Whether we write or speak or do but look
We are ever unapparent. What we are
Cannot be transfused into word or book.
Our soul from us is infinitely far.
However much we give our thoughts the will
To be our soul and gesture it abroad,
Our hearts are incommunicable still.
In what we show ourselves we are ignored.
The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged
By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.
Unto our very selves we are abridged
When we would utter to our thought our being.
We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,
And each to each other dreams of others’ dreams.
Fernando Pessoa
Books
Anansi Tales
Anansi Tales are a vibrant tapestry of West African and Caribbean folklore centered on Anansi, the spider trickster from Ashanti mythology. Originating in Ghana, Anansi became one of Africa’s most enduring oral characters. His tales crossed the Atlantic through the slave trade, taking root in the Caribbean, especially Jamaica, Suriname, Guyana, Haiti, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, and the United States. In these stories, cleverness prevails over strength: Anansi uses wit, deception, and humor to outsmart stronger beings like Tiger, Elephant, or even the gods. This theme mirrors the resilience of oppressed peoples, celebrating survival through intelligence rather than force. Often moral in tone, the stories teach lessons about greed, pride, or laziness, yet Anansi is not always a hero — sometimes his tricks backfire, and he becomes the subject of the lesson. Told by griots to transmit values and history, his shape-shifting character — mischievous, wise, foolish, or cunning — embodies resistance and adaptation. Across generations, Anansi continues to amuse, teach, and connect worlds.
Book details
Author W.H. Barker
Editor Fernando Klabin
Illustrator Miruna Sburlea
Layout Suzana Salama
Cover Tamara Crespin, inspired on kente cloth pattern fufutoma
Format 13,3cm x 21cm, 96 pages, paperback
Published December 6th, 2025
ISBN 978-9988-52-708-2
Language English
Where to find
Benin
LBU, Ganhi, Cotonou
Savoir d’Afrique, Akpakpa, Cotonou
Ghana
Nubuke Foundation, East Legon, Accra
The Heritage Shop, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, Accra
The Heritage Shop, National Museum, Accra
Vidya Bookstore, Osu, Accra
Readers Hub Bookstore, Teshie, Accra
Contact
Internationally renowned independent publisher in West Africa based in Ghana. Literature in English, French and Portuguese.