African literature
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

African literature is
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
from
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, either
oral The word oral may refer to: Relating to the mouth * Relating to the mouth, the first portion of the alimentary canal that primarily receives food and liquid **Oral administration of medicines ** Oral examination (also known as an oral exam or oral ...
("orature") or written in
African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...
and
Afro-Asiatic The Afroasiatic languages (or Afro-Asiatic), also known as Hamito-Semitic, or Semito-Hamitic, and sometimes also as Afrasian, Erythraean or Lisramic, are a language family of about 300 languages that are spoken predominantly in the geographic su ...
languages. Examples of
pre-colonial Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
African literature can be traced back to at least the fourth century AD. The best-known is the ''
Kebra Negast The Kebra Nagast, var. Kebra Negast ( gez, ክብረ ነገሥት, ), or The Glory of the Kings, is a 14th-century national epic from Ethiopia, written in Ge'ez by Nebure Id Ishaq of Axum, by the office of Abuna Abba Giyorgis and at the comma ...
'', or "Book of Kings." A common theme during the colonial period is the slave narrative, often written in English or French for western audiences. Among the first pieces of African literature to receive significant worldwide critical acclaim was ''
Things Fall Apart ''Things Fall Apart'' is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans during the late 19th century. It is seen as the ...
'', by
Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as the dominant figure of modern African literature. His first novel and ''magnum opus'', ''Things Fall Apart'' (1958), occupies ...
, published in 1958. African literature in the late colonial period increasingly feature themes of
liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...
and independence. Post-colonial literature has become increasingly diverse, with some writers returning to their native languages. Common themes include the clash between past and present, tradition and modernity, self and community, as well as politics and development. On the whole, female writers are today far better represented in African literature than they were prior to independence. The internet has also changed the landscape of African literature, leading to the rise of digital reading and publishing platforms such as OkadaBooks.


Overview

As George Joseph notes in his chapter o
African Literature
in ''Understanding Contemporary Africa'', whereas European views of literature stressed a separation of art and content, African awareness is inclusive and "literature" can also simply mean an artistic use of words for the sake of art alone. Traditionally, Africans do not radically separate art from teaching. Rather than write or sing for beauty in itself, African writers, taking their cue from oral literature, use beauty to help communicate important truths and information to society. An object is considered beautiful because of the truths it reveals and the communities it helps to build.


Oral literature

Oral literature (or orature, the term coined by
Ugandan }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The southe ...
scholar
Pio Zirimu Pio Zirimu (died 1977) was a Ugandan linguist, scholar and literary theorist. He is credited with coining the word "orature" as an alternative to the self-contradictory term, " oral literature"trickster In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story (god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...
character. Storytellers in Africa sometimes use
call-and-response Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...
techniques to tell their stories. Poetry describes a narrative poem based upon a short and a ribald anecdote and is often sung, through: narrative epic, occupational verse, ritual verse,
praise poems A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens. Etymology The word originated as a compound of grc ...
of rulers and other prominent people. Praise singers, bards sometimes known as "
griot A griot (; ; Manding: jali or jeli (in N'Ko: , ''djeli'' or ''djéli'' in French spelling); Serer: kevel or kewel / okawul; Wolof: gewel) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. The griot is a repos ...
s", tell their stories with music. Also recited, often sung, are
love songs A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...
,
work songs A work song is a piece of music closely connected to a form of work, either sung while conducting a task (usually to coordinate timing) or a song linked to a task which might be a connected narrative, description, or protest song. Definitions and ...
,
children's songs A children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that children invent and share among themselves or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home or education. Although children's songs have been recorded and studied ...
, along with
epigrams An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word is derived from the Greek "inscription" from "to write on, to inscribe", and the literary device has been employed for over two millen ...
,
proverbs A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic speech, formulaic language. A proverbial phra ...
and
riddles A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requir ...
. These oral traditions exist in many languages including
Fula Fula may refer to: *Fula people (or Fulani, Fulɓe) *Fula language (or Pulaar, Fulfulde, Fulani) **The Fula variety known as the Pulaar language **The Fula variety known as the Pular language **The Fula variety known as Maasina Fulfulde *Al-Fula ...
, Swahili,
Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also * ...
, and
Wolof Wolof or Wollof may refer to: * Wolof people, an ethnic group found in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania * Wolof language, a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania * The Wolof or Jolof Empire, a medieval West African successor of the Mal ...
. In
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
, oral poetry was an important part of Berber traditions when the majority of the population was illiterate. These poems, called ''
Isefra The asefru (pl. isefra) is a poetic composition of the Berber literature of Kabylia. It is a sort of short sonnet with a ternary structure, formed by three strophes of three verses each. The rhymes follow the pattern AAB AAB AAB, while the lengt ...
'', were used for aspects of both religious and secular life. The religious poems included devotions, prophetic stories, and poems honoring saints. The secular poetry could be about celebrations like births and weddings, or accounts of heroic warriors. As another example, in
Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
, oral literature or folktales continue to be broadcast on the radio in the native language Booma.


