Following her critically acclaimed debut, join us for Peace Adzo Medie's discussion of her new novel, Nightbloom, with Doseline Kiguru.
Growing up side by side, Selasi and Akorfa were inseparable. But when Selasi begins to push Aforka away, their paths diverge. Moving to university with America and and grappling with insidious racism once leaving Ghana, it will be years before Akorfa learns what happened.
When a terrible crisis brings them back together as young women, they must confront the secrets that Selasi has worked so hard to bury, and challenge those who would prefer them to remain silent.
A riveting depiction of class, family and discrimination across Ghana and the United States, Nightbloom is above all a gripping and beautifully written novel attesting to the strength of female friendship and belonging.
About the Event
Peace Adzo Medie will be discussing Nightbloom with Doseline Kiguru in the Exeter Phoenix. In the talk she will cover her inspirations, key themes, and the influence of her academic research into gender, violence and politics on her fiction.
Africa Writes is the UK’s leading platform celebrating the best contemporary African writing and is part of Exeter’s Unesco City of Literature programme. The events this year will include performances, book launches and workshops and are hosted in collaboration with independent bookshop Bookbag and creative hub Roots Resistance.
Cost: Free
About the speakers
Peace Adzo Medie is a Liberian-born Ghanaian writer and a Senior Lecturer in Gender and Politics at the University of Bristol. Her debut novel, His Only Wife, was a Reece's Book Club pick, a New York Times Editors' Choice, and a Time Magazine Must-Read Book of 2020. She is also the author of Global Norms and Local Action: The Campaigns to End Violence Against Women in Africa (Oxford University Press, 2022). She is an award-winning scholar and has been awarded several fellowships. She holds a PhD in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in Geography from the University of Ghana.
Doseline Kiguru is a Lecturer in World Literature at the University of Bristol. She works on postcolonial print and digital cultures focusing on African literary and cultural production mechanisms. She engages with both the text and the literary networks within which the text circulates such as publishing and prize industries, book fairs and festivals, literary magazines and writers’ organisations, among others.
Accessibility Statement: If you have questions, suggestions or would like to discuss specific requirements, please contact Exeter Phoenix's Visitor Services Manager Anna-Ruth by calling 01392 667080 or email Anna-Ruth via the link here.
ACCESS TO THE BUILDING
There is a steep slope from the street leading to the main entrance and a flight of stairs up to the front door. More level access is possible by approaching from Exeter Central Library on Castle street. Step-free access to the building is available via a ramped entrance on the side of the building.
The side entrance is equipped with automatic doors.
All ground floor spaces are fully accessible with a mix of level flooring and gentle ramps. Spaces on the first floor are accessible via lift or the main staircases with level floor access throughout. Unfortunately, the second floor is not accessible via lift. Access from the first floor is via one flight of stairs.
Seating at events in The Workshop & Studio 1 changes depending on the event; if you have any specific requirements we will do our best to accommodate them and advise getting in contact before you attend.
If you are a wheelchair user we have removable seats or appropriate spaces available in all event spaces to accommodate this.
PARKING
There is one accessible parking space for Blue Badge Holders. To reserve this for your visit, please call the box office team on 01392 667080 who will provide you with a parking permit upon arrival.
TOILETS
Level access to accessible toilets is available on all floors. The accessible toilet next to Studio 74 does not require a radar key. A radar key is required for the accessible toilet on the ground floor next to the Workshop and the first floor accessible toilet; the key is available from the box office.
There are gender neutral toilets available in Studio 74 and on the first floor.
GUIDE DOGS
Guide / Hearing / Assistance Dogs are welcome. If you wish to take your dog into the event, please let us know when booking so that we can arrange an adjacent seat.
COMPANIONS
Patrons with disabilities may also bring a companion free of charge to all events.
SENSORY NOTES
The cafe bar plays low level recorded music during the day, with moderately bright lighting. During the evening in the cafe bar the music is louder and the lighting is lower. The cafe bar can become busy at various times which makes it louder.
The building can be busy with multiple events happening at the same time, if during your visit you feel you need a quieter space please ask and we will try to accommodate this wherever possible.
VENUE VISUAL STORY
Exeter Phoenix are currently in the process of updating their visual story to more accurately reflect the building.