Yewande Omotoso was born in Barbados and grew up in Nigeria with her Barbadian mother, Nigerian father and two older brothers. The family moved to South Africa in 1992. Omotoso studied Architecture at the University of Cape Town, worked as an architect for several years and went on to complete a Masters degree in Creative Writing. Bom Boy is Omotoso’s debut novel and was published in South Africa by Modjaji Books. She is currently working on her second novel. Yewande lives in Johannesburg.
Her list comes with a disclaimer at the end; she had this to say about her choice. I hate answering the ‘favourite books’ question, partly because I’m a fickle indecisive coward and hate being pegged down to partake in something as dauntingly certain as ‘my five favourite anything’. But also because it seems so cruel, I’ve been reading for almost three decades how could someone ask me to pick five? And besides what was ‘favourite’ when I was ten might not be relevant now, do I kick it off the list? And how about that book I read that day that I absolutely loved whose name and author now escape me? How about the book whose name I can remember as well as author and I know it’s a favourite but I can’t remember why? Or I read back and I’m abhorred that I ever even liked it. Can you see the mess this is? Anyway, here’s a list:
Every Light in the House Burnin’ by Andrea Levy
So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba
Beka Lamb by Zee Edgell
Yoruba Girl Dancing by Simi Bedford
Focus by Arthur Miller
Disclaimer: These may not be my actual favourites. They are more like the ones that have stayed with me, that have endured. Maybe my real favourites, I have forgotten – which is at least a little feasible if you think about it. Lastly, since the question has been coming up, I now make a point of rotating my top five every few months, because in reality I have loved and adored and been deeply touched by many many books, I’m a bit of a literary courtesan in that way.
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