Host Makonnen Sankofa sits down with author Larry Ukali Johnson-Redd for a powerful conversation about his two impactful works: Black Self Love Spoken Word and Reparations – Part 1 and Black Self Love Spoken Word and Reparations – Part 2.
In this inspiring interview, Larry explores themes of Black love, cultural identity, justice, and the ongoing fight for reparations. Drawing from his personal experiences and seven published books, he takes listeners on a journey from Africa to America—honoring the past, challenging the present, and envisioning a future rooted in unity, empowerment, and self-love.
Through poetry, spoken word, and reflection, Larry highlights the resilience of the African diaspora and the enduring call for justice, pride, and collective healing. This episode delivers a deeply moving and thought-provoking discussion you won’t want to miss.
In this enlightening episode, Makonnen Sankofa welcomes Nathaniel Wilkins and Shebah Carfagna to discuss their book on achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The conversation explores the challenges many people face in sticking to a healthy diet and regular exercise, and how small, consistent habits can make a significant difference.
The book emphasizes that a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about fun—it’s a daily commitment that integrates Nutritional Fitness, Physical Fitness, and Mental Fitness. Nathaniel and Shebah share strategies for finding physical activities that work for you, staying motivated despite obstacles, and creating routines that support long-term wellness.
In this insightful episode, host Makonnen Sankofa welcomes Nicole Bennett Blake, author of The Good Parent and the Happy Child. Nicole shares practical, research-based guidance for professional women striving to balance a demanding career with effective, joyful parenting.
She discusses how to establish healthy routines, set boundaries, support children’s development, and introduce better eating habits—even for picky eaters. Nicole also highlights the importance of creating a secure home environment and making time for self-care.
This conversation offers empowering tools for parents who want to raise confident, healthy children while maintaining harmony in their personal and professional lives.
📚 Spotlight on Two Powerful Books by Paul Posey
I Am My Own Dad & 75% Man
In a world where countless boys grow up without fathers, author Paul Posey steps forward with two transformative works that speak directly to the heart of manhood, healing, and generational change.
🔹 I Am My Own Dad
This deeply personal book takes readers on an emotional journey through the eyes of a boy who had no father and no roadmap. Posey reveals the silent struggles, the inner battles, and the resilience required to “become his own dad.”
He sheds light on the scars that can form when a young man is left to figure out life alone—scars that often echo across generations.
But more importantly, Posey offers hope: the reminder that we all have the power to adapt, overcome, and rewrite our stories.
He encourages families and communities to provide mentorship to young men who lack male role models, showing how one connection can change a life.
🔹 75% Man
In this bold and unfiltered look at masculinity, Posey examines why so many men struggle to reach their full potential as fathers, husbands, and leaders.
75% Man digs into the roots of these struggles—from childhood to adulthood—offering honesty, tough love, and a challenge to grow.
Posey stresses that the future of our families depends on men confronting their wounds, embracing accountability, and stepping into wholeness.
In this inspiring episode, host Makonnen Sankofa sits down with Francisca Epale, author of How I Conquered Breast Cancer Without Chemotherapy, to discuss her remarkable journey of healing and hope. Drawing from her personal battle with breast cancer and the loss of five family members to the disease, Francisca shares how she chose unorthodox methods, grounded in faith and determination, to overcome cancer without chemotherapy.
Francisca emphasizes the importance of early detection through self-breast examinations and massages, highlighting that mammograms are not always 100% accurate. Her story is a powerful wake-up call for women of childbearing age and beyond: cancer detected early is not a death sentence, and there is always hope for healing.
In this compelling episode, Makonnen Sankofa speaks with Mamalucy about the raw and emotional memoir of Ethel Smiter, a survivor of fourteen years of domestic violence. The conversation highlights Ethel’s struggle to rebuild her self-esteem, reclaim her identity, and transform her trauma into strength.
Mamalucy shares how Ethel turned intimidation into motivation, rising against the odds with the determination of a true conqueror. Her story stands as a powerful reminder that domestic violence is never the victim’s fault—and that healing, freedom, and victory are possible.
This episode offers hope and inspiration to anyone facing similar battles and aims to encourage others to fight for their freedom and self-worth.
In this gripping episode, host Makonnen Sankofa speaks with author Robert Faai about Robert's powerful and emotionally charged story centred on Ferdi—a young man from Shangkwa, Cameroon, whose community has been devastated by the HIV epidemic. Seeking a better future and hoping to earn enough to marry his beloved Janie, Ferdi travels to Nigeria. But his journey takes a dramatic turn when he meets Habiba, a woman carrying her own painful past.
As Ferdi becomes entangled between two women, he is confronted with fear, uncertainty, and the looming threat of sexually transmitted disease. The story raises urgent questions: Can Ferdi build a stable, loving family? Will his choices lead to happiness—or will they open the door to heartbreak and misfortune?
Robert Faai’s storytelling blends rich world-building, emotional depth, and unexpected twists, offering a realistic and thought-provoking look at love, risk, and survival in the shadow of an epidemic.
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In this powerful episode of The International Book Show, host Makonnen Sankofa welcomes historian and author Simon Hudson for an illuminating discussion about his two-volume work, History Through the Black Experience.
Hudson shares the vision behind his books, which re-center global history through the lives, struggles, and triumphs of African and African-descended peoples across continents and generations.
Hudson’s books explore ancient African civilisations, cultural brilliance, the impact of the transatlantic slave trade, colonial disruption, liberation movements, and the ongoing challenges faced by African societies and the diaspora.
Through this interview, Hudson highlights the resilience, innovation, and resistance that define the Black experience, while highlighting their relevance today.
In this enlightening episode of The International Book Show, host Makonnen Sankofa engages author James Baihinga.