Precolonial literature

Examples of
pre-colonial Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
African literature are numerous. In
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, there is a substantial literature written in Ge'ez going back at least to the fourth century AD; the best-known work in this tradition is the ''
Kebra Negast The Kebra Nagast, var. Kebra Negast ( gez, ክብረ ነገሥት, ), or The Glory of the Kings, is a 14th-century national epic from Ethiopia, written in Ge'ez by Nebure Id Ishaq of Axum, by the office of Abuna Abba Giyorgis and at the comma ...
'', or "Book of Kings." One popular form of traditional African folktale is the "trickster" story, in which a small animal uses its wits to survive encounters with larger creatures. Examples of animal tricksters include
Anansi Anansi ( ; literally translates to ''spider'') is an Akan folktale character and the Akan God of Stories, Wisdom, Knowledge, and possibly creation. The form of a spider is the most common depiction of Anansi. He is also, sometimes considered to ...
, a spider in the folklore of the Ashanti people of
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
; Ijàpá, a
tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a turtle shell, shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, ...
in
Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
folklore of
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
; and Sungura, a
hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The ge ...
found in central and East African folklore. Other works in written form are abundant, namely in North Africa, the
Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...
regions of west Africa and on the Swahili coast. From
Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...
alone, there are an estimated 300,000 or more manuscripts tucked away in various libraries and private collections, mostly written in
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
but some in the native languages (namely
Fula Fula may refer to: *Fula people (or Fulani, Fulɓe) *Fula language (or Pulaar, Fulfulde, Fulani) **The Fula variety known as the Pulaar language **The Fula variety known as the Pular language **The Fula variety known as Maasina Fulfulde *Al-Fula ...
and Songhai). Many were written at the famous
University of Timbuktu The University of Timbuktu is a collective term for the teaching associated with three mosques in the city of Timbuktu in what is now Mali: the mosques of Sankore, Djinguereber, and Sidi Yahya. It was an organized scholastic community that endured ...
. The material covers a wide array of topics, including astronomy, poetry, law, history, faith, politics, and philosophy. Swahili literature, similarly, draws inspiration from Islamic teachings but developed under indigenous circumstances, one of the most renowned and earliest pieces of Swahili literature being ''
Utendi wa Tambuka ''Utend̠i wa Tambuka'', also known as ''Utenzi wa Tambuk''aThe symbol ''d̠'' is a transliteration of the Arabic for the Swahili sound ''dh'' (). Often this sound is written simply ''z'', hence the different spellings. ("The Story of Tambuka") ...
'' or "The Story of Tambuka". As for the
Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...
, North Africans such as
Ibn Khaldun Ibn Khaldun (; ar, أبو زيد عبد الرحمن بن محمد بن خلدون الحضرمي, ; 27 May 1332 – 17 March 1406, 732-808 AH) was an Arab The Historical Muhammad', Irving M. Zeitlin, (Polity Press, 2007), p. 21; "It is, of ...
attained great distinction within
Arabic literature Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from ...
. Medieval North Africa boasted universities such as those of
Fes Fez or Fes (; ar, فاس, fās; zgh, ⴼⵉⵣⴰⵣ, fizaz; french: Fès) is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fès-Meknès administrative region. It is the second largest city in Morocco, with a population of 1.11 mi ...
and
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, with copious amounts of literature to supplement them.


