Presenting Sulwe, by Lupita Nyong'o

Academy Award-winning actor and New York Times best-selling author, Lupita Nyong’o, brings Sulwe home to readers in East Africa with a brand new edition available in English, Kiswahili and Luo. Translated and published by Bunk Books, Sulwe is a powerful, moving picture book about colourism, self-esteem, and learning that true beauty comes from within. The title is now available at book shops and other outlets across East Africa, and is distributed by and available at all Text Book Centre outlets.

Sulwe follows the story of a young girl with skin the colour of midnight. She wants to be beautiful and bright like her mother and sister. A magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.

With beautiful illustrations by Vashti Harrison, Sulwe teaches young children to see their own unique beauty.

Through the Kiswahili and Luo translations, young children, along with parents and guardians, are encouraged to absorb new work in indigenous languages.

Lupita Nyong’o says;

“I am very proud to finally be debuting my book, Sulwe, at home in Kenya in English, Kiswahili and my mother tongue, Luo. It has been a dream of mine to have Sulwe published in indigenous languages as a way to celebrate them and keep them alive and relevant. I hope readers enjoy Sulwe’s adventure as she discovers the beauty within.”

Sulwe has received critical acclaim since its initial publication in the USA in October 2019. The stunning picture book is a recipient of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children’s Literary Work. Sulwe has appeared on the New York Times best sellers list for 13 weeks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan actor, director, and producer. Her first feature film role was in 12 Years a Slave, for which she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as multiple accolades, including the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Critics’ Choice Award, the Independent Spirit Award, and the NAACP Award. She has since starred in Mira Nair’s Queen of Katwe, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ryan Coogler’s record-breaking box office hit Black Panther, and most recently in Jordan’s Peele’s critically acclaimed horror film Us. Nyong’o earned a Tony nomination for her Broadway debut in Danai Gurira’s play Eclipsed. She lives in Brooklyn.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Vashti Harrison, author and illustrator of the bestselling Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, is an artist, author, and filmmaker with a passion for storytelling.

She earned her MFA in film and video from California Institute of the Arts, where she snuck into animation and illustration classes to learn from Disney and DreamWorks legends. While there, she rekindled a love for drawing and painting and now uses her love for both film and illustration to craft beautiful stories for children.

BUY SULWE TODAY!

ABOUT THE PUBLISHERS

This is the second release from Bunk Books, a new imprint affiliated with Book Bunk Trust. Our first release is available here. Bunk Books will work with African writers, illustrators, animators and other content producers to produce digital and print editions for children and adults. More about this new venture here.

DISTRIBUTOR INFORMATION
Bunk Books has partnered with Text Book Centre to retail and distribute our titles. For bulk orders or stocking, please contact GeneralBooksCoordinator@tbc.co.ke

Questions? Write to Bunk Books

Image credits (in order of appearance) to Nick Barose, Vashti Harrison and Quaint Photography respectively.