Baihinga opens up about the political pressures, economic struggles, and social realities that influence life across many African societies, bringing attention to the challenges communities face in the wake of corruption, exploitation, resource battles, and post-conflict rebuilding.
Throughout the discussion, Baihinga and Sankofa explore themes such as justice, leadership, and inequality. Their conversation sheds light on the urgent need to address the issues affecting the African continent today.
🎙️ Women of the Waiting Room with Carolyn Coleman
In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Carolyn Coleman—author, nurse, and one of the Fab 7 co-authors of Women of the Waiting Room: Surgery for Your Soul, the transformative new anthology and devotional created by visionary author Jacquiline “Listen Linda” Cox.
Carolyn shares her deeply personal perspective on what it means to be “in the waiting room”—those seasons of life when faith is tested, healing is delayed, and purpose feels just out of reach. Drawing from over three decades of experience as a critical-care nurse and a lifetime of faith, she discusses how moments of stillness and uncertainty can become powerful spaces for spiritual surgery, inner growth, and divine alignment.
Together, we explore how Women of the Waiting Room—a collaboration between Jacquiline Cox, LaQuita Parks, Dr. Velma Bagby, Dr. AudreyAnn Moses, Melanie “The Voice” Johnson, Theresa Dorsey, and Carolyn Coleman—intertwines devotional reflections, poetry, and testimonies from 33 contributing women.
An insightful conversation with author Vincent Krivda as we uncover the stories behind the stories — exploring how oral traditions shaped the origins of Genesis and influenced the messages we know today.
We’ll also journey into Pharaoh’s Power, where Krivda blends historical analysis and creative insight to reimagine the Bible’s most powerful figures through the lens of historical fiction.
This episode shines a light on the intersection of faith, history, and storytelling — revealing how ancient words continue to inspire modern understanding.
🎙️ Host: Makonnen Sankofa
🎨 Guest: Thea Wray
A vibrant conversation about Anancy Tek a Trip — the story of Anancy the Magic Spiderman, who travels from Jamaica on a banana boat in search of his relatives in England.
Originally from Ghana, Anansi’s tales were first told in the Akan language of the Ashanti and carried across the Atlantic during the slave trade. In Jamaica, these colourful stories came alive through the legendary Miss Lou (The Hon. Dr. Louise Bennett Coverley), who celebrated Jamaican patois and culture through her storytelling.
Anancy’s fictional relatives now find themselves in Peckham, echoing the real-life journeys of the Windrush generation who landed at Tilbury Docks. Author Thea Wray, also based in Peckham, continues this storytelling legacy — bringing Anancy’s mischievous adventures to a new generation.
Host Makonnen Sankofa sits down with Phil Coffin, author of When Baseball Was Still Topps: Portraits of the Game in 1959, Card by Card and A Baseball Book of Days: Thirty-One Moments That Transformed the Game.
In this nostalgic and insightful conversation, Phil Coffin takes listeners back to the heart of America’s pastime — when baseball wasn’t just a sport, but a shared cultural experience. Through his deep dives into the 1959 Topps card set, Coffin paints a vivid picture of the players, teams, and spirit that defined mid-century baseball.
He also shares highlights from A Baseball Book of Days, a creative “calendar of moments” that celebrates the turning points, triumphs, and oddities that shaped the game — one day, one story at a time.
This episode captures the magic, memory, and meaning of baseball that continue to echo through generations.
Host Makonnen Sankofa interviews Marcine M. Moore about Marcine's compelling book, Gemini Echoes.
Gemini Echoes explores the deep emotional connections and hidden tensions between twin sisters whose lives take dramatically different paths. As secrets from their past begin to surface, the story dives into themes of identity, family bonds, trauma, and healing — asking how far we’ll go to protect those we love, and what happens when echoes from the past refuse to stay silent.
🎙️ Podcast Summary: The International Book Show
Host: Makonnen Sankofa
Guest: Chiatulah “Chi” Ameke, Author
Featured Works: Black Lives Rising & Black Lives Shining
In this powerful episode, author Chiatulah "Chi" Ameke joins host Makonnen Sankofa to discuss two deeply moving works: Black Lives Rising and Black Lives Shining.
Black Lives Rising is a gripping collection of 33 flash fiction stories—some standalone, others interwoven—that explore the lived and imagined realities of Black life in a world shaped by racial injustice. Through satire, speculative fiction, and emotional depth, Ameke examines themes like systemic racism, identity, protest, silence, and generational memory. Standout stories include the rise of the first Black pope, children confronting police violence, and a haunting monologue from a boy who never speaks. It’s raw, urgent, and unflinching—a literary call to action.
In contrast, Black Lives Shining offers 40 inspirational narratives focused on spiritual awakening, resilience, and the triumphs of Black individuals rising into purpose. More motivational and metaphysical in tone, this book invites readers not just to witness change but to become part of it—answering a higher calling to rise and shine in their own lives.
On this episode of The International Book Show, Makonnen Sankofa interviews author Kyle Powell about his bold and provocative new novel, More Black People: Diving into the Dark Side of Diversity and Inclusion.
Set within the slick walls of top advertising agency Inertia, the story follows Jonathan Archer, a reserved Black graphic designer unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight as the company’s new D&I Champion — not out of merit, but as part of a calculated corporate strategy. As Jonathan navigates office politics, a growing romance with the capable Jenna, and a high-stakes political campaign for rising Black MP Calvin James, deeper questions begin to surface: Is this push for diversity genuine, or just another branding exercise?
Meanwhile, members of the far-right group National Britain First plot to sabotage Calvin’s campaign through violent means — culminating in an assassination attempt that could change everything.
In this eye-opening discussion, Kyle Powell explores how performative allyship, corporate ambition, and political extremism collide — and what happens when someone like Jonathan decides to push back.