Colonial African literature

The African works best known in the West from the periods of colonization and the slave trade are primarily
slave narratives The slave narrative is a type of literary genre involving the (written) autobiographical accounts of enslaved Africans, particularly in the Americas. Over six thousand such narratives are estimated to exist; about 150 narratives were published as s ...
, such as
Olaudah Equiano Olaudah Equiano (; c. 1745 – 31 March 1797), known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa (), was a writer and abolitionist from, according to his memoir, the Eboe (Igbo) region of the Kingdom of Benin (today southern Nigeria). Enslaved as ...
's ''
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano ''The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African'', first published in 1789 in London,
'' (
1789 Events January–March * January – Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès publishes the pamphlet ''What Is the Third Estate?'' ('), influential on the French Revolution. * January 7 – The 1788-89 United States presidential election a ...
). In the colonial period, Africans exposed to Western languages began to write in those tongues. In
1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...
, Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford (also known as Ekra-Agiman) of the
Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...
(now Ghana) published what is probably the first African novel written in English, '' Ethiopia Unbound: Studies in Race Emancipation''. Although the work moves between fiction and political advocacy, its publication and positive reviews in the Western press mark a watershed moment in African literature. During this period, African
plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...
written in English began to emerge. Herbert Isaac Ernest Dhlomo of
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
published the first English-language African play, ''The Girl Who Killed to Save: Nongqawuse the Liberator'' in
1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...
. In 1962,
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (; born James Ngugi; 5 January 1938) is a Literature of Kenya, Kenyan author and academic who writes primarily in Gikuyu language, Gikuyu and who formerly wrote in English language, English. He has been described as having bee ...
of
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
wrote the first East African drama, '' The Black Hermit'', a cautionary tale about "
tribalism Tribalism is the state of being organized by, or advocating for, tribes or tribal lifestyles. Human evolution has primarily occurred in small hunter-gatherer groups, as opposed to in larger and more recently settled agricultural societies or civ ...
" (
discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...
between African tribes). Among the first pieces of African literature to receive significant worldwide critical acclaim was the novel ''
Things Fall Apart ''Things Fall Apart'' is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans during the late 19th century. It is seen as the ...
'', by
Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as the dominant figure of modern African literature. His first novel and ''magnum opus'', ''Things Fall Apart'' (1958), occupies ...
. Published in 1958, late in the colonial era, ''Things Fall Apart'' analysed the effect of colonialism on traditional African society. African literature in the late colonial period (between the end of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and independence) increasingly showed themes of
liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...
, independence, and (among Africans in
francophone French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...
territories)
négritude ''Négritude'' (from French "Nègre" and "-itude" to denote a condition that can be translated as "Blackness") is a framework of critique and literary theory, developed mainly by francophone intellectuals, writers, and politicians of the African ...
. One of the leaders of the négritude movement, the poet and eventual president of
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
,
Léopold Sédar Senghor Léopold Sédar Senghor (; ; 9 October 1906 – 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese poet, politician and cultural theorist who was the first president of Senegal (1960–80). Ideologically an African socialist, he was the major theoretician o ...
, published in
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
the first anthology of French-language poetry written by Africans, ''Anthologie de la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache de langue française'' (''Anthology of the New Black and Malagasy Poetry in the French Language''), featuring a preface by the French
existentialist Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...
writer
Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and litera ...
. For many writers this emphasis was not restricted to their publishing. Many, indeed, suffered deeply and directly: censured for casting aside their artistic responsibilities in order to participate actively in warfare,
Christopher Okigbo Christopher Ifekandu Okigbo (16 August 1932 – 1967) was a Nigerian poet, teacher, and librarian, who died fighting for the independence of Biafra. He is today widely acknowledged as an outstanding postcolonial English-language African poet an ...
was killed in battle for
Biafra Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...
against the Nigerian movement of the 1960s'
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
;
Mongane Wally Serote Mongane Wally Serote (born 8 May 1944) is a South African poet and writer. He became involved in political resistance to the apartheid government by joining the African National Congress (ANC) and in 1969 was arrested and detained for several m ...
was detained under South Africa's
Terrorism Act No 83 of 1967 The Terrorism Act No 83 of 1967 was a law of the South African Apartheid regime until all except section 7 was repealed under the Internal Security and Intimidation Amendment Act 138 of 1991. Detention without trial Section 6 of the Act allowed s ...
between 1969 and 1970, and subsequently released without ever having stood trial; in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 1970, his countryman Arthur Norje committed suicide;
Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...
's
Jack Mapanje Jack Mapanje (born 25 March 1944)Ken Saro-Wiwa Kenule Beeson "Ken" Saro-Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995) was a Nigerian writer, television producer, and environmental activist. Ken Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homeland, Ogonilan ...
was hanged by the Nigerian junta.


