Njinga Mbande

Nana Yaa Asantewaa

Makobo Modjadji VI

Ranavalona the First

These are some of the queens and warriors that ruled vast swathes of the African continent. They led, loved and fought for their kingdoms and people. They made decisions, good and bad, the impact of which can still be felt today. Yet, beyond the lands they called home, so few of us have ever heard their names.

In When We Ruled, Paula Akpan takes us into the worlds of these powerful figures, following their stories and how they came to rule and influence the futures of their people. With reigns spanning pre-colonial Nigeria to the farming villages of Rwanda, the hills of Madagascar to apartheid South Africa, these ruler's stories offer us fascinating insight into life in these regions. Akpan shows how societies thrived, expanded and fractured before colonial influence, while also exposing the deep scars colonisation left behind.

For our next BB Members Perk, we will be giving away 5 signed copies of When We Ruled to 5 BB members!

For this BB Members Perk, we are looking for Black women who:

📚 Loves a good history book & is prepared to provide a review

🇬🇧 Are UK based

👸🏾 Are of course, Black Ballad members

💪🏾 BB Members have the opportunity to win a copy of When We Ruled until Monday 16th June at 10am.

💪🏽 Please note that being a Black Ballad Member does not guarantee you a copy of When We Ruled. Winners will be chosen at via a random number generator and notified by 17th June.

Unfortunately, this BB Perk has ended. Visit Black Ballad Perks for up-to-date information about our current perks.

If you are already a BB member, log in to your account, so you can see the correct information.

If logging in didn't work, email us at [email protected].