Griots Lounge Canada

08/05/2025

Fun Fact: While we prepared for the 2023 launch of the novel, Leave My Bones in Saskatoon, by Michael Afenfia, Manitoba based literary magazine reached out to us and got the approval to use the cover art for the fall/winter 2022 issue. It was a creative issue and featured the author and his forthcoming book.

‘Leave My Bones in Saskatoon’ has now made the finalist of the Glengarry Book Awards and Chinua Achebe Prize for Prose Fiction, and the recent longlist for the 2025 .

07/24/2025

We’re still in wonder of this honour. Congratulations to and us!

Thanks to the .

07/09/2025

Available in Canada on Pre-order

Release: August 29, 2025

What the Eyes See
by Yejide Kilanko

illustrated by Lindsay Shore

What the Eyes See is a folk tale that tells the story of Yanibo the tortoise, who sees humans trading animal bones and summons a gathering of all animals, led by Akambulo the hermit crab. The picture book is informed by a Yoruba proverb which translates as - It is not all that the eyes see that the mouth utters. There is the indisputable wisdom of discretion. There is also the need to speak the truth, even if your voice shakes and stomach aches.

Imprint: Nwata (an imprint of Griots Lounge Canada)

By Yejide Kilanko Published by: Griots Lounge Publishing Canada Imprint: Griots Lounge Publishing What the Eyes See is a folk tale that tells the story of […]

07/01/2025

Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦

03/28/2025

The poet and editor, Jide Salawu, was seen yesterday signing copies of AFRICAN URBAN ECHOES (edited by Jide Salawu and Rasaq Malik) at in Edmonton. You can get these signed copies at the bookstore!

Griots Lounge, 2025

03/27/2025

Cover Art Reveal!

Title: Please Don’t Interrupt

Edited by
Rona Altrows &
Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike

Publishing Date: November, 2025

Pre-Order Now!

Description:

Please Don't Interrupt comprises short works of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry on the subject of interruption. The anthology promotes excellence in Canadian writing, provides an opportunity to emerging writers, celebrates diversity, and builds community. In Please Don't Interrupt, we hear from writers who have immigrated to Canada from South America, from Africa, from Asia, from Europe, for a host of different reasons. We hear from writers living with debilitating illness, from older writers, from Indigenous writers, from Black writers, from writers who are survivors of trauma, from neurodivergent writers. We hear from writers at different points in their lives and in their writing careers.

03/26/2025

Special notice:

Due to disputes over the continued publishing rights to the title, By His Grace: An Anthology of Awesome Testimonies (second edition), after the author’s death, Griots Lounge Publishing Canada will wish to discontinue and cancel the planned release of the book this fall.

02/24/2025

Wish Maker
by Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike

Published by Nwata (an imprint of Griots Lounge Publishing Canada)

Ebele wishes he and his widowed mother would have a memorable Christmas with lots of presents. With his mother barely able to afford food and his friends mocking him, Ebele is afraid that he might not get any presents at all. When a strange man comes to town, Ebele opens his heart and home reluctantly. In return, the stranger teaches him there is more to Christmas than just gifts and that kindness is a virtue rewarded by great fortune.

Ebele wishes he and his widowed mother would have a memorable Christmas with lots of presents. With his mother barely able to afford food and his friends mocking him, Ebele is afraid that he might not get any presents at all. When a strange man comes to town, Ebele opens his heart and home reluctant...

02/19/2025

Yesterday, we launched African Urban Echoes at the University of Alberta! Congratulations to and .

Congratulations to all the contributing poets.

You can now grab your copy from our website:

https://griotslounge.ca/product/african-urban-echoes/

We deliver fast 💨

02/11/2025

What the Eyes See
by Yejide Kilanko
illustrated by Lindsay Shore

, August 29, 2025

02/11/2025

Cover Reveal Day!

WHAT THE EYES SEE
(juvenile picture book)

by Yejide Kilanko
and illustrated by Lindsay Shore

Published by , and imprint of Griots Lounge Publishing Canada

A folk tale that tells the story of Yanibo the tortoise, who sees humans trading animal bones and summons a gathering of all animals, led by Akambulo the hermit crab.

Out in August 2025

You can pre-order now!

02/07/2025

Welcome to the first show of 2025! Our Publisher, Bibi Ukonu, presents the first two books of the year, ‘African Urban Echoes: A Poetry Anthology’, edited by Jide Salawu and Rasaq Malik Gbolahan, and ‘Wish Maker’ by Uchechukwu Umezurike. Fantastic books!

Order from your favourite bookstore.