When We Ruled

A beautiful retelling of the stories of African women long ignored, and attempted erasure. Paula Akpan looks at our collective ancestors and gathers their stories into one book as a hen would her precious eggs, with care and reverence. She explores, questions and offers the world a glimpse into the past. Establishing the grit of African women present, gifting a future bright.

When We Ruled is an elevation of black women to a sky-high level. We're truly blessed to have a historian of her merit in our midst, particularly at a time like this.

A rich, sumptuous and beautifully written tapestry of the past that makes my heart soar and ache all at once; this is the history we should have learned in schools. I can't imagine the person I'd be today if I'd known that this is where we came from.

Poetic and fierce, this volume is a compelling modern-day journey into past histories of impressive African queens and leaders.

An exciting and rich work for anyone who is curious about African history and how those traditions were destroyed, manipulated but ultimately survive in one form or another. Paula Akpan is ploughing a furrow that many will gratefully follow in the future.