About the book
2023 American Book Award
2022 Longlist for the National Book Awards
Winner of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets, Sherry Shenoda’s collection Mummy Eaters follows in the footsteps of an imagined ancestor, one of the daughters of the house of Akhenaten in the Eighteenth Dynasty, Egypt. Shenoda forges an imagined path through her ancestor’s mummification and journey to the afterlife. Parallel to this exploration run the implications of colonialism on her passage.
The mythology of the ancient Egyptians was oriented toward resurrection through the preservation of the human body in mummification. Shenoda juxtaposes this reverence for the human body as sacred matter and a pathway to eternal life with the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century European fascination with ingesting Egyptian human remains as medicine and using exhumed Egyptian mummies as paper, paint, and fertilizer. Today Egyptian human remains are displayed in museums. Much of Mummy Eaters is written as a call and response, in the Coptic tradition, between the imagined ancestor and the author as descendant.
Editions of Mummy Eaters
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781496232540
- EBook
- ISBN 9781496234100
- EBook
- ISBN 9781496234117
Read an Excerpt
2023 American Book Award
2022 Longlist for the National Book Awards
Winner of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets, Sherry Shenoda’s collection Mummy Eaters follows in the footsteps of an imagined ancestor, one of the daughters of the house of Akhenaten in the Eighteenth Dynasty, Egypt. Shenoda forges an imagined path through her ancestor’s mummification and journey to the afterlife. Parallel to this exploration run the implications of colonialism on her passage.
The mythology of the ancient Egyptians was oriented toward resurrection through the preservation of the human body in mummification. Shenoda juxtaposes this reverence for the human body as sacred matter and a pathway to eternal life with the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century European fascination with ingesting Egyptian human remains as medicine and using exhumed Egyptian mummies as paper, paint, and fertilizer. Today Egyptian human remains are displayed in museums. Much of Mummy Eaters is written as a call and response, in the Coptic tradition, between the imagined ancestor and the author as descendant.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mummy Eaters about?
2023 American Book Award
2022 Longlist for the National Book Awards
Winner of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets, Sherry Shenoda’s collection Mummy Eaters follows in the footsteps of an imagined ancestor, one of the daughters of the house of Akhenaten in the Eighteenth Dynasty, Egypt. Shenoda forges an imagined path through her ancestor’s mummification and journey to the afterlife. Parallel to this exploration run the implications of colonialism on her passage.
The mythology of the ancient Egyptians was oriented toward resurrection through the preservation of the human body in mummification. Shenoda juxtaposes this reverence for the human body as sacred matter and a pathway to eternal life with the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century European fascination with ingesting Egyptian human remains as medicine and using exhumed Egyptian mummies as paper, paint, and fertilizer. Today Egyptian human remains are displayed in museums. Much of Mummy Eaters is written as a call and response, in the Coptic tradition, between the imagined ancestor and the author as descendant.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Mummy Eaters?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Poetry / Poems
Where can I read a sample of Mummy Eaters?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781496232540
Is Mummy Eaters part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series African Poetry Book
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Mummy Eaters?
Sherry Shenoda
Who is the Publisher of the book Mummy Eaters?
Nebraska
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Mummy Eaters is available as paperback(ISBN 9781496232540) and ebook(ISBN 9781496234100) and ebook(ISBN 9781496234117)
Where can I buy Mummy Eaters online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Mummy Eaters from below
Where can I buy Mummy Eaters?