{"title":"Alain Mabanckou","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlain Mabanckou\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts narratives that explore the complexities of African identity and contemporary life with a vibrant, distinctive voice. His works, such as \u003cem\u003eAfrican Psycho\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAs Long As Trees Take Root in the Earth\u003c\/em\u003e, blend sharp social critique with humour and poetic insight, inviting readers into richly drawn worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRooted in both \u003cem\u003eGeneral Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eArts \u0026amp; Culture\u003c\/em\u003e, Mabanckou’s books offer a compelling look at memory, history, and the human experience, marked by lively characters and evocative storytelling that challenge and engage the reader.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"dealing-with-the-dead-by-alain-mabanckou-9781800817708","title":"Dealing with the Dead","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbruptly deceased at the age of twenty-four and trapped forever in flared purple trousers, Liwa Ekimakinga encounters the other residents of Frere Lachaise cemetery, all of whom have their own complex stories of life and death.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnwilling to relinquish their tender bond, Liwa makes his way back home to see his devoted grandmother one last time, against all spectral advice. But disturbing rumours swirl together with Liwa's jumbled memories of his last night on earth, leading him to pursue the riddle of his own untimely demise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA phantasmagorical tale of ambition, community and forces beyond human control, \u003cem\u003eDealing with the Dead\u003c\/em\u003e is a scathing satire on corruption and political violence by one of the foremost chroniclers of modern Central Africa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46825716023532,"sku":"9781800817708","price":36.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/4277173482829.jpg?v=1758110306"},{"product_id":"african-psycho-by-alain-mabanckou-9781781257876","title":"African Psycho","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinalist for the Man Booker International Prize 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGregoire Nakobomayo, a petty criminal, has decided to kill his girlfriend Germaine. He's planned the crime for some time, but still, the act of murder requires a bit of psychological and logistical preparation. Luckily, he has a mentor to call on, the far more accomplished serial killer Angoualima. The fact that Angoualima is dead doesn't prevent Gregoire from holding lengthy conversations with him. Little by little, Gregoire interweaves Angoualima's life and criminal exploits with his own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eContinuing with the plan despite a string of botched attempts, Gregoire's final shot at offing Germaine leads to an abrupt unravelling. Lauded in France for its fresh and witty style, \u003ci\u003eAfrican Psycho's\u003c\/i\u003e inventive use of language surprises and relieves the reader by sending up this disturbing subject.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46997881946348,"sku":"9781781257876","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/5279383482822.jpg?v=1763196087"},{"product_id":"as-long-as-trees-take-root-in-the-earth-by-alain-mabanckou-9781803095936","title":"As Long As Trees Take Root in the Earth","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA hopeful, music-infused poetry collection from Congolese poet Alain Mabanckou.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese compelling poems by novelist and essayist Alain Mabanckou conjure nostalgia for an African childhood where the fauna, flora, sounds, and smells evoke snapshots of a life forever gone. Mabanckou's poetry is frank and forthright, urging his compatriots to no longer be held hostage by the civil wars and political upheavals that have ravaged their country, and to embrace a new era of self-determination where the village roosters can sing again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese music-infused texts, beautifully translated by Nancy Naomi Carlson and supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, appear together in English for the first time. In these pages, Mabanckou pays tribute to his beloved mother, as well as to the regenerative power of nature, and especially of trees, whose roots are a metaphor for the poet's roots, anchored in the red earth of his birthplace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMabanckou's yearning for the land of his ancestors is even more poignant because he has been declared persona non grata in his homeland, now called Congo-Brazzaville, due to his biting criticism of the country's regime. Despite these barriers, his poetry exudes hope that nature's resilience will lead humankind on the path to redemption and reconciliation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47462625214700,"sku":"9781803095936","price":31.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781803095936-as-long-as-trees-take-root-in-the-earth.jpg?v=1775018486"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/alain-mabanckou.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}