Harare Review of Books
@hararereview.bsky.social
✍🏾 Jacqueline Nyathi, librocubicularist, friendly neighbourhood "You *Must* Read This" person.
https://linktr.ee/hararereviewofbooks
📝📚 @thecontinent.org, @strangehorizons.bsky.social etc
(Incidentally, also @shonatiger.bsky.social)
https://linktr.ee/hararereviewofbooks
📝📚 @thecontinent.org, @strangehorizons.bsky.social etc
(Incidentally, also @shonatiger.bsky.social)
Pinned
🎧New Critical Friends! It was a real pleasure to convene this talk with Paul March-Russell of @sffoundation.bsky.social and Jacqueline Nyathi of @hararereview.bsky.social.
On the hopeful imagination: “We should have a much bigger perspective when we’re thinking about how to get to the future.” (JN)
On the hopeful imagination: “We should have a much bigger perspective when we’re thinking about how to get to the future.” (JN)
Critical Friends Episode 17: On Imagining Hopefully
Dan Hartland is joined by Paul March-Russell and Jacqueline Nyathi to discuss speculative fiction’s approach to hope and optimism. Where has it gone? How do writers express it? And what are its pit…
strangehorizons.com
First(ish) time on a (books, definitely) podcast! (I’m really shy and talking is hard). But Dan and Paul were really great to chat with and this is a subject I’m apparently really passionate about 😆
Torment Nexus. This was supposed to stay scifi.
UK campaigners condemn ‘creepy’ digital billboards that can track viewers’ responses www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
UK campaigners condemn ‘creepy’ digital billboards that can track viewers’ responses
Tech company has installed the advertising screens in hundreds of apartment blocks across 20 British cities
www.theguardian.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Torment Nexus. This was supposed to stay scifi.
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Space stories, folklore and awestruck nature books mingle in Big Issue's guide to the best children's books of 2025.
These are the best children's books of 2025
www.bigissue.com
December 9, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Space stories, folklore and awestruck nature books mingle in Big Issue's guide to the best children's books of 2025.
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Daikokuten (大黒天) has a an extensive CV: he is god of commerce and prosperity, the patron of cooks, farmers and bankers, guardian of crops, and he is also considered to be a demon hunter.
Perpetually smiling, he is often shown sitting on bales of rice (representing abundance).
Perpetually smiling, he is often shown sitting on bales of rice (representing abundance).
December 9, 2025 at 5:04 AM
Daikokuten (大黒天) has a an extensive CV: he is god of commerce and prosperity, the patron of cooks, farmers and bankers, guardian of crops, and he is also considered to be a demon hunter.
Perpetually smiling, he is often shown sitting on bales of rice (representing abundance).
Perpetually smiling, he is often shown sitting on bales of rice (representing abundance).
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
🙏🍀'THE SEVEN GODS OF FORTUNE' (七福神)🪙💸
O New Year's god
this year too
send help!
とし神やことしも御世話下さるる
-Kobayashi Issa (小林一茶).
Trans. David Lanoue.
As the year draws to a close, images of seven cheerful figures (often riding a treasure laden boat) begin to appear all over Japan.
#七福神 #sevengodsoffortune
O New Year's god
this year too
send help!
とし神やことしも御世話下さるる
-Kobayashi Issa (小林一茶).
Trans. David Lanoue.
As the year draws to a close, images of seven cheerful figures (often riding a treasure laden boat) begin to appear all over Japan.
#七福神 #sevengodsoffortune
December 8, 2025 at 1:24 AM
🙏🍀'THE SEVEN GODS OF FORTUNE' (七福神)🪙💸
O New Year's god
this year too
send help!
とし神やことしも御世話下さるる
-Kobayashi Issa (小林一茶).
Trans. David Lanoue.
As the year draws to a close, images of seven cheerful figures (often riding a treasure laden boat) begin to appear all over Japan.
#七福神 #sevengodsoffortune
O New Year's god
this year too
send help!
とし神やことしも御世話下さるる
-Kobayashi Issa (小林一茶).
Trans. David Lanoue.
As the year draws to a close, images of seven cheerful figures (often riding a treasure laden boat) begin to appear all over Japan.
