feeling hopeful about the future for women and empowered -- which has been a nice change compared to the rest of the year!’
Forbes, The Most Empowering Books by Female Authors of 2018
‘In this highly anticipated work from award-winning journalist Yomi Adegoke and her best friend, marketer Elizabeth Uviebinene SLAY IN YOUR LANE celebrates the gains that black women have already made in Britain whilst also highlighting the work that still needs to be done. It’s an encouraging and honest account of their own lives and a celebration of the achievements of some of Britain’s most successful black women that’ll leave you feeling fired up and hopeful for the future. For black women it serves as an inspiration and for other women and men a guide on how we can better support women of colour.’
CITY WITHOUT STARS by Tim Baker
Jake Kerridge, Crime Time, Best of the Year 2018
Raven Crime Reads, Top 10 Crime Reads of the Year 2018
‘CITY WITHOUT STARS is an intense, emotive and completely absorbing read, suffused with a violent energy, and with an unrelenting pace to its narrative. It heightens the reader’s senses and imagination throughout, completely enveloping the reader in this corrupt and violent society, with instances of intense human frailty and moments of strength, underpinned by precise description, and flurries of dark humour. I thought it was absolutely marvellous.’
The Telegraph, 50 Best Books of 2018
‘A grim but unputdownable thriller set in Mexico, where the homicide rate is so high that a prolific serial killer goes nearly unnoticed.’
UNCOVERED by Ian Birch
Steve Smith, Folio Magazine, The Best Books for Print Lovers 2018
‘This is the book true magazine geeks will appreciate most this holiday… a deft and deep compendium of provocations from titles large and small.’
LITTLE by Edward Carey
The Times, Books of the Year (Historical Fiction)
'Told with extraordinary panache, and illustrated by Edward Carey, this tale of the founder of Madame Tussauds is a macabre joy.'
Sunday Times Culture Magazine, Books of the Year
'Edward Carey's LITTLE is weird, wonderful and unlike any other historical novel this year. Enriched by the author's own illustrations, this retelling of the early life of Marie Grosholtz (aka Madame Tussaud) is both macabre and moving.'
Kirkus, Best Historical Fiction
Amal El-Mohtar, NPR, Best Books of 2018
'Picking up on the same themes of bodies and objects as his Iremonger trilogy, Edward Carey's LITTLE is a tenderly macabre fictional memoir written in the voice of Anne Marie Grosholtz, the woman who would become Madame Tussaud… her life is full of deep sadness mixed with fabulous incident, and compassionate insight punctuated by the author's whimsical illustrations.'
William Ryan, Irish Independent, Authors Top Books of 2018
'A gripping novel of shy wit and darkly humorous occurrences and is mesmerising in its virtuosity. On top of which the author's own illustrations are wonderfully bizarre, as indeed is the story he tells.'
GOOD SAMARITANS by Will Carver
Jon Coates, Crime Time, Best of the Year 2018
Jake Kerridge, Crime Time, Best of the Year 2018
HOLD/HOUSEGIRL by Michael Donkor
Melissa Gray, NPR, Best Books of 2018
‘I hate novels. This is a strong statement, I know – here’s why I make it before telling you about HOUSEGIRL: I hate novels because too often, I know exactly where the story is heading, where the characters are heading. I loved HOUSEGIRL because Michael Donkor's storytelling and character building were so exquisite… Two days after I finished the book, I found myself actually missing the characters. This is a rare accomplishment for a first-time author, which is why I recommend HOUSEGIRL – even though it's a novel.'
The Observer, Best Books of 2018
‘Exquisite debut’
Brittle Paper, African Books of 2018
'A unique take on the classic "housegirl" narrative.'
PRETEND YOU DON’T KNOW ME by Finuala Dowling
Jackie Kay, The Guardian, Best Books of 2018
‘A witty and wise collection. Her sequence about her mother’s dementia is very touching. Elsewhere, these vital works will have you crying with laughter.’
