It was an honor to give the keynote at the 190th Commencement at @lafayettecollege and to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Arts. Congrats to everyone in the class of 2025. Thank you to the students and Class of 2025, President Hurd, Prof. Opoku, Faculty & Staff, and to the village of family, friends, and supporters that encouraged this class. 💡🎉❤️ ☮️
Honored to receive the 2025 In the Margins Award for Nonfiction:
“At a time when stories of resilience, justice, and survival are more important than ever, the In the Margins Book Award committee proudly announces its 2025 award selections. These books provide powerful, unfiltered narratives that reflect the experiences of youth navigating systemic barriers, incarceration, urban violence, and social injustice—stories often overlooked in mainstream publishing. This year’s top selections push boundaries, challenge assumptions, and ignite critical conversations, making them must-reads for librarians, educators, and young readers alike.“
❤️🙏🏿
Honored to receive a 2024 Outstanding Audiobook Award for NEPHEW: A MEMOIR IN 4-PART HARMONY from the American Library Association.
The ALA writes, “This award highlights extraordinary narrators and listening experiences that merit special attention by a general adult audience and the librarians who advise them … Set in Philadelphia, Asante shares an emotionally charged narrative that serves as a heartfelt love letter to his nephew. This inspiring story of resilience after the young man was shot nine times, explores themes of family, trauma, and the enduring power of love. Asante’s powerful memoir is highlighted by the authentic performances of M.K. Asante, Dion Graham, Adenrele Ojo, and Neph”
The Nephew audiobook was recorded at @wonderfulsoundstudios and produced by @audiobook_mama and engineered by @daniel_delorenzo . You can listen to the audiobook on all streaming services.
Honored to return as writer for the new official Monday Night Football anthem(s) performed by Snoop Dogg, Chris Stapleton, and Cindy Blackman Santana. The new song/video debuted last Monday on @abcnetwork & @espn and will air before all Monday Night games in the 2024-25 season. Tune in TONIGHT. Special thank you to @snoopdogg - it was an honor to work with you again and your performance was phenomenal as always. Thank you @kanobby for making it happen! As always, great to work with you Kevin, Rico, Mike, Amanda, Julie, and the Creative Content team at @espn and Jeff at @thesportsentgrp . And of course a huge shout out to @wonderfulsoundstudios for the pre-production
Honored to win the 2024 Earphones Award for the audiobook of NEPHEW. Audiofile magazine wrote “MK Asante’s performance captures the essence of what makes the audiobook medium vital: a living experience that grabs listeners from start to finish.” The Award is given to “truly exceptional titles that excel in narrative voice and style.”
I narrate the audiobook along with the powerful voices of Adenrele Ojo, Dion Graham, and Neph. Thank you all. The audiobook was recorded at @wonderfulsoundstudios and produced by @audiobook_mama Amanda Ogle and engineered by @daniel_delorenzo . Much love to my editor @abbywestnyc and much love to @editortracy as well. Thank you to all who helped make this audiobook possible and for your support. You can listen to the NEPHEW audiobook on all streaming services.
Epic, one of a kind, historic event tonight in Philly with my father, Dr. Molefi K. Asante, and I discussing Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony. The event is at the Free Library on the Parkway at 7:30 pm. Dr. Asante (Pops) is the founder of the theory of Afrocentricity and the author of more than 100 books, and the creator of the first PhD program in African-American Studies. Wow.
Thanks to the amazing students and staff at The Workshop School in Philly today! Great conversations about life, writing, new Philly slang, and higher-ed. #Buck #Nephew
NEPHEW is out! My new memoir, Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony, is out in Hardcover, eBook, and Audiobook!
THANK YOU to my family and friends for their love, wisdom, and positivity. Thank you to you, Readers, for your support and encouragement. Thank you to my brilliant editor @abbywestnyc and the team at @amistadbooks . Thank you to @thejanmiller for your love and enthusiastic support. Thank you @editortracy for your vision. Thank you to @kevinbrainard for another iconic cover.
“Emotionally powerful ... A raw authenticity ... The perfect note ... As with a great piece of music, the emotions and rhythms lingered in my mind long after I’d put down the book.”
—LOS ANGELES TIMES
“This poignant memoir about overcoming devastating odds is a treasure and likely to become a classic. Essential reading for deepening understanding of society, the world, familial relationships, and the meaning of art and life.”
—LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Nephew is the definitive proof that there has now emerged a new category of memoir we should probably call the “M.K. Asante Memoir.” Its defining characteristics are that it is unlike any memoir you’ve ever seen, that it has completely eradicated the tedious boundaries of the genre, that it fills your spirit—and that you absolutely cannot put it down. Nephew is not a memoir and it is not a book, it is an experience that will engulf your heart and soul in all of the right ways—and lead your spirit forward.”
— Ari Bloomekatz, IN THESE TIMES
Looking forward to seeing you on the NEPHEW tour next week in Brooklyn, Philly, and NJ. NEPHEW: A MEMOIR IN 4-PART HARMONY drops next week, May 21st, and is available to pre-order now. Upcoming dates:
5.21 - Brooklyn, NY
5.23 - Philadelphia, PA
5.24 - Collingswood, NJ
5.28 - Washington DC
5.29 - Washington DC
5.30 - Raleigh, NC
6.6 - Chapel Hill, NC
7.10 - Richmond, KY
9.26 - Winston-Salem, NC
Man, listen! There aren’t many books being published this year that I’m more excited for than M.K. Asante’s #nephew. In the years leading up to the launch of MahoganyBooks I read his first book, ‘Buck’ and was instantly convicted in the rightness of sharing our love for books and words to help someone/someone’s to find their purpose and passion.
And now to host Bro. Asante at our Anacostia location in Southeast DC is not only a dream for me personally, but another opportunity to stay committed to bringing these important conversations to our community, for our community, with nothing but love for my hometown.
If you are a parent, a mentor, an educator, a community leader concerned about the well being of our young brothers, or just a lover of incredible writing, this event is for you.
Head to the link.tree in our @mahoganybooks bio and click ‘All Events’ to get your ticket(s). You will not want to miss this opportunity to hear from one of my favorite storytellers of this generation. (And if I’ve ever sold or recommended you a book, you know I don’t make that statement lightly.)
-DY
#mahoganybooks #mahoganybooksevent #blackbooksmatter #authortalk #ward8reads #ward8
💫 Starred review of my new book #NEPHEW from LIBRARY JOURNAL who wrote: “This poignant memoir about overcoming devastating odds is a treasure and likely to become a classic. Essential reading for deepening understanding of society, the world, familial relationships, and the meaning of art and life.”
My new memoir is available for pre-order now and in stores May 21st. Thanks 🙏🏿 for the support and inspiration.