Postcolonial African literature

With liberation and increased literacy since most African nations gained their independence in the 1950s and 1960s, African literature has grown dramatically in quantity and in recognition, with numerous African works appearing in Western academic curricula and on "best of" lists compiled since the end of the 20th century. African writers in this period wrote both in Western languages (notably
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
, French, and
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
) and in traditional African languages such as Hausa. Ali A. Mazrui and others mention seven conflicts as themes: the clash between Africa's past and present, between tradition and modernity, between indigenous and foreign, between individualism and community, between socialism and capitalism, between development and self-reliance and between Africanity and humanity. Other themes in this period include social problems such as corruption, the economic disparities in newly independent countries, and the rights and roles of women. Female writers are today far better represented in published African literature than they were prior to independence. In
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...
, Nigeria's
Wole Soyinka Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...
became the first post-independence African writer to win the
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
in literature. Previously,
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
n-born
Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...
had been awarded the prize in 1957. Other African
Nobel laureates in literature The Nobel Prize in Literature ( sv, Nobelpriset i litteratur) is awarded annually by the Swedish Academy to authors for outstanding contributions in the field of literature. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the 1895 will of Alfred ...
are
Naguib Mahfouz Naguib Mahfouz Abdelaziz Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Basha ( arz, نجيب محفوظ عبد العزيز ابراهيم احمد الباشا, ; 11 December 1911 – 30 August 2006) was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature. ...
(Egypt) in 1988,
Nadine Gordimer Nadine Gordimer (20 November 192313 July 2014) was a South African writer and political activist. She received the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognized as a writer "who through her magnificent epic writin ...
(South Africa) in 1991,
John Maxwell Coetzee John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
(South Africa) in 2003,
Doris Lessing Doris May Lessing (; 22 October 1919 – 17 November 2013) was a British-Zimbabwean novelist. She was born to British parents in Iran, where she lived until 1925. Her family then moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where she remain ...
(UK/Zimbabwe) in 2007, and
Abdulrazak Gurnah Abdulrazak Gurnah (born 20 December 1948) is a Tanzanian-born British novelist and academic. He was born in the Sultanate of Zanzibar and moved to the United Kingdom in the 1960s as a refugee during the Zanzibar Revolution. His novels include ...
(Tanzania) in 2021.


