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New Books in African Studies

Marshall Poe
Colonialism
Decolonization
Ghana
Africa
South Africa
Rwanda
Pan-Africanism
Slavery
Migration
Atlantic Slave Trade
West Africa
Afrofrench Narratives
Democratic Republic Of Congo
British Empire
Apartheid
African Diaspora
Literature
Namibia
Social Movements
Hakeem Olajuwon

This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: newbooksnetwork.com Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to ge... more

PublishesDailyEpisodes873Founded15 years ago
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Artwork for New Books in African Studies

Latest Episodes

How to write about place is a question that cuts across the career of the South African Ivan Vladislavić. The questions of place and space are pressing ones in the context of South Africa, where the transition to democracy in 1994 included a redrawin... more

Jeremy Harding has long been one of the premier essayists and journalists of our day. Elegant, committed and free of cant, Harding's writing has often appeared in the London Review of Books, from which a number of these essays were drawn. Harding exp... more

A major new look at Africa’s influence on European culture and how colonization remade Africa in the image of a medieval Europe.

Virgil. Chaucer. Petrarch. These names resonate with many as cornerstones of European culture. Yet, in Atlas’s Bones: Th... more

Noo Saro-Wiwa is an author and journalist. Born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and raised in England, she attended King's College London and Columbia University in New York.​

Her first book, Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (Granta), was ... more

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Recent Guests

Noo Saro-Wiwa
Author and journalist
Author of The Burning Ground
Episode: Oil and Militancy in Nigeria: A Conversation with Noo Saro-Wiwa
Michael Tuck
Author and historian
Brill (publisher)
Episode: Michael W. Tuck, "The Castle Slaves of the Gambia River: A Creole Community in the Eighteenth Century Atlantic World" (Brill, 2026)
Bimbola Akinbola
Assistant Professor in Performance Studies at Northwestern University, author of Transatlantic Disbelonging
Northwestern University (Performance Studies)
Episode: Bimbola Akinbola, "Transatlantic Disbelonging: Unruliness, Pleasure, and Play in Nigerian Diasporic Women's Art" (Duke UP, 2025)
Hilary Matfess
Author of After Liberation, Women and the Politics of Expectations in Rebel to Party Transitions
Stanford University Press (book) Korbel School, University of Denver (affiliation)
Episode: Hilary Matfess, "After Liberation: Women and the Politics of Expectations in Rebel-to-Party Transitions" (Stanford UP, 2026)
Stephen Onyango Ouma
Author of Africa Unbound: Decolonial Pathways to Sovereignty and Liberation
Brill (publisher)
Episode: Stephen Onyango Ouma, "Africa Unbound: Decolonial Pathways to Sovereignty and Liberation" (Brill, 2026)
Jeanne-Marie Jackson
Professor of English at Johns Hopkins University, director of the Alexander Grass Humanities Institute
Johns Hopkins University
Episode: Jeanne-Marie Jackson, "The Letter of the Law in J. E. Casely Hayford's West Africa" (Princeton UP, 2026)
Ainehi Edoro
Assistant Professor of English at African Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison; founding editor of Brittle Paper
University of Wisconsin–Madison; Brittle Paper
Episode: Ainehi Edoro, "Forest Imaginaries: How African Novels Think" (Columbia UP, 2026)
Emmanuel Ofuasia
Professor of Philosophy
University of Pretoria
Episode: Emmanuel Ofuasia, "Ìwà: the Process-Relational Dimension to African Metaphysics" (Springer, 2024)
Michael Allan
Professor of Comparative Literature and Cinema Studies
University of Oregon
Episode: Michael Allan, "Cinema before the World: The Global Routes of the Lumière Brothers" (Fordham UP, 2026)

Hosts

Dr. Miranda Melcher
One of the hosts, involved in various academic discussions covering a range of topics in African studies.
Keith Rathbun
Host of New Books in African Studies and involved in contemporary discussions around African topics.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 95 ratings
  • Colonial, White Perspective

    Just listened to the podcast episode called “The Future of Africa: a Discussion with James A Robinson” and it was the most colonial, white-supremist perspective I’ve ever heard of. James A Robinson needs to read “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa” by Walter Rodney and stop acting like it’s Africa’s fault for not having technological and societal advancements in the same way Europe & Asia did. Any “advancement”Europe had was not just happenstance, but entirely because of the domination and extract... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Keahileo
    United States3 years ago
  • Great listening

    👍🏻

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BurtonR
    Australia4 years ago
  • Max Siollun’s book interview!

