Gbagba follows a few days in the life of Liberian twins, Sundaymah and Sundaygar, who leave their hometown of Buchanan to visit their aunt in Monrovia, Liberia’s capital. The twins encounter characters and have experiences that introduce them to the word gbagba, which loosely translated in the Bassa language means trickery, the same as corruption. “The twins provide an alternative view of how corruption affects children, and how they might interpret–and question–the confusing ethical codes of the adults around them,” says Pailey. The book creates a beautiful platform for discussion about issues of corruption in Africa and around the world.

The book’s author Robtel Neajai Pailey is a Liberian writer/independent researcher currently pursuing her doctorate in Development Studies at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) as a Mo Ibrahim Foundation Ph.D. Scholar. Robtel’s writing has appeared in publications such as Newsweek-Daily Beast, The Guardian (UK), the Sea Breeze Journal of Contemporary Liberian Writings, the Liberian Studies Journal, the Washington Informer Newspaper, Pambazuka News, New African Magazine, Front Page Africa, African Arguments, Africa Today, The Daily Observer, Red Pepper Magazine, allAfrica.com, and Mano Vision Magazine.

Chase Walker is a Liberian graphic artist & cartoonist who is self-taught. One Moore Book, LLC is a niche publisher that produces culturally relevant children’s books for countries with low literacy rates, such as Liberia.

Robtel recently published an op-ed in the New York Times/International Herald Tribune referencing Gbagba.

Limited copies of the book will be on sale at the event. Advance purchases can be made at onemoorebook.com.