On Saturday 17 October 2026, readers will convene at The Mocha Puddle in Mass Media for “Chapter and Conversation,” an hour focused on George Kasonde’s novel, The Padre and the Pagans of Ituna.
The setup is simple and welcoming. Guests are asked to arrive early to buy a drink and settle in. The group will then read the first chapter out loud together before opening the floor for discussion.
If you want to pick up a copy of the novel, it is available locally at Bookworld and online through Amazon.
Event Details:
- Date: Saturday 17 October 2026
- Time: 14:30 to 15:30 hours
- Venue: The Mocha Puddle, 7 Kenneth Maduma St, Mass Media
- Queries: +260977954869
About the Novel
The 19th Century is ending. In the northern part of the country now known as Zambia, the Arab slave trade is in its final phase. The two most important Bemba Chiefs, Chitimukulu and Mwamba, are in the grips of a battle to maintain their power. At this critical time two white men arrive in the territory. The first, Fr. Moreau tasked with claiming the souls of the Natives for Church and God. The other, Captain McCoy, is eager to secure the land for Queen and the British South Africa Company.
Trapped within these forces, the Bemba Chiefs fight to regain control and the lives of their subjects cannot go on as they had done before. The Padre and The Pagans of Ituna is a tale of intertwined quests for power, love and gain told against the backdrop of Bemba cultural beliefs, traditions and practices. It tells of how unlikely parties become allies, if not in intent, then in effect and of the everyday actions that echo through time.
