Book Club: Namwali Serpell’s The Old Drift

On the Same Page Jan./Feb.
Monday, 2/22/2021
7:00 - 8:00
Virtual Library
Address

United States


We discuss Namwali Serpell’s The Old Drift

Namwali Serpell, who was born in Zambia, uses that nation as the canvas for this epic work. The structure of this rambunctious debut novel follows three very different families, intertwined over three generations. The children and grandchildren come together in tragic, absurd and inevitable ways, tracing Zambia’s path through history. And the book is not shy about its ambition and reach: love meets Afrofuturism which meets magical realism which meets historical fiction which meets speculative fiction. We follow and drift along the matrilineal heritage, which is how the book is organized: grandmothers, daughters, granddaughters. We begin, however, with a grandfather, a British photographer, making a living near Victoria Falls, slightly over 100 years ago. Inexplicable actions here propel us to then drift through love, disease, space programs; a blending of strange, vivid fiction with actual Zambian history. We end in the near future, involving digital embedded devices, drones and new vaccines.


Read, discuss ideas and connect through the many book clubs hosted by SFPL.

On The Same Page is a bimonthly city-wide read.

Connect to engaging discussions and performances related to the Black community.

More Than a Month recognizes important events in Black history, honors community and national leaders and fosters steps towards collective change. Programming features authors, poets and craft classes. 


This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.


Attending Programs

For questions about the program or help registering, contact sfplcpp@sfpl.orgAll programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL or language interpretation), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

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