Join us on Sunday, 26 July, for an unforgettable conversation with the author himself.
There are book club meetings, and then there are the rare evenings when the person who created the story sits in the room with the readers.
We are delighted to announce that the Naija Book Club July Review Session will hold on Sunday, 26 July, and our Book of the Month is Season of Crimson Blossoms by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim. Even more exciting, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim will be joining us live for the discussion.
This is a special moment for our community.
Published to widespread acclaim, Season of Crimson Blossoms is one of the most important Nigerian novels of the last decade. Set in Northern Nigeria, the novel explores love, loneliness, desire, faith, reputation, and the quiet rebellions that happen behind closed doors. It is a book that refuses easy judgments. Readers often finish it with strong opinions, difficult questions, and a renewed appreciation for how fiction can illuminate lives very different from our own.
What makes the novel particularly powerful is its emotional honesty. Through the story of Binta Zubairu, a widowed grandmother, and Reza, a much younger man with a troubled past, the book examines themes that Nigerian literature does not always approach with such candour. It asks what happens when human longing collides with social expectations, and whether dignity is something society grants or something we claim for ourselves.
These are exactly the kinds of questions that make for a great book club conversation.
And this month, we have the extraordinary opportunity to ask those questions directly to the author.
Abubakar Adam Ibrahim is an award-winning Nigerian writer and journalist whose work has received international recognition. Season of Crimson Blossoms won the Nigeria Prize for Literature, one of the most prestigious literary honours on the continent, and has been celebrated for its lyrical prose, nuanced characterization, and fearless engagement with complex social realities.
During the session, members will have the chance to:
- share their reactions to the novel,
- discuss its themes and characters,
- ask questions about the writing process,
- hear the author’s perspective on the story, its reception, and its enduring relevance.
Whether you loved the book, struggled with it, were surprised by it, or are still trying to decide what you think about Binta and Reza, your voice belongs in the conversation. The best book club discussions are not the ones where everyone agrees. They are the ones where readers bring different experiences, values, and interpretations to the same text.
If you have not finished the novel yet, there is still time. At just over 300 pages, Season of Crimson Blossoms is a rewarding read that stays with you long after the final chapter. And if you have already finished it, come ready with your notes, favourite passages, objections, and questions.
We would especially love to hear from first-time attendees. Naija Book Club has always been more than a reading group. It is a space where Nigerians and lovers of African literature gather to think deeply, disagree respectfully, and celebrate the stories that shape our culture.
Event Details
Book: Season of Crimson Blossoms by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim
Date: Sunday, July 26
Time: 6:00 – 7:15pm
Video Call Link: https://meet.google.com/pja-rjse-wqs
Special Guest: Abubakar Adam Ibrahim
Bring your curiosity. Bring your questions. Bring that one scene you have not stopped thinking about since you read it.
We look forward to seeing you at the July Review Session.
Naija Book Club
Read deeply. Think critically. Talk books.
