When We Were Birds: Winner of the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature and t

Description: When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo "The introduction of a singularly stunning new voice in fiction, Ayanna Lloyd Banwos When we were birds is a mythic love story set in contemporary Trinidad & Tobago about two young outsiders brought together by their connection with the dead"-- FORMAT Paperback CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Unmissable, uplifting debut fiction - a richly mythic love story set in the lush landscape of modern TrinidadDarwin is a down-on-his-luck gravedigger, newly arrived in the city to seek his fortune, young and beautiful and lost. Estranged from his mother, he is convinced that the father he never met may be waiting for him somewhere amid these bustling streets. Meanwhile in an old house on a hill, Yejides mother is dying. And she is leaving behind a legacy that now passes to Yejide- the keeper of the dead. Darwin and Yejide will find one another in the ancient cemetery at the heart of the city, where trouble is brewing and destiny awaits...Embedded with timeless myth and magic, this hypnotic literary debut is a masterpiece about loss and renewal, darkness and light- a reckoning with a grief that runs back generations and a defiant, joyful affirmation of hope. Author Biography Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is a writer from Trinidad & Tobago. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, where she is now a Creative and Critical Writing PhD candidate. Her work has been published in Moko Magazine, Small Axe and PREE, among others, and shortlisted for Small Axe Literary Competition and the Wasafiri New Writing Prize. When We Were Birds is her first novel; she is now working on her second. Ayanna lives with her husband in London. Review This magical tale of a Trinidadian gravedigger searching for a father he never met proves we should believe the hype * Stella, Sunday Telegraph *Luminous, gripping, packed with drama, colour and tension... A thoroughly original and emotionally rich examination of love, grief and inheritance... Like the vultures which escort dead souls to the afterlife, Ayanna Lloyd Banwos novel takes flight and soars * Economist *Tender and lonely and powerful... A love letter to Trinidad [and] a vivid debut about romance and loss in the Caribbean... It also centres another kind of love: the complexity of mothering and its beautiful and terrible consequences... Lloyd Banwo conjures an aching sexual energy, places the lovers in deliciously paced jeopardy and takes the tale to an agreeably thundery climax * Guardian *Beguiling, mesmerising, vibrantly alive... Theres a lovely dreaminess to the prose and a heart-stopping romance alongside the supernatural magic but its a novel firmly rooted in the nitty gritty of life * Daily Express *Soulful, haunting, a deep-rooted love story... Uniquely tackling themes of grief, identity and acceptance, Ayanna Lloyd Banwos rhythmic prose builds tension at every step... A tale of finding ones self * Stylist *Lyrical, powerful, thought-provoking... This is a book about the histories we try to erase and the importance of reckoning with them. It is about small lives; about honouring deaths that have gone unclaimed, unremembered, unmourned * Irish Independent *Suffused with myth and magic, eerie, enchanting... The atmosphere is intensely conjured, with squalling storms, luscious food and sinister acts by night... In the Trinidad of Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, the departed are never gone * Sunday Telegraph *Mythic and captivating, electric, breathtaking... The anchor of this story is Trinidad itself. Banwo roots the reader in its traditions and rituals, in the sights and sounds and colours and smells of fruit vendors, fish vendors, street preachers and schoolchildren, in the glorious matriarchy by which lineage is upheld * New York Times Book Review *Rich and rhythmic, triumphant and joyous... An enchanting exploration of love and loss, a ghost story whose characters are haunted by their ancestral responsibilities... I only wish I could have basked in the beauty of [the love story] for longer * New Statesman *A searing symphony of magic and loss, love and hope, where in the middle of death, love comes shiny, sparkling and alive. This book might just heal you -- Marlon James, author of Black Leopard, Red WolfExceptional. The originality of its premise, the power and beauty of its prose, the depth of its explorations of what it means to love and be loved... When We Were Birds is about the silver cord of memory and blood and history that binds a family of women even after death. I loved this book -- Jacob Ross, author of Black Rain FallingA fabulous journey to a fictionalised Trinidad, where reality and imagination, the living and the dead converge... Lovers of the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Isabel Allende will feel right at home... A warm, vibrant and ultimately, uplifting debut * Sunday Independent *Combining the richness of myth with razor-sharp observation of contemporary life, When We Were Birds marks the emergence of a distinctive and powerful voice -- Pat Barker, author of The Silence of the GirlsI was spellbound! A gorgeous, fantastical story that deftly weaves the earthly and ethereal and melds their boundaries. Womanhood and life within death is told through magical realism. A mesmerising love story that is achingly tender -- Bolu Babalola, author of Love in ColourA rich mixture of the real and fantasy landscapes of Trinidad... Lloyd Banwo gives both [protagonists] an authentic voice, and we feel their conflicts and urges deeply. As the novel rushes them towards its dramatic conclusion, you almost wish for more time with them and the enigmatic world she has created * i paper *A beautifully rich and alluring love story... When We Were Birds is a mesmerizing work of fiction, embedded with timeless, mythic magic and wisdom. A stunning new voice in fiction, Banwos tale is a standout from the crowd * Daily Hive *Heart-warming and heart-breaking, fantastical and familiar, with characters that burrow their way into