Ada's Realm by Sharon Dodua Otoo

Loading player...
Thanks for clicking play on Pagecast, a book-centred podcast series brought to you by Jonathan Ball Publishers.

In this episode, author and historian Mphuthumi Ntabeni chats with Sharon Dodua Otoo, regarding her latest book Ada's Realm!

In a small village in West Africa, in what will one day become Ghana, Ada gives birth again, and again the baby does not live.

As she grieves the loss of her child, Portuguese traders become the first white men to arrive in the village, an event that will bear terrible repercussions for Ada and her kin.

Centuries later, Ada will become the mathematical genius Ada Lovelace; Ada, a prisoner forced into prostitution in a Nazi concentration camp; and Ada, a young, pregnant Ghanaian woman with a new British passport who arrives in Berlin in 2019 for a fresh start.

Ada is not one woman but many, and she is all women - she revolves in orbits, looping from one century and from one place to the next.
15 May 2023 English South Africa Books · Society & Culture

Other recent episodes

It's Complicated by Nivashni Nair Sukdhev (with Arini Vlotman)

This week on Pagecast, host Arini Vlotman sits down with acclaimed local author Nivashni Nair Sukdhev to discuss her new novel, It's Complicated. They talk about second chances, hidden secrets, and the healing power of true love. More about the book: Love. Secrets. Second chances. Nivashni Nair Sukdhev is back…
2 Mar 39 min

101 Remarkable South African Women by Lizette Rabe (with Nancy Richards)

Discover the untold stories of South African women who changed history. In this episode of Pagecast, Nancy Richards sits down with Professor Lizette Rabe to talk about her book, 101 Remarkable South African Women. From ancient trailblazers like the "Eve of the West Coast" to modern icons including Thuli Madonsela,…
23 Feb 28 min

The Distance Within by Nicola Brandt

This episode of Pagecast is brought to you in collaboration with the ARTdacity podcast, just in time for the Investec Art Fair later this month. This week, Jo-Ann Strauss interviews Nicola Brandt about her book, The Distance Within, which features photographs and video stills made over more than a decade…
9 Feb 27 min

The Condiment Book by Claire Dinhut

We have a bonus episode of Pagecast for you today featuring Claire Dinhut (Condiment Claire) and Karen Dudley. This is the perfect conversation ahead of the festive season as the two chat all about condiments, bold new flavours and secrets about how to elevate any dish. More about The Condiment…
15 Dec 2025 46 min