TODAY SOUTH LONDON, TOMORROW SOUTH LONDON by Andrew Grumbridge and Vincent Raison
Evening Standard, Best Comedy Books and DVDs of 2018
THE CHILDREN’S HOME by Charles Lambert
New York Times, Before Watching ‘The Haunting of Hill House,’ Read These 13 Haunted Books
‘”Abandoned children of varying ages begin showing up at the sprawling estate of a disfigured recluse, Morgan Fletcher,” Carmela Ciuraru wrote, calling it “one of the year’s most bizarre stories.” “Lambert’s subtle prose enhances the novel’s creepiness, as does his refusal to fully resolve or explain its many mysteries.”’
BOOKWORM by Lucy Mangan
Den of Geeks, Top Books of 2018
‘I’d like to report a robbery. Under cover of darkness, writer and Guardian TV critic Lucy Mangan crept into my soul, pocketed my memories and wrote them up beautifully in the guise of her “memoir of childhood reading.”… Lucy Mangan’s funny, warm BOOKWORM is personal and universal in the way that the very best books are… [It] rekindles old obsessions and sends you in search of any stories you may have missed at the time. I loved this book so much, I ate it.’
THE WOMAN IN THE BLUE CLOAK by Deon Meyer
The Times, Books of the Year 2018
'Are novellas making a comeback? If they can match the elegance of [THE WOMAN IN THE BLUE CLOAK], let's hope so. THE WOMAN IN THE BLUE CLOAK is a delicate story of a Dutch paining and the death of a naked woman in Cape Town. As usual, DI Benny Griessel inquires.'
WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT by Sheila O’Flanagan
One of Ireland’s best-selling books of 2018
THE CATALOGUE OF SHIPWRECKED BOOKS by Edward Wilson Lee
The Spectator, Books of the Year
‘the fascinating history of Christopher Columbus’s illegitimate son Hernando, guardian of his father’s flame, courtier, bibliophile and cataloguer supreme, whose travels took him to the heart of 16th-century Europe.’
SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE BY SULAIMAN ADDONIA ACQUIRED BY THE INDIGO PRESS
Sulaiman Addonia’s searing novel of immigration and the powerful bonds forged in the harsh crucible of refugee camp life has been acquired by The Indigo Press, a publishing arm of the MILD group. Publishing Director Ellah Wakatama Allfrey bought World English rights to Sulaiman’s captivating second book from Isobel Dixon.
Sulaiman’s first novel THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and translated into more than 20 languages. SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE will be published on 4th October 2018.
Saba, the novel’s heroine, arrives in an East African refugee camp as a young girl. In this crowded and often hostile place, she has to carve out her new existence. As she struggles to maintain her sense of self, Saba remains fiercely protective of her mute brother Hagos – each sibling resisting the role gender and society assigns. SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE is an extraordinary portrait of a woman of courage and intelligence and a compelling story of exile, survival, and love. Sulaiman S.M.Y. Addonia questions what it means to be a man, to be a woman, to be an individual when circumstance has forced the loss of all that makes a home and the possibility of a future. This is a book about love in a time of conflict, incisively dissecting society’s ability to wage war on its own women and exploring the stories we must tell and absorb to survive, cementing Addonia as a gifted literary talent whose stories reach across enforced borders towards the universal conflicts of the human heart.
Speaking of the acquisition of Sulaiman’s SILENCE IS MY MOTHER TONGUE and WONDER VALLEY by Ivy Pochoda, Ellah Wakatama Allfrey said: “Although very different in approach and location, these two novels exemplify our ambitions for the fiction list at The Indigo Press. In each case the author is concerned with the possibilities of the novel and has moulded the form into a distinct work that interrogates universal themes. Pochoda explores California’s underclass – the different voices and locations (from the desert to the sea) exploring the inequalities of contemporary American society and the desire each of her characters has to change their lives – even if that means running away. Addonia’s concerns are no less urgent as he writes of challenges faced by his young heroine as she finds her life dramatically altered. This is writing that looks inward at a particular community with characters whose stories illuminate the world.”
Sulaiman S.M.Y. Addonia is a novelist who fled Eritrea as a refugee in childhood. He spent his early life in a refugee camp in Sudan following the Om Hajar massacre in 1976, and in his early teens he lived and studied in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He arrived in London as an underage unaccompanied refugee without a word of English and went on to earn an MA in Development Studies from SOAS and a BSc in Economics from UCL. THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and was translated into more than 20 languages. Sulaiman S.M.Y.