The Good Books, Foday Mannah: ‘I always recommend Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart, it’s a stunning novel’

Foday Mannah on reading as a child, the author who has inspired him, what he’s reading now. 

The first book I remember reading:

Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat comes to mind as do the Hardy Boys detective novels written by Franklin W. Dixon. But the standout from childhood has to be The Passport of Mallam Ilia by Cyprian Ekwensi: romance, adventure, revenge and men fighting to the death in a game of Shanchi to win the hand of the beautiful Zarah, Princess of the Tuaregs; epic.

A book I recommend to everyone:

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart, which won the Booker Prize in 2020 is a stunning novel that explores addiction, sexuality and social deprivation in such engaging detail. Allow me also to mention The Poor Christ of Bomba, by Mongo Beti, which has to be one of the finest novels ever written, fascinating in the manner in which it lampoons French colonial authority and the inadequacies of Western Christianity within traditional African contexts.

The best book I have read in this year:

Dominicana by Angie Cruz is a phenomenal exploration of the immigrant experience from the perspective of a young female protagonist, ever so relevant amidst the ructions and upheavals that characterise the culture wars of contemporary society. Also Weak Teeth by Lynsey May – a brilliant exploration of heartbreak and complex family relationships.

The book I am most looking forward to:

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby. If his two previous novels that I’ve read – Razorblade Tears and All the Sinners Bleed – are the yardstick, then we are in for another epic journey: captivating crime, searing action and proof absolute that novel genres do not have to be mutually exclusive.

A book I didn’t finish:
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. I was drawn in by the very justified hype and excitement when one considers the towering literary significance of To Kill a Mockingbird, but I found it a hard read though and could not help but think that the author did not mean for this to be published.

An author that has inspired me:
Chinua Achebe. I was hooked since I read his children’s novel, Chike and the River. I wrote my undergraduate dissertation on how his novels reflect Africa’s political metamorphoses; every single one of them  is an achievement of stellar proportions.

The book I am reading now:

The Seventh Son by Sebastian Faulks – a young academic who is struggling financially and so agrees to be a surrogate mother for a young couple; an immoral billionaire playing god etc. Interesting new territory for one of the great writers of our time. Enjoying it so far.

The Search for Othella Savage (Quercus) by Foday Mannah has been shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and the winner will be announced at the festival in Stirling 12-14 September. 

Read more of The Good Books here.

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