Stephen Davies

I am a children's author writing picture books, chapter books and teen novels. My books are set in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, on the edge of the Sahara Desert. I have lived in Africa for more than ten years, working with World Horizons amongst Fulani cattle herders. Welcome to my site.

Category: FILO 2010

Reading books on public transport – two views

by Stephen Davies

So I came across this blog today via @inspirationbits: People Reading Books in Public Places Here in Burkina Faso I hardly ever see someone reading a book in a public place. There is a great discussion in JM Coetzee’s novel Elizabeth Costello about why you seldom see people in Africa reading on buses. It’s not [...]

Published: September 14, 2011 | Filed Under: FILO 2010, YA books | Tags: : : : : :

Moussa Konate where are you?

by Stephen Davies

I read back in May that Malian author Moussa Konate had confirmed his appearance at FILO 2010. Where are you, Moussa? Where are you hiding? I only came to FILO because I thought you were coming too If anyone has seen Monsieur Konate, please comment below. FILO finishes on Thursday. Moussa Konate on Wikipedia

Published: December 21, 2010 | Filed Under: FILO 2010 | Tags: :

Friends of African Village Libraries

by Stephen Davies

Pierre-Claver Ilboudo talked the other day about making books more accessible. Well, here are some people who are doing just that. Friends of African Village Libraries are doing some great work to raise the profile of books and literacy here in Burkina Faso. They take buildings donated by the community and turn them into libraries, [...]

Published: December 21, 2010 | Filed Under: FILO 2010 | Tags: : : : :

One week’s wages to buy a book

by admin

Am negotiating the sale of ‘Albino Camel’ book rights with an African publisher here at FILO. Sticking point: he is proposing a cover price of 11,000 CFA – that’s almost 15 pounds sterling. Bear in mind that a typical day wage for unskilled labour here in Ouagadougou is 1,000 CFA and you’ll see what the [...]

Published: December 20, 2010 | Filed Under: FILO 2010 | Tags: : :

FILO 2010

by admin

This week I’m blogging from Ouagadougou’s International book festival – the ‘Foire Internationale du Livre de Ouagadougou’ (FILO). I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. It’s hardly Frankfurt but it still has a certain buzz. The most interesting speech at the opening ceremony yesterday was from Pierre-Claver Ilboudo, who exhorted all writers [...]

Published: December 19, 2010 | Filed Under: FILO 2010 | Tags: : : : : :
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