Contemporary developments

There have been a lot of literary productions in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
since the beginning of the current decade (2010), even though readers do not always follow in large numbers. One can also notice the appearance of certain writings that break with the
academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
style. In addition, the shortage of literary critics can be deplored on the continent nowadays. Literary events seem to be very fashionable, including
literary awards A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award ceremony. Ma ...
, some of which can be distinguished by their original concepts. The case of the
Grand Prix of Literary Associations The Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA) were launched in 2013 in Cameroon, in partnership with Brasseries du Cameroun and sponsorship by Castel Group, Castel Beer. The GPLA are defined as bilingual English-and-French literary prizes, som ...
is quite illustrative. ''
Brittle Paper ''Brittle Paper'' is an online literary magazine styled as an "African literary blog" published weekly in the English language. Its focus is on "build(ing) a vibrant African literary scene." It was founded by Ainehi Edoro (at the time a doctoral ...
'', an online platform founded by
Ainehi Edoro Ainehi Edoro (born 11 December) is a Nigerian writer, critic and academic. She is the founder and publisher of the African literary blog ''Brittle Paper''. She is currently an assistant professor of Global Black Literatures at the University of ...
, has been described as "Africa's leading literary journal". The increasing use of the internet has also changed how readers of African literature access content. This has led to the rise of digital reading and publishing platforms like OkadaBooks.


Literature published in Africa

Inaugurated in 1980 and running until 2009, the
Noma Award for Publishing in Africa The Noma Award for Publishing in Africa (''French:Le Prix Noma de Publication en Afrique''), which ran from 1980 to 2009, was an annual $10,000 prize for outstanding African writers and scholars who published in Africa. Within four years of its est ...
was presented for outstanding African writers and scholars published in Africa.