#七福神 #sevengodsoffortune
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
I like the fact that bookshops exist, I like the idea that an independent bookshop might stock things a chain bookstore wouldn't, but in practice all the bookstores in my city stock pretty much the same things. At most there's one that slightly curates selections from the same distributors
December 9, 2025 at 5:26 AM
I like the fact that bookshops exist, I like the idea that an independent bookshop might stock things a chain bookstore wouldn't, but in practice all the bookstores in my city stock pretty much the same things. At most there's one that slightly curates selections from the same distributors
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
My co-edited volume with Cajetan Iheka - “Intellectual Traditions of African Literature, 1960 - 2015” has been published! Those with institutional access to @universitypress.cambridge.org can read it online, and we are grateful for help in spreading the word.
resolve.cambridge.org/core/books/a...
resolve.cambridge.org/core/books/a...
African Literature in Transition
Cambridge Core - African and Caribbean Literature - African Literature in Transition
resolve.cambridge.org
November 11, 2025 at 2:37 PM
My co-edited volume with Cajetan Iheka - “Intellectual Traditions of African Literature, 1960 - 2015” has been published! Those with institutional access to @universitypress.cambridge.org can read it online, and we are grateful for help in spreading the word.
resolve.cambridge.org/core/books/a...
resolve.cambridge.org/core/books/a...
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Alongside the word of the year we should have “the word that has lost the most of its meaning this year”. I nominate “ceasefire”.
December 8, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Alongside the word of the year we should have “the word that has lost the most of its meaning this year”. I nominate “ceasefire”.
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Thing I learned today: “duck tape” is a far older term than “duct tape.” It used to be made with cotton duck. “Duct tape” is a combination of people trying to make sense, and its association with post war use in HVAC systems.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape
Duct tape - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
December 9, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Thing I learned today: “duck tape” is a far older term than “duct tape.” It used to be made with cotton duck. “Duct tape” is a combination of people trying to make sense, and its association with post war use in HVAC systems.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duct_tape
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
1776: Fog, sun, dark & still.
December 9, 2025 at 7:00 AM
1776: Fog, sun, dark & still.
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
I would bet a largeish amount of money on this septology never actually being finished, given that the author, at book 2, already seems bored/over-constrained by the central conceit, and that the current rate of production will not see the final volume until the late 2030s.
December 9, 2025 at 7:05 AM
I would bet a largeish amount of money on this septology never actually being finished, given that the author, at book 2, already seems bored/over-constrained by the central conceit, and that the current rate of production will not see the final volume until the late 2030s.
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Reading is subjective and everyone is entitled to their own opinion except for those who did not like WE LOVE YOU, BUNNY because they are WRONG and ILLITERATE
December 9, 2025 at 7:09 AM
Reading is subjective and everyone is entitled to their own opinion except for those who did not like WE LOVE YOU, BUNNY because they are WRONG and ILLITERATE
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
In the latest episode of Radicals in Conversation, Christopher B. Zeichmann joins us to talk about the radical social experimentation of escaped slaves, pirates, and religious sects in the ancient world: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll5p...
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:04 AM
In the latest episode of Radicals in Conversation, Christopher B. Zeichmann joins us to talk about the radical social experimentation of escaped slaves, pirates, and religious sects in the ancient world: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll5p...
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Kind of weird that we had a whole world of information literally in our hands and we're probably going to see a return to curated physical media and live broadcasts because "Ai" is making the internet untrustworthy.
I reckon AI might be a conspiracy by big encyclopaedia.
I reckon AI might be a conspiracy by big encyclopaedia.
December 9, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Kind of weird that we had a whole world of information literally in our hands and we're probably going to see a return to curated physical media and live broadcasts because "Ai" is making the internet untrustworthy.
I reckon AI might be a conspiracy by big encyclopaedia.
I reckon AI might be a conspiracy by big encyclopaedia.
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Craving new fiction in 2025? This short story, “Mr. Original Swag” by Victor Forna from our fifth anthology, is well worth your time.
Free to access on our website until December 12.
🔗 willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/2025/11/19/m...
#AfricanSFF 🪐📚💙
Free to access on our website until December 12.
🔗 willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/2025/11/19/m...
