Relations: An Anthology of African and Diaspora Voices – Striking Contemporary Voices Reshaping Narratives and Revealing Truth

by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

Fresh and electrifying—stories, poems, and essays by African and diaspora writers, edited by author Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond. Relations punctures the human illusion of separation. New and established storytellers reshape the narratives that divide and subjugate, revealing the truth of our shared humanity despite differences in language, identity, class, gender, and beyond. This vital anthology is Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond’s striking vision of a meeting place of perspectives, centered in the African and diaspora experience. In a post- Black Panther world, it is an urgent and welcome embrace of the diversity of Blackness. A refreshing collection of genre-spanning literature, it offers a vibrant meditation on being—inviting connection across real and imagined borders, and celebration of the most profound relations.

Genres: Poetry, Essays, Short Stories, Anthologies, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Race

464 pages, Hardcover

First published January 17, 2023

About the author

Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond's first book Powder Necklace (Washington Square Press 2010) is a YA tome loosely inspired by her experience attending a girls’ boarding school in the Central Region of Ghana, West Africa. Publishers Weekly called the book “a winning debut” while Library Journal recommended it "for readers who enjoyed Edwidge Danticat's Breath, Eyes, Memory or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus".

In 2014, she was included among some of the most promising African authors under 39 in the Hay Festival-Rainbow Book Club Project Africa39: New Writing from Africa South of the Sahara (Bloomsbury). The Africa39 anthology was published in celebration of UNESCO's designation of Port Harcourt, Nigeria as 2014 World Book Capital. Most recently, she was shortlisted for the 2014 Miles Morland Writing Scholarship.

Also a style & culture writer, Brew-Hammond has been featured on MSNBC, NY1, SaharaTV, and ARISE TV, and been published in EBONY Magazine, Ethiopian Airlines' Selamata Magazine, EBONY.com, The Village Voice, on NBC's thegrio.com, and MadameNoire.com, among other outlets.

For more information, visit her website (nanabrewhammond.com), follow her blog (PeopleWhoWrite.wordpress.com). and connect with her on Facebook (facebook.com/PowderNecklace) and Twitter (Twitter.com/nanaekua).

Reviews

[Lulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of stories, poems, and essays from different authors of the African diaspora. They are well written and thought provoking and just very enjoyable! You’ll definitely want to take your time with this anthology! Highly recommended.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this profound collection.

[DaniPhantom · Rating 4 out of 5]

My top 5 stories:

1. The Body Is More than a Landfill & Less than All That I Am
2. Finding Descartes
3. Fulbright
4. The Killmonger Doctrine of Color & Humanity

Overall, thought provoking stories and poems about what it’s like to be black in Africa & around the world.

[Dequan Carreker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this might be the first anthology I’ve ever read. As a collection of diaspora writers it was very intriguing. This was a mix of short stories, essays, and poems. A few favorites were - The body is more than a landfill and less than all that I am (short story) & finding Descartes (short story). I wanted more from both of these stories. And the poem Trophy was great - urging readers to be proud of their blackness. Overall 3, I wish the stories were longer so I could have connected deeper to the characters.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relations by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond is a diverse collection of essays, poems, prose, and stories from African and diaspora writers. Nana writes in her introduction that she felt inspired to curate this collection in order to bring the diaspora closer together. She recalls an interaction, among many similar exchanges, that she had with a Moroccan man at a New York party who did not identify as African. His reasoning was that sub-Saharan Africa and African's northern-most nations are in some way different (a harmful narrative reflecting distancing of darker-skinned Africans to lighter-skinned due to the stigma of slavery). As a result of her experiences and reflections she curated Relations in order to force us all to admit, accept, and acknowledge how deeply connected all of our histories are.

She writes: "There is so much at stake in this admission, relations are rife with the pain of disappointment, compromise, rejection, and exploitation. They are equally have with expectation, hope and obligation. They are pregnant with possibility."

I really enjoyed reading the vastly unique stories about Africans and African-Americans alike who experience a range of challenges both on the continent of Africa and wherever they call home through an Afro-centric lens. Each piece stands on it's own and adds to the overall tapestry of world-building and self-recognizing readers of the diaspora will feel when they visit these pages.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the e-arc copy!

[Seyi O · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this, and I'm enjoying the various stories. This anthology, which Nana calls a 'meeting place' in her intro, is an important book of talented voices with many interesting themes and compelling characters to keep you reading.
I haven't finished yet, but I've particularly enjoyed The Lagos Wives Club by Vanessa Walters, a meaty, moving story about marital strife and belonging set in Nigeria. It's a great taster for Vanessa's forthcoming novel, The Nigerwife, which is coming out in May.
Nana Ekua Brew Hammond's beautiful poem Trophy broke my heart in so many ways.
Fulbright by Remy Ngamije is a funny yet also sad story about a Fulbright scholar headed to 'Trump's America.' 'Not from Zamunda or Wakanda'.
I will update as I read more...but five stars for now.

[Jalisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really tried with this one. But ultimately 80% through I had to DNF this book. I was excited about the book because of the cover and the introduction. I enjoy short story collections and loved the premise of bringing together diasporic voices. Unfortunately the compilation of poems, musings, essays, and short fiction were far too uneven. There were some stories I really enjoyed like "Her Sweetie Her Sugarcane" by Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda and Krife by Chiké Frankie Edozien. Many stories ended with no sense of direction or satisfaction and overall I wish the editor did more curation in terms of theme to improve the flow of one story to the next.

[Gayatri Sethi Desi Book Aunty · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a person who grew up as a guest on the continent & an educator on African diaspora studies, I’ve been dreaming of an anthology like this one to teach & learn from for a long while.

It is a thoughtfully curated gathering of essays, poetry & tales that amplify the voices of African diaspora writers. It reads like a love letter to the peoples of the continent, invoking nuances, remembrances & lessons often overlooked in dominant culture storytelling.
I am enamored by the artistry & innovations in these pages.
Highly recommend.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this anthology that is filled with beautiful stories, poems, and essays celebrating the Black experience through varied landscapes. This is one to savor.

[Nat Dell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely. Enjoyed some of the stories immensely, the poems less so but I’m not a huge poetry person.

[itisi_riri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of works!

[Krysten · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great to read this collection of essays and poems and to hear from authors that I haven’t read before.

[LaShanda Chamberlain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains a beautiful collection of stories & poems. I thoroughly enjoyed this unique work of art!!

[Eseoghene King-Fashe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read overall but I'm leaving a review specifically for the author Chike Frankie Edozien, your story fucking sucked, do better.

[Stella Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5