Notable novels by African writers

* Peter Abrahams (South Africa): '' Mine Boy'' (1946), '' This Island Now'', ''
A Wreath for Udomo ''A Wreath for Udomo'' is a 1956 novel by South African novelist Peter Abrahams. The novel follows a London-educated black African, Michael Udomo, who returns to Africa to become a revolutionary leader in the fictional country of Panafrica an ...
'' (1956) *
Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as the dominant figure of modern African literature. His first novel and ''magnum opus'', ''Things Fall Apart'' (1958), occupies ...
(Nigeria): ''
Arrow of God ''Arrow of God'', published in 1964, is the third novel by Chinua Achebe. Along with ''Things Fall Apart'' and '' No Longer at Ease'', it is considered part of ''The African Trilogy'', sharing similar settings and themes. The novel centres on Ezeu ...
'' (1964), '' No Longer At Ease'' (1960), ''
Things Fall Apart ''Things Fall Apart'' is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans during the late 19th century. It is seen as the ...
'' (1958), ''
A Man of the People ''A Man of the People'' (1966) is a novel by Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe. Written as a satirical piece, ''A Man of the People'' follows a story told by Odili, a young and educated narrator, on his conflict with Chief Nanga, his former teacher w ...
'' (1966), '' Anthills of the Savannah'' (1987), *
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ( ; born 15 September 1977) is a Nigerian writer whose works include novels, short stories and nonfiction. She was described in ''The Times Literary Supplement'' as "the most prominent" of a "procession of criticall ...
(Nigeria): ''
Purple Hibiscus ''Purple Hibiscus'' is a novel written by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Her debut novel, it was first published by Algonquin Books in 2003. Synopsis ''Purple Hibiscus'' is set in postcolonial Nigeria, a country beset by political ...
'' (2003), ''
Half of a Yellow Sun ''Half of a Yellow Sun'' is a novel by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Published in 2006 by 4th Estate in London, the novel tells the story of the Biafran War through the perspective of the characters Olanna, Ugwu, and Richard. It rec ...
'' (2006), ''
Americanah ''Americanah'' is a 2013 novel by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, for which Adichie won the 2013 U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. ''Americanah'' tells the story of a young Nigerian woman, Ifemelu, who immigrates t ...
'' (2013) *
Chigozie Obioma Chigozie Obioma (born 1986) is a Nigerian writer. He is best known for writing the novels ''The Fishermen'' (2015) and ''An Orchestra of Minorities'' (2019), both of which were shortlisted for the Booker Prize in their respective years of public ...
(Nigeria): '' The Fishermen'' (2015), ''
An Orchestra of Minorities ''An Orchestra of Minorities'' is a 2019 novel by Chigozie Obioma. It is his second novel after his debut, '' The Fishermen''. It is a modern twist of the Odyssey and Igbo cosmology. The novel's narrator is a deceased spirit chi. It was shortl ...
'' (2019) *
José Eduardo Agualusa José Eduardo Agualusa Alves da Cunha (born December 13, 1960) is an Angolan journalist and writer of Portuguese and Brazilian descent. He studied agronomy and silviculture in Lisbon, Portugal. Currently he resides in the Island of Mozambiqu ...
(
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
): ''Rainy Season'', ''Creole'', ''The Book of Chameleons'', '' My Father's Wives'' *
Ama Ata Aidoo Ama Ata Aidoo, ''née'' Christina Ama Aidoo (born 23 March 1942) is a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright and academic. She was the Minister of Education under the Jerry Rawlings administration. In 2000, she established the Mbaasem Foundation to ...
(Ghana): ''
Our Sister Killjoy ''Our Sister Killjoy: or Reflections from a Black-eyed Squint'' is the debut novel of Ghanaian author Ama Ata Aidoo, first published by Longman in 1977. It has been called "a witty, experimental work whose main point is a stylish dismissal of cha ...
'' (1977), '' Changes: a Love Story'' (1991) *
Germano Almeida Germano Almeida (; born 31 July 1945) is a Cape Verdean author and lawyer. Biography Born on the Cape Verdean island Boa Vista, Almeida studied law at the University of Lisbon and currently practices in Mindelo. His novels have been translat ...
(Cape Verde): ''
O dia das calças roladas ''O dia das calças roladas'' is a Cape Verde, Capeverdean novel published in 1982 by Germano Almeida. The book was first published on Ilhéu Editora. The story is about an account of a strike that happened on the island of Santo Antão, Cape Ve ...
'' (1982), ''The Last Will and Testament of Senhor da Silva Araújo'' * Elechi Amadi (Nigeria): '' The Concubine'' (1966), '' The Great Ponds'', '' Sunset in Biafra'' *
Ayi Kwei Armah Ayi Kwei Armah (born 28 October 1939) is a Ghanaian writer best known for his novels including ''The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born'' (1968), '' Two Thousand Seasons'' (1973) and '' The Healers'' (1978). He is also an essayist, as well as having ...
(Ghana): ''
The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born '' ''The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born'' is the debut novel by Ghanaian writer Ayi Kwei Armah. It was published in 1968 by Houghton Mifflin, and then republished in the influential Heinemann African Writers Series in 1969. The novel tells the s ...