#AfricanSFF 🪐📚💙
December 9, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Craving new fiction in 2025? This short story, “Mr. Original Swag” by Victor Forna from our fifth anthology, is well worth your time.
Free to access on our website until December 12.
🔗 willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/2025/11/19/m...
#AfricanSFF 🪐📚💙
Free to access on our website until December 12.
🔗 willthisbeaproblem.co.ke/2025/11/19/m...
#AfricanSFF 🪐📚💙
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
I signed the letter calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti. Overnight, I've received some 2,000 attack emails, identical text but different purported senders and subject headers. Still coming through now. Other signatories also getting it. Definitely an op.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
More than 200 leading cultural figures call for release of jailed Palestinian leader
Group including Margaret Atwood, Ian McKellen and Richard Branson sign open letter to free Marwan Barghouti
www.theguardian.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:47 AM
I signed the letter calling for the release of Marwan Barghouti. Overnight, I've received some 2,000 attack emails, identical text but different purported senders and subject headers. Still coming through now. Other signatories also getting it. Definitely an op.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
On the @fictionable.bsky.social #podcast we go back to the 16th century with Kasimma and talk feminism and colonisation.
Catch it at www.fictionable.world/podcasts/kas... or via #ApplePodcasts #Spotify #Acast and more…
#books #reading #writing #fiction #comics #ShortStories #translation #blog
Catch it at www.fictionable.world/podcasts/kas... or via #ApplePodcasts #Spotify #Acast and more…
#books #reading #writing #fiction #comics #ShortStories #translation #blog
December 9, 2025 at 7:54 AM
On the @fictionable.bsky.social #podcast we go back to the 16th century with Kasimma and talk feminism and colonisation.
Catch it at www.fictionable.world/podcasts/kas... or via #ApplePodcasts #Spotify #Acast and more…
#books #reading #writing #fiction #comics #ShortStories #translation #blog
Catch it at www.fictionable.world/podcasts/kas... or via #ApplePodcasts #Spotify #Acast and more…
#books #reading #writing #fiction #comics #ShortStories #translation #blog
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Folks might not know a lot of people are getting *very* upset that the materials they request are not available in the libraries/archives they're requesting from.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
I wish a notice like this wasn't necessary.
www.icrc.org/en/article/i...
www.icrc.org/en/article/i...
Important notice: AI-generated archival references
www.icrc.org
December 8, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Folks might not know a lot of people are getting *very* upset that the materials they request are not available in the libraries/archives they're requesting from.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
We're getting lots here at the Library of Virginia: requests of documents likely surfaced by large language models that *do not exist*.
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Najila Woodroffe wins Grenada Writers’ Prize 2025
#LiteraryAwards #Fiction #Grenada
www.writingafrica.com/najila-woodr...
#LiteraryAwards #Fiction #Grenada
www.writingafrica.com/najila-woodr...
Najila Woodroffe wins Grenada Writers' Prize 2025
Najila Woodroffe won the inaugural Grenada Writers' Prize in St. George's, Grenada, on Monday, December 8, 2025.
www.writingafrica.com
December 9, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Najila Woodroffe wins Grenada Writers’ Prize 2025
#LiteraryAwards #Fiction #Grenada
www.writingafrica.com/najila-woodr...
#LiteraryAwards #Fiction #Grenada
www.writingafrica.com/najila-woodr...
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Real jumpscare cover choice.
definitely my favourite subscription & really excited about this issue
December 9, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Real jumpscare cover choice.
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
This is nothing like the cover suggests. Yes, it’s a vampire novel, but one that has next to no vampiric action. I really liked it.
“I also said that THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT is a meditation on love, loyalty, and family.” @mondyboy74.bsky.social reviews new work from Cheon Seon-Ran
The Midnight Shift by Cheon Seon-Ran: Review by Ian Mond
The Midnight Shift, Cheon Seon-Ran (Bloomsbury 978-1-63973-576-1, 304pp, $27.99, hc) August 2025. The Midnight Shift by South Korean author Cheon Seon-Ran (translated by Gene Png) begins thusly: ‘…
locusmag.com
December 9, 2025 at 10:46 AM
This is nothing like the cover suggests. Yes, it’s a vampire novel, but one that has next to no vampiric action. I really liked it.
