Book Recs
5 Most Anticipated Non-Fiction Books by Women in 2024
Mar
My goal this year is to read more non-fiction books, driven by my growing interest in the human mind and the valuable insights we can gain from real-life experiences. In celebration of Women’s Month, I’ve compiled a list of Five Most Anticipated Non-Fiction Books by Women in 2024.
Creating this list was challenging due to the limited number of women authors in non-fiction, but I’m grateful for those who continue to contribute to this genre. Below are the five most anticipated non-fiction books by women in 2024 with an accompanying paragraph from their publisher’s website.
Outriders Africa
Travel writing provides opportunities for both self-exploration and ethnocentrism. It is therefore unsurprising that some of the most enduring stereotypes about Africa and Africans have come from travel writing by European men and women, with tropes of monstrosity, backwardness, inferiority, infantilism and foreboding.
In the last few years, a handful of Black and African authors have emerged in the travel writing scene. They are however not enough to counter-balance the damaging legacy that 400 years of white European journeying authors has brought to the genre. The Outrider project is an invitation for writers to explore travel writing through the “African Gaze”. Two writers will be paired to travel in and through the same society and to write about their experience and encounters from their own embodied perspective.
Humanity Unveiled
Through intimate encounters with luminaries such as Dr. Maya Angelou, Dr. Nina Simone, President Nelson Mandela, and Dr Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, just to name a few. Through her encounters with luminaries, Dr King weaves a rich fabric of insight and enlightenment, each thread unravelling profound lessons that transcend time. These extraordinary rendezvous serve as poignant lessons, revealing the profound impact each human connection can have on our collective understanding of what it truly means to be human.
As Dr. King intertwines her personal experiences with these iconic figures, ‘Humanity Unveiled’ becomes a compelling narrative that challenges conventional perspectives and inspires a deeper exploration of our shared human-ness.
The World was in our hands
A provocative collection of first-hand experiences of people living through Boko Haran. Edited by Chitra Nagaranjan
A moving, often provocative, and ultimately vital collection of first-hand accounts of people living through the Boko Haram conflict. From abducted girls to brash soldiers, and from community leaders to simple fishermen, this collection provides an insight into the realities of those living through the conflict, making this an essential cultural archive. The World Was in Our Hands covers themes of patriarchy, the economy, climate change, and corruption, to paint a picture that is much broader than what has been captured through news coverage.
Ladies and Their Handbags
He is always by her side. He’s got everything she needs. She strokes him lovingly and breathes in his scent. And yet she’ll eventually trade him for a new one: the lady and her handbag. In this book, Mylo Freeman introduces fifty inspiring women from all over the world. From big names such as Queen Elizabeth II, Jane Birkin and Paris Hilton, to lesser-known women such as South African fasion designer Palesa Mokubung, Hello Kitty designer Yuko Yamaguchi and journalist-explorer Nellie Bly. For each of them, their handbag carries a different meaning: accessory, practical aid, feminist manifesto. However different the women and their bags, each of them are unique and a force to be reckoned with.
Monthly Flower
Monthly Flower is an enlightening and empowering book by Ololade Akintoye, that serves as an invaluable guide for young girls embarking on the transformative journey of puberty and periods.
In this comprehensive book, tweens and teens are introduced to the intricacies of puberty and a deeper knowledge of menstruation, with essential tips from preparing for their first period to subsequent period management and handling every emotion in between.
With sensitivity and clarity, Monthly Flower debunks myths and addresses crucial topics such as personal and menstrual hygiene, creating healthy boundaries, tracking menstrual cycles, utilising suitable menstrual products, combating period stigma, and promoting body positivity. It illuminates the connection between periods and hormones, with key learnings on PMS and managing menstrual symptoms.
About The Writer: Nnaemeka Nnam is a Nigerian writer and bookstagrammer. He has been published or forthcoming at Nnọkọ Stories, W&S UK, and Isele Magazine. He is an alum of Sprin NG Writer’s Fellowship 2023 and Idembeka Creative Writing Workshop 2023. Nnaemeka wants you to embrace love, sadness and joy as they come. When he’s not obsessing over books on Instagram, they are wishing upon a star.
