Join the Library and Loyalty Bookstores fo r the debut of Ani Kayode Somtochukwu's new book And Then He Sang a Lu llaby. Joined by Roxane Gay\, Ani will discuss his exciting new book from Roxane Gay Books.
\nCopies of the book will be available for sa le and signing\, and a limited number of giveaway copies will be available courtesy of the DC Public Library Foundation. \;
\nAb
out the Book:
The \;inaugural title \;from \;Rox
ane Gay Books\, \;And Then He Sang a Lullaby \;is \;a
\;searingly honest and resonant debut from a \;23-year-old \;
Nigerian writer and queer liberation activist\, exploring what love and fr
eedom cost in a society steeped in homophobia.
August is a God-fea ring track star who leaves Enugu City to attend university and escape his overbearing sisters. He carries the weight of their lofty expectations\, t he shame of facing himself\, and the haunting memory of a mother he never knew. It&rsquo\;s his first semester and pressures aside\, August is makin g friends\, \;doing well in his classes. He even almost has a girlfrie nd. There&rsquo\;s only one problem: he can&rsquo\;t stop thinking about S egun\, an openly gay student who works at a local cybercafé\;. Segun carries his own burdens and has been wounded in too many ways. When he me ets August\, their connection is undeniable\, but Segun is reluctant to op en himself up to August. He wants to love and be loved by a man who is com fortable in his own skin\, who will see and hold and love Segun\, exactly as he is.
\nDespite their differences\, August and Segun forge a ten der intimacy that defies the violence around them. But there is only so lo ng Segun can stand being loved behind closed doors\, while August lives a life beyond the world they&rsquo\;ve created together. And when a new\, sw eeping anti-gay law is passed\, August and Segun must find a way for their love to survive in a Nigeria that was always determined to eradicate them . A tale of rare bravery and profound beauty\, \;And Then He Sang a Lu llaby \;is an extraordinary debut that marks Ani as a voice to watch.< /p>\n
About the Author:
Ani Kayode \;Somtochuk
wu \;is an award-winning Nigerian writer and queer liberation activist
. His work \;interrogates themes of queer identity\, resistance\, and
liberation. His writings have appeared in \;literary magazines across
Africa\, Europe\, Asia\, and North America.
About the Conv
ersation Partner:
Roxane Gay&rsquo\;s writing appears in Bes
t American Mystery Stories 2014\, Best American Short Stories 2012\, Best
Sex Writing 2012\, A Public Space\, McSweeney&rsquo\;s\, Tin House\, Oxfor
d American\, American Short Fiction\, Virginia Quarterly Review\, and many
others. She is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. She
is the author of the books Ayiti\, An Untamed State\, th
e New York Times bestselling Bad Feminist\, the nationally bestse
lling Difficult Women and the New York Times bestselling Hung
er. She is also the author of World of Wakanda for Marvel. S
he has several books forthcoming and is also at work on television and fil
m projects. She also has a newsletter\, \;The Audacity \;and once
had a podcast\, \;The Roxane Gay Agenda.
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