OWL Collection Leamington Library

The OWL Collection in Leamington Public Library

Author, Title and Date Description
Graham Greene Journey Without Maps Vintage Books, 2006 (first published by Henineman, 1936) In 1935 Graham Green and a cousin set off to discover Liberia (a remote and unfamiliar West African republic founded for released slaves). Travelling on foot from the Sierra Leone border to the coast at Grand Bassa, he came to know one of the few areas of Africa untouched by Western colonisation.
Tim Butcher Chasing the Devil Vintage Books 2010 In 2009 Tim Butcher and the son of a friend set off on foot to follow Graham Greene’s 1935 trek across Liberia and to experience the country in its post civil war period.
Rachel Massaquoi The Wind Within   OUP 2 An exciting story which portrays some African traditions and cultural practices, particularly among the Mende of Sierra Leone. It also touches on the brutal civil war which engulfed the country for 10 years.
Solomon A.J. Pratt Jolliboy The autobiography of an extraordinary Sierra Leonean who rose from a street starch seller to become a United Nations debate champion.
Aminatta Forna The Memory of Love 
Bloom
Adrian Lockheart, a psychologist, leaves his wife and daughter in England to work in Freetown, helping victims of the Civil War who have been traumatised by their experiences. As the patients recall events from those terrible days, we are drawn into their lives and share their sufferings. Adrian himself falls in love, thus jeopardizing  his marriage.
Katrina Manson and James Knight Sierra Leone Travel guide
compiled by Arnold Awoonor Gordon Sierra Leone Sierra Leone- The milestones in the history of a country in important dates from 500B.C. – 1902 A.D
Josaya Bangali My Country is Sick A book of poems
Emily Joy, Green Oranges on Lion Mountain The author’s account of her two years in Sierra Leone with Voluntary Service Overseas. She had only the skills of a GP when she arrived, but was forced to perform surgical operations almost from the start. When rebel attacks in the area forced many members of staff to  leave, Dr. Em found herself Medical Superintendant of the Serabu Hospital.
C.Magbaily Fyle,  The History of Sierra Leone A concise and readable introduction which starts with the earliest societies and ends with the political and economic situation in the late 1970s.
Victor S Weeks Okrafo-Smart,  Over a Century in the Lives of a Liberated African Family, 1816-1930 Over a century in the lives of a liberated African family, 1816 – 1930.    A detailed and well-documented account of the very sucessful descendants of a liberated slave. The book would be of interest to anyone wanting to know more about Sierra Leone during the period.
UKOWLA Toolkit for Linking; Opportunities and Challenges. A handbook for community groups or institutions of every kind who are interested in setting up a link. It covers everything from the reasons for linking to sustaining a link and solving problems which arise. The pages may be photocopied.
Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone – memoirs of a boy soldier. A firsthand account of how, as a boy of 12. he had wandered around the country fleeing from the rebels. A year later he became a soldier in the government army and, despite his gentle nature, learned to commit dreadful acts of violence.
Uzodinma Iweala, Beasts of No Nation. A novel by a 23 year-old Nigerian born in the United States. The harrowing story of a boy soldier somewhere in Africa.
Bertha Montgomery, Cooking the West African Way A colourful collection of recipes and menus from West Africa.
Buchi Offodile, The Orphan Girl and other stories / West African FolkTales retold Explores the roots of the storytelling tradition in the history and culture of West Africa and continues with a collection of tales retold by the author.
Hilary Lyons, Old Watering Holes-Mayo to Serabu. The fascinating story of an Irish nun who trained as a doctor and spent 40 year in Sierra Leone –  mostly in Serabu about 30 miles south of Bo.
John Hirsch, Sierra Leone: Diamonds and the Struggle for Democracy. The relationship between the diamond trade and the civil war.
Paul Richards, Fighting for the Rain Forest: War, Youth and Resources in Sierra Leone. The effect of the civil war on the youth of Sierra Leone and the influence of the rain forest in shaping the war and their attitudes.
Teun Voeten, How’s de Body? A photojournalist’s account of his terrifying journey through Sierra Leone during the civil war.
Jarret-Macauley, Moses, Citizen and Me. This book has been removed because it is in a poor condition A novel. When Julia flies to Sierra Leone to meet her uncle for the first time in 20 years, she is shocked to find that her 8-year-old cousin has served as a child soldier.
Michael Jackson, In Sierra Leone. An ethnologist, poet and novelist writes his analysis of the civil war and its effect on the people of Sierra Leone. Having lived in the country in 1969, he returned in 2002 to view the situation for himself and to renew old acquaintances.
Aminatta Forna, The Devil That Danced on Water An autobiographical account of the author’s childhood in Scotland in the 60’s, where she faced racial intolerance, followed by a description of the political upheavals in Sierra Leone, the country from which her father came.
People’s Educational Association of Sierra Leone (pub). Fishing in Rivers of Sierra Leone: oral literature Stories, songs, riddles and proverbs, interviews and photographs representing 13 ethnic groups of Sierra Leone.
Earl-Conteh Morgan and Mac Dixon Fyle, Sierra Leone at the end of the 20th Century: history, politics and society. This book traces the history of Sierra Leone from pre-colonial times to 1999, concentrating on political, economic and social questions.
Chinua Achibe, Things Fall Apart. A novel from Nigeria
Maggie Black, The No-nonsense Guide to International Development A discussion of international development from initial aid to economic development and sustainability.
Anne-Marie Saquet, World Atlas of Sustainable Development. A concise, accessible and attractive atlas which will be of interest to anyone who is concerned about tomorrow’s world.