booksigning: The Street Hawker's Apprentice by Kabir Kareem-Bello
Saturday 23rd July
in the shop - 11am - booksigning - free entry
Please register via Eventbrite if you wish to attend so we know how many people to expect.
Join Kabir Kareem-Bello in the shop to hear about his acclaimed novel The Street Hawker’s Apprentice
The Street Hawker’s Apprentice is the fiction debut of Kabir Kareem-Bello. It was published as part of Jacaranda’s Twentyin2020 initiative (the first time a UK publisher had published 20 titles by 20 Black British writers in one year) and was longlisted for Diverse Book Awards 2021. Come along and learn more about the author and his Dickensian tale of two young boys from opposite sides of the track who form a bond of brotherhood and friendship as they survive the streets of Lagos.
Temilola is a kind-hearted boy from the upper echelons of Nigerian society who wakes up alone in the middle of Lagos and discovers that he has lost his memory. He soon finds that this is the least of his problems, as he must now attempt to survive the dangerous streets of Lagos.
Vipaar, who has been making a living as a hawker of random necessities on the streets of Lagos, finds Temilola and, after a violent first encounter, reluctantly takes him under his wing. They form a strong bond as they strive to make a meagre living selling mobile phone chargers to passing motorists on the dangerous highways of Lagos. The boys navigate the ruthless underbelly of Lagos and learn just how far they will go to protect themselves and each other. When tragedy strikes, their bond is broken and they are forced to separate from each other.
Will the two friends find each other again after they both face increasing brutality, pain and sorrow? Or will their destinies have diverged enough to tear them apart forever?
Kabir Kareem-Bello was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, and moved to the UK with his family in 1992. His self-published book Memoirs of Young African is based on his experiences as a young African migrant in the UK. He has spoken about identity and migration at a number of public events, most notably at the University of Edinburgh and Portsmouth University. The Street Hawker’s Apprentice is his first fiction novel. He is currently writing his second fiction novel and developing a documentary looking at the migration of Africans to the United Kingdom between the 1980s and 2000.
Please register here via Eventbrite if you wish to attend so we know how many people to expect.
Please register via Eventbrite for instructions to join and to help us with book ordering and to manage numbers on the shop floor.
We are operating with Covid caution here at October Books, so please respect your fellow attendees by maintaining some distance. We are requesting that people attending events/gatherings in the shop please wear a face covering - to ensure all people feel safe.
If you would like to reserve a copy of ‘The Street Hawker’s Apprentice’ to collect from the shop please email us at info@octoberbooks.org
You can get a copy delivered directly to your door here.
Find out more about KKB on Twitter: @KKareemBello and on Instagram: @kabir_kareembello
Find out more about the publisher on all social media: @jacarandabooks
