The Giving of Pears may be Abayomi Animashaun’s debut collection, but it is receiving the sort of acclaim that many poets wait their whole careers to receive. Rigoberto González has reviewed this Hudson Prize-winning title for Harriet, the Poetry Foundation blog. And here are some bits of what he had to say:
The growing body of critically-acclaimed Nigerian authors on the American bookshelves (think Chris Abani, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Uwem Akpan) have given incredible insights into the history and politics of the most populated country in Africa. A new voice has joined that distinguished company with the publication of Abayomi Animashaun’s The Giving of Pears by Black Lawrence Press, a gorgeous collection that celebrates the collisions and cooperations between the Nigerian and Western cultures…
The Giving of Pears prefers to mine the beauty of a country that has become synonymous with overpopulation and conflict. No small effort given that the impressions that usually travel from the African continent are shaped by the non-stop devastating accounts of war, violence and famine. This book is in praise of the other face of Nigeria, and a love letter to Lagos…
We at Black Lawrence Press have loved this book since it first came to us in manuscript form in 2008. We are so pleased that it is winning the hearts of other readers now that it has been published. The entire review is available online here.
You can order your copy of The Giving of Pears from the Black Lawrence Press website.