    Max Siollun carried the interview, he was both enthusiastic and current. I can’t wait to read his latest book “What Britain did to Nigeria.”

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    T Drinker
    United States5 years ago
  • Reviewer’s tone

    I especially enjoy the reviews given pre-2019. The hosts were better public speakers in the beginning of this series. Any interview conducted by Host Nicholas Walton was a great!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    T Drinker
    United States5 years ago
  • Excellent podcast

    This is an excellent podcast. Always interesting book topics and insightful q

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JasonByrne film
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

There are some critiques regarding the representation of different perspectives in certain episodes.
Overall, feedback indicates a strong interest in the expertise of guests and the quality of insights they provide.
Listeners appreciate the depth of scholarly analysis and contemporary relevance of topics discussed.

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Oil and Militancy in Nigeria: A Conversation with Noo Saro-Wiwa
Q: What role does gender play in the environmental and economic dynamics you describe?
Women in the Delta bear a heavy burden from environmental damage and are pivotal in sustaining farming and communities; the narrative shows how empowering women and ensuring their rights can lead to better environmental stewardship and social outcomes.
Oil and Militancy in Nigeria: A Conversation with Noo Saro-Wiwa
Q: How did the deaths of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the subsequent amnesty shape the region's politics?
His death became a symbol of peaceful protest's power and tragedy, while the amnesty created a framework where former militants gained stipends and influence, which in turn affected electoral dynamics and governance, often rewarding violence and complicating democratic accountability.
Oil and Militancy in Nigeria: A Conversation with Noo Saro-Wiwa
Q: What is the central thesis of your book and its relevance to the Niger Delta's current situation?
The Niger Delta's struggles are rooted in the mismanagement of oil wealth, environmental degradation, and weak governance, which have amplified poverty and sparked militancy; addressing these issues requires linking reform in resource governance with ecological remediation and a transition to sustainable energy like solar power.
Jeanne-Marie Jackson, "The Letter of the Law in J. E. Casely Hayford's West Africa" (Princeton UP, 2026)
Q: So can you kind of give me a sense of why you chose to approach J. Casely Hayford through his writings and thinking through it in this way? Why did you discard alternatives and how did you end up with this way of approaching him and his writing?
The author describes shifting from a conventional literary biography to a conceptual history approach because the archive is uneven and Hayford's textual practice reveals how ideas traveled across contexts. This method foregrounds the relationship between text, law, and governance, allowing Hayford's writings to illuminate broader questions about state-building in the Gold Coast and West Africa.
Nana Osei-Opare, "Socialist De-Colony: Black and Soviet Entanglements in Ghana's Cold War" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
Q: So briefly, what is the book about for the audience?
The book analyzes Ghana's dual emancipation projects—anti-racism and anti-capitalism—within the global context of the Cold War, showing how Ghana aimed to demonstrate Black governance and influence world systems through a hybrid socialist-capitalist model.

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Frequently Asked Questions About New Books in African Studies

What is New Books in African Studies about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The content is centered around scholarly discussions focusing on recently published research related to African studies. Episodes frequently feature authors and experts delving into various topics, including historical contexts, cultural dynamics, political narratives, and environmental issues within Africa. The variety of subjects showcases the complexities and richness of African studies, making it a valuable resource for those interested in academia and contemporary issues facing the continent. Unique elements often include an emphasis on how historical perspectives inform current debates and the importance of diverse voices in the field of African scholarship.

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Which podcasts are similar to New Books in African Studies?

These podcasts share a similar audience with New Books in African Studies:

1. New Books in Critical Theory
2. In Bed With The Right
3. Jacobin Radio
4. The LRB Podcast
5. Into Africa

How many episodes of New Books in African Studies are there?

New Books in African Studies launched 15 years ago and published 873 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on New Books in African Studies?

Recent guests on New Books in African Studies include:

1. Noo Saro-Wiwa
2. Michael Tuck
3. Bimbola Akinbola
4. Hilary Matfess
5. Stephen Onyango Ouma
6. Jeanne-Marie Jackson
7. Ainehi Edoro
8. Emmanuel Ofuasia

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