your heart and mind with their tragedies and triumphs, When We Were Birds is the kind of story that makes you want to spread your arms open wide, embrace the sky, and take flight in your own little way. It is glorious -- Robert Jones Jr, author of The ProphetsMagical, enchanting, majestic... Infused with the lush and terrible beauty of the Trinidadian landscape, When We Were Birds weaves dreams and apparitions, religion and myth, into a story of love in its many manifestations -- Barbara Jenkins, author of De Rightest PlaceAn eloquent and breathtaking novel from an irresistible new voice. The words are there on the page and then whoop! Suddenly they are right in the centre of your heart. Ayanna Lloyd Banwo writes on the wings of love and death -- Tessa McWatt, author of The Snow LineA moving and fervent meditation on belief, love, family and the transitionary power of death, Banwos spirited, finely wrought prose draws you in and doesnt let go. When We Were Birds marks a distinctive, bold and truthful new voice in literature. Long may she fly -- Courttia Newland, author of A River Called TimeI absolutely loved it, and Im sure everyone who picks it up will love it too. When We Were Birds has a similar power and depth to This One Sky Day. It is a love story between two outsiders but also a love letter to language itself, full of myth but deeply grounded in reality. I cannot wait to read what Ayanna writes next! -- Anna Ellory, author of The Puzzle WomenAyanna Lloyd Banwo is one of those rare voices you come across once in a long while - strong, confident and necessary. She reminds us what we should expect from great writing: the daring to take chances and to experiment with language and form -- Helon Habila, author of TravellersSet in a Trinidad both magical and real, and written in a rich demotic; so much more than a love story -- Louise Kennedy, author of TrespassesUplifting, engaging, expansive: this was just the book I needed. In a voice infused with the rhythms of Trinidad and Tobago, Banwo has crafted the perfect love story, one that moves with deftness between the furies of urban poverty and the gentle infinities of the afterlife. The hard-won peace and redemptive love in this story are real, and something we need more of in the world -- Kawai Strong Washburn, author of Sharks in the Time of SavioursA vibrant and immersive exploration of the bonds that connect us to the past and to each other. Here, history reverberates and intoxicates. Ayanna Lloyd Banwo has swept me off my feet - she writes with the confidence and skill of prize-winning greats like Marilynne Robinson, Toni Morrison, and Isabel Allende -- Megan Bradbury, author of Everyone is WatchingIts a knockout, and Ayanna Lloyd Banwo is a star. I want to read everything she writes. Deep with magic, superstition, grit and heart, [and] a powerful conduit to our ownership of personal heritage -- Niven Govinden, author of This Brutal HouseA shining new light on the literary scene. When We Were Birds is a novel reminiscent of old folklore tales, woven with myths, ghosts and love, and told with a powerful voice that is simply unforgettable -- Ronali Collings, author of All the Single LadiesStunning, lyrical, original. A work of real power and beauty, a story of magic and love, the living and the dead in Trinidad, this novel had me spellbound. I was with Yejide and Darwin all the way -- Zoe Somerville, author of The Night of the FloodAyanna Lloyd Banwos voice is haunting, and When We Were Birds is a novel of exquisite detail that opens up the liminal space between folklore and the world we inhabit -- Avni Doshi, author of Burnt SugarHaunting, beautiful and sharply observed. A story that gets under your skin, with characters that burrow into your heart. I adored it -- Sara Nisha Adams, author of The Reading ListAyanna Lloyd Banwos electric, musical prose draws us in - we follow Darwin and Yejide as they slip in and out of incredible worlds. This is a story fluttering between dark and light, life and death, hollowing out a place in us all for love -- Richard Georges, author of Make Us All IslandsAuthentic, stirring, magical - a book that will haunt you long after you finish reading it. Full of intricate details and rhythmic prose, it explores the complexities of love and legacy, the struggles of life and the rituals of death -- Shakirah Bourne, author of In Time of NeedA love story, a ghost story and a coming-of-age story, all masterfully woven into one. I loved it -- Claire Adam, author of Golden ChildThis wonderfully original debut novel unspools at the stormy crossroads that separate the living and the dead... Banwo has created a unique world expansive enough to contain a ghost story, a love story, a mysterious mythology, and a thoughtful examination of how family bonds keep us firmly rooted to our pasts... [She] deftly weaves the realistic and the fantastic into a strange and compelling tapestry, a world readers will happily return to, even if they dont usually gravitate toward fantasy * Kirkus *[A] love story threaded through with supernatural events and dangerous secrets * Daily Mail * Review Quote Exceptional. The originality of its premise, the power and beauty of its prose, the depth of its explorations of what it means to love and be loved... When We Were Birds is about the silver cord of memory and blood and history that binds a family of women even after death. I loved this book Promotional "Headline" Unmissable, uplifting debut fiction - a richly mythic love story set in the lush landscape of modern Trinidad Details ISBN0241991633 Author Ayanna Lloyd Banwo Publisher Penguin Books Ltd Year 2023 ISBN-10 0241991633 ISBN-13 9780241991633 Format Paperback Imprint Penguin Books Ltd Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom Publication Date 2023-02-09 UK Release Date 2023-02-09 Pages 288 Subtitle Winner of the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature and the Authors Club First Novel Award 2023 DEWEY 813.6 Audience General NZ Release Date 2023-05-08 AU Release Date 2023-05-08 Alternative 9780241991640 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:142140082;

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