Celebrate Black History Month by reading this powerful debut by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, which was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction. The novel focuses on a future American society where incarcerated people have the option to participate in televised gladiatorial matches. If they can survive for three years, they will earn their freedom. The novel switches between a variety of perspectives; we see the love story of Hamara Staxx and Loretta Thurwar, who are forced to choose between their love and their survival; we see how corporate executives justify violence with profits; we see the protestors who will sacrifice everything to end the CAPE program; we the passivity of the audience, who love the gladiators that fight and die before their eyes. If you want to discuss: the prison industrial complex, the dangers of the entertainment industry, the psychology of resistance, and the power of human connection in a violent world, then this is the book for you!
Join us at Sharky’s Bar and Grill on Wednesday, February 25 from 7-8:30pm. Event is capped at 10 people.