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Fireplace fun fact:
It is believed the first librarian (who lived in the library) used to sleep on the mantle piece of the Main Reading Room fireplace, as it was the only warm place in the library at night!
This anecdote is referenced in:
It is believed the first librarian (who lived in the library) used to sleep on the mantle piece of the Main Reading Room fireplace, as it was the only warm place in the library at night!
This anecdote is referenced in:
The Girl Who Lived in the Library – History of the Book
historyofthebook.mml.ox.ac.uk
December 9, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Fireplace fun fact:
It is believed the first librarian (who lived in the library) used to sleep on the mantle piece of the Main Reading Room fireplace, as it was the only warm place in the library at night!
This anecdote is referenced in:
It is believed the first librarian (who lived in the library) used to sleep on the mantle piece of the Main Reading Room fireplace, as it was the only warm place in the library at night!
This anecdote is referenced in:
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Well, it's because everyone who works or studies at a Bodleian Library @bodleian.ox.ac.uk must swear 'not to bring into the library or kindle therin any fire or flame' in order to protect the books in the libraries from fire.
So why and how do we even have a fireplace?
So why and how do we even have a fireplace?
Bodleian Oath Metal Sign
Bodleian Oath Metal Sign from the Bodleian Libraries
bodleianshop.co.uk
December 9, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Well, it's because everyone who works or studies at a Bodleian Library @bodleian.ox.ac.uk must swear 'not to bring into the library or kindle therin any fire or flame' in order to protect the books in the libraries from fire.
So why and how do we even have a fireplace?
So why and how do we even have a fireplace?
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Have you ever noticed the large fireplace in our Main Reading Room?🔥
In these cold winter days, a fire would be a very cosy way to warm up such a big (and slightly chilly!) room.
So why do we never light it?
In these cold winter days, a fire would be a very cosy way to warm up such a big (and slightly chilly!) room.
So why do we never light it?
December 9, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Have you ever noticed the large fireplace in our Main Reading Room?🔥
In these cold winter days, a fire would be a very cosy way to warm up such a big (and slightly chilly!) room.
So why do we never light it?
In these cold winter days, a fire would be a very cosy way to warm up such a big (and slightly chilly!) room.
So why do we never light it?
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
In a rented room near Plymouth in 1685, a daughter is born as her half-brother is dying.
Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark & Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.
So it was for #MaryRead b4 a life at sea passing from navy to piracy.
clairemcalpine.com/2025/12/09/s...
Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark & Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.
So it was for #MaryRead b4 a life at sea passing from navy to piracy.
clairemcalpine.com/2025/12/09/s...
Saltblood by Francesca de Tores
In a rented room outside Plymouth in 1685, a daughter is born as her half-brother is dying. Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark, and Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money…
clairemcalpine.com
December 9, 2025 at 7:10 AM
In a rented room near Plymouth in 1685, a daughter is born as her half-brother is dying.
Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark & Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.
So it was for #MaryRead b4 a life at sea passing from navy to piracy.
clairemcalpine.com/2025/12/09/s...
Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark & Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.
So it was for #MaryRead b4 a life at sea passing from navy to piracy.
clairemcalpine.com/2025/12/09/s...
Reposted by Harare Review of Books
Totally absorbing read.
“Nothing made me forget the world like reading did. Nothing made me think about the world like reading did. Nothing else filled me up. Nothing else emptied me out. Sentences and paragraphs would drift through my head like clouds.”
― #ArundhatiRoy, Mother Mary Comes to Me
“Nothing made me forget the world like reading did. Nothing made me think about the world like reading did. Nothing else filled me up. Nothing else emptied me out. Sentences and paragraphs would drift through my head like clouds.”
― #ArundhatiRoy, Mother Mary Comes to Me
December 7, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Totally absorbing read.
“Nothing made me forget the world like reading did. Nothing made me think about the world like reading did. Nothing else filled me up. Nothing else emptied me out. Sentences and paragraphs would drift through my head like clouds.”
― #ArundhatiRoy, Mother Mary Comes to Me
“Nothing made me forget the world like reading did. Nothing made me think about the world like reading did. Nothing else filled me up. Nothing else emptied me out. Sentences and paragraphs would drift through my head like clouds.”
― #ArundhatiRoy, Mother Mary Comes to Me