“I want Mythological Africans to be a fun and inclusive space which nurtures mine and other people’s curiosity and willingness to share their own explorations of myth and folklore from the continent and elsewhere.”
Dear Friends,
I wrote the words quoted above a little over two years ago in the second edition of the MA Newsletter. I can say with pleasure and pride that so far, MA has been this space of friendly, curious exploration and discovery for me and thousands of people all over the world.
The month of August highlighted this because I had the honor reviewing J. Furcifer Bhairav and Rakesh Khanna’s phenomenal book “Ghosts, Monsters and Demons of India”. The book is everything you want a folklore collection to be. The entries balance great storytelling with just the right amount of cultural, geographical, and historical context. It shows just how powerfully mythology and folklore can function as time capsules and vibrant threads, preserving and connecting humans across time and space.
What really made the book special was the many stories which point to the encounters between African and Indian peoples, and how deeply this has impacted culture on both continents. It is easy to see the Indian influence in the folklore of African’s Eastern coast so it was such a treat to see the reverse. Each time I think of the Silk Road, I can’t help but wonder about the stories that flowed back and forth. I mean, what else would these people do in the evenings when their caravans stopped for the night?
The best thing about connecting with people who are into friendly and curious exploration and discovery like you is that sometimes, you get to hang out with them and talk about the things that get you excited. That’s what Rakesh and I will be doing on Saturday November 16th at 9am EST on Twitter Spaces. Rakesh is the co-founder of Blaft Publications, a Chennai (India) based company which publishes translations of Indian-language pulp fiction, folklore, weird fiction, and graphic novels.
Hope you can join us. Set a reminder here!
For the month of September, I will be taking some time away from social media to focus on projects, work and life in general. You will still get the newsletter with updates and the weekly MA Podcast. I will be back on Twitter for the book talk but there will be no daily mythology and folklore posts. I’m not sure when I will return to social media . That will depend on how much ground I can cover over the next 1-3 months.
In the meantime, be safe friends!
Helen
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