The Year of Return Ghana updates and more
Ghana publication plans, UK availability, Publishers Weekly review, and more!
Friends and readers, we are mere days away from the publication of my debut novella, The Year of Return (May 21). Cheers to the first of many. Last weekend, I got to hold copies in my hands for the first time. My best friend helped me commemorate the event with an Instagram Reel.
Here are some publication updates.
The Ghanaian edition of The Year of Return will be published by Smartline Publishers. Our goal is to have physical copies ready by early August. I plan on having a small launch event, and I’ll probably be at the Smartline stand at the Ghana International Book Fair (August 8-11) to sign a few copies.
Physical copies are available in the UK from Amazon! If you’re in the UK or Europe, you might find it easier to order copies through this link for the paperback and audiobook versions. Your best bet for the ebook is probably still directly from the publisher’s website.
Audiobook girlies, I gotchu! The audiobook version, read by Ghanaian-British actress, Anniwaa Buachie. It’s already available for preorder on Audible, or directly from Audiobooks.com.
Above is the proof you need that preordering The Year of Return audiobook is a joyful experience!
Reviewers, where you at? Those of you who have NetGalley memberships, ARCs of the novella are available for reading and review on NetGalley now. Don’t forget to post your review on Goodreads when you’re done reading!
It would be amazing if everyone reading this who has a Goodreads account would just add The Year of Return to your want-to-read lists! A couple of reviewers have already left stellar reviews, for which I am immensely grateful.
I got my first ever Publishers Weekly review! That final sentence— “It’s a powerful, unflinching ghost story that feels as though it’s only scratched the surface of Ofori’s talent” —is immensely encouraging.
Bonus news: The brilliant anthology of African Ghost Short Stories, which features my new short story, “The Legend of the 37 Bats,” is now available in the US! They recently released a blog post of author Q&As, which you can check out.
The next time I write to you, my novella will be out in the world. What an incredible milestone. Thank you for being on this journey with me.
Love,
Akotz 🕸️
This is so good to hear!