Explore Must-Read African Literature
In her 2009 TED talk “The Danger of a Single Story,” Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie recalls the moment “when I discovered African books.” Stumbling into writers “like Chinua Achebe and Camara Laye” forever changed her understanding of literature. She began writing stories filled with the kinds of people and places she knew intimately from her own life.
Despite being home to 54 countries, over 2,000 languages, and a billion people, Adichie notes that Africa is often reduced to a single idea about a single place, a “single story of catastrophe.” Thankfully, however, more readers are discovering African books and the wondrous variety within vibrant literary communities from Lagos to Cape Town, from Cairo to Harare.
Moreover, more writers are finding opportunities to tell the stories of their own countries from their own perspectives, challenging that single narrative and offering numerous richer alternatives. Consequently, readers around the world are eagerly exploring countries from Burkina Faso to Libya to Zanzibar one page at a time, getting an intimate local perspective not only on back streets and inside quotidian households, but also on grand historic events, subtleties of language and translation, and the varying shades of humor and wit that differ from culture to culture.
If you’re ready to travel to Africa not as a frequent flyer but as a page turner, check out these must-read African books from Algeria to Zambia.
Algeria
Tomboy by Nina Bouraoui
“I hear the sea advancing, the sound of freighters leaving Africa. I belong to the sand, the sea, and the wind. I am in Algeria. France is far away, behind the huge and dangerous waves. It is invisible and imagined.” So begins Tomboy, a semi-autobiographical tale set in 1970s Algeria, written in a fragmented modernist style that reflects the rhythm of the surf against the Algiers coast and the country’s fractured political landscape.
Angola
Transparent City by Ondjaki
Considered one of the best books in translation of 2019, Ondjaki’s Transparent City is set in the Angolan city of Luanda, where a man named Odonato searches for his missing son. Following Odonato through the city, readers encounter a magical realist urban landscape.
Cameroon
When the Plums Are Ripe by Patrice Nganang
In When the Plums Are Ripe, Nganang blends the grand scale of the historical novel with lyrical African oral tradition, asserting the Cameroonian perspective on how France affected its colony during World War II.
Limbe to Lagos: Nonfiction From Cameroon to Nigeria by Emmanuel Iduma, Dami Ajayi and Dzekashu MacViban
This anthology showcases African voices telling their own stories, forming a conversation between two countries that have been intertwined for decades.
Republic of Congo
The Lights of Pointe-Noire by Alain Mabancko
A finalist for the Man Booker International Prize, Mabancko’s memoir explores how places can change, rooted in the cinemas, churches, and winding streets of Pointe-Noire.
Egypt
Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz
Travel can be a form of time travel, as shown in Midaq Alley, a vivid foray into the back streets of 1940s Cairo, written by Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz.
Ethiopia
The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
This novel brings to life the overlooked story of Ethiopia’s women soldiers who fought during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.
Equatorial Guinea
La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono
This groundbreaking novel, the first work by an Equatorial Guinean woman to be translated into English, addresses themes of tradition and contemporary queer culture.
Ghana
The Hundred Wells of Salaga by Ayesha Harruna Attah
Attah’s novel presents the complexities of faith, language, and cultural hegemony in pre-colonial Salaga, Ghana.
Guinea Bissau
The Ultimate Tragedy by Abdulai Silá
This novel captures the complexities of colonial life in Guinea Bissau and maintains the intricacies of language essential to the original Portuguese.
Kenya
One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina
Wainaina’s memoir explores language and identity, blending English and Kiswahili in a captivating narrative.
The Dragonfly Sea by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
This bildungsroman delves into a young girl’s journey of self-discovery in the context of contemporary Kenyan society.
Lesotho
Chaka by Thomas Mofolo
Mofolo’s classic of historical fiction recounts the legacy of the Zulu king Chaka in an engaging narrative.
Liberia
She Would Be King by Wayétu Moore
Moore’s magical realist narrative intertwines the stories of three characters at the founding of Liberia.
Morocco
Whitefly by Abdelilah Hamdouchi
This detective noir novel unfolds as a murder mystery in Tangier, immersing readers in a compelling narrative.
Mozambique
A River Called Time by Mia Couto
Couto’s family saga reveals the tensions of a Mozambican family amidst the civil war backdrop.
Namibia
Writing Namibian: Literature in Translation edited by Sarala Krishnamurthy & Helen Vale
This anthology offers a broad overview of Namibian literature, showcasing narratives in multiple languages.
Nigeria
The African Trilogy by Chinua Achebe
Achebe’s trilogy serves as a meditation on power, enriched by the author’s reflective prose.
Looking for Transwonderland by Noo Saro-Wiwa
Saro-Wiwa offers a humorous and vivid memoir exploring the cultural contrasts in Nigeria.
And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile
This mystery narrative reflects the societal changes in Port Harcourt and beyond.
Sierra Leone
The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
A poignant narrative that intertwines the lives of diverse characters against the backdrop of Sierra Leone’s civil war.
South Africa
An Imperfect Blessing by Nadia Davids
Davids’ novel offers a glimpse into a Muslim family navigating the transformations in contemporary South Africa.
Double Negative by Ivan Vladislavic
This story provides an intimate look at Johannesburg’s evolution during a pivotal time in history.
Sudan
Thirteen Months of Sunrise by Rania Mamoun
A collection of short stories delivering unique insights into the Sudanese experience.
Tanzania
Gravel Heart by Abdulrazak Gurnah
This novel captures a young man’s struggle with cultural identity in the shifting landscape of Zanzibar.
Uganda
Kintu by Jennifer Makumbi
A multi-generational epic exploring the rich tapestry of Ugandan history and culture.
Zambia
The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
This genre-bending novel chronicles a century of conflict between three families in Zambia.
Zimbabwe
This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Long-listed for the 2020 Man Booker Prize, this novel captures the complexities of life in Zimbabwe and the challenges facing its youth.
Out of Darkness, Shining Light by Petina Gappah
Gappah’s narrative imagines the story of Africans ensuring Dr. Livingstone’s body returned to England, rooted in empathy and resilience.
Africa
A Stranger’s Pose by Emmanuel Iduma and Abraham Oghobase
This collection of prose and photographs spans numerous cities across Africa, forming a unique travelogue.