'' (1968), '' Two Thousand Seasons'' (1973) *
Sefi Atta Sefi Atta (born January 1964) is a Nigerian-American novelist, short-story writer, playwright and screenwriter. Her books have been translated into many languages, radio plays have been broadcast by the BBC, and her stage plays have been performe ...
(Nigeria): ''
Everything Good Will Come ''Everything Good Will Come'' is a Bildungsroman, coming-of-age novel by Nigerian author Sefi Atta about a girl growing into a woman in Postcolonial literature, postcolonial Nigeria and England. It was published by Interlink Publishing, Interlin ...
'' (2005) *
Ayesha Harruna Attah Ayesha Harruna Attah (born December 1983) is a Ghanaian-born fiction writer. She lives in Senegal. Early years and education Ayesha Harruna Attah was born in Accra, Ghana, in the 1980s, under a military government, to a mother who was a journali ...
(Ghana): '' Harmattan Rain'' *
Mariama Bâ Mariama Bâ (April 17, 1929 – August 17, 1981) was a Senegalese author and feminist, whose two French-language novels were both translated into more than a dozen languages. Born in Dakar, she was raised a Muslim. Her frustration with the fate ...
(Senegal): ''
Une si longue lettre ''So Long a Letter'' (french: Une si longue lettre) is a semi-autobiographical epistolary novel originally written in French language, French by the Senegalese writer Mariama Bâ.Rizwana Habib Latha"Feminisms in an African Context: Mariama Bâ's s ...
'' (''So Long a Letter'') *
Chris Barnard Christiaan Neethling Barnard (8 November 1922 – 2 September 2001) was a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant operation. On 3 December 1967, Barnard transplanted the heart of accident-v ...
(South Africa): ''
Bundu Bundu may refer to: * Bundu (state), a former state in what is now Senegal * Also known as the place where Aditya Kumar (BE/10023/12) was born and brought up * Bundu, India, a town in Jharkhand, India ** Bundu block, the larger administrative u ...
'', ''Mahala'' *
Ishmael Beah Ishmael Beah (born 23 November 1980)UNICEF''Youth leadership profiles'' unicef.org; retrieved 15 February 2007. is a Sierra Leonean author and human rights activist who rose to fame with his acclaimed memoir, ''A Long Way Gone''. His novel ''Radi ...
(
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
): ''
A Long Way Gone ''A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier'' is a 2007 memoir written by Ishmael Beah, an author from Sierra Leone. The book is a firsthand account of Beah's time as a child soldier during the Sierra Leone Civil War in the 1990s. The book describ ...
'' (2007), ''Radiance of Tomorrow'' *
Mongo Beti Alexandre Biyidi Awala (30 June 1932 – 8 October 2001), known as Mongo Beti or Eza Boto, was a Cameroonian writer. Beti spent much of his life in France, studying at the Sorbonne and becoming a professor at Lycée Pierre Corneille. Life ...
(Cameroon): '' Poor Christ of Bomba'' (1956 as ''Le Pauvre Christ de Bomba'') * André Brink (South Africa): '' 'n Droe Wit Seisoen (A Dry White Season)'', '' Gerugte van Reen (Rumours of Rain)'' *
J. M. Coetzee John Maxwell Coetzee OMG (born 9 February 1940) is a South African–Australian novelist, essayist, linguist, translator and recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature. He is one of the most critically acclaimed and decorated authors in ...
(South Africa): ''
Disgrace ''Disgrace'' is a novel by J. M. Coetzee, published in 1999. It won the Booker Prize. The writer was also awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature four years after its publication. Plot David Lurie is a white South African professor of English wh ...
'' (1999), '' Life & Times of Michael K'' (1983) *
Mia Couto António Emílio Leite Couto, better known as Mia Couto (born 5 July 1955), is a Mozambican writer. He won the Camões Prize in 2013, the most important literary award in the Portuguese language, and the Neustadt International Prize for Liter ...
(
Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
): '' Terra Sonâmbula (Sleepwalking Land)'' *
Ungulani Ba Ka Khosa Francisco Esaú Cossa (pseudonym Ungulani Ba Ka Khosa, also spelled as Ungulani ba ka Khosa) is a Mozambican writer born on August 1, 1957, in Inhaminga, Sofala Province. Khosa completed elementary school in Sofala, and high school in Zambezia. ...
(Mozambique): ''
Ualalapi ''Ualalapi'' is a novel by Mozambican writer Ungulani Ba Ka Khosa. It was published in 1987, and won Mozambique's Grande Prémio da Ficção Narrativa in 1990. Ualalapi is the name of a Nguni warrior who is destined to kill Mafemane, brother of M ...
'' (1987) *
Luís Bernardo Honwana Luís Bernardo Honwana (born 1942) is a Mozambican author and statesman. Biography Luís Bernardo Honwana was born Luís Augusto Bernardo Manuel in Lourenço Marques (present-day Maputo), Mozambique.Nós Matamos O Cão-Tinhoso e Outros Contos'', ''
We Killed Mangy Dog and Other Stories ''We Killed Mangy Dog and Other Mozambique Stories'' (''Nós Matámos o Cão-Tinhoso'') is a 1964 collection of short stories by Mozambican writer Luís Bernardo Honwana. It is a classic of African literature, appearing on the Zimbabwe Internationa ...
'' (1964) *
Tsitsi Dangarembga Tsitsi Dangarembga (born 4 February 1959) is a Zimbabwean novelist, playwright and filmmaker. Her debut novel, ''Nervous Conditions'' (1988), which was the first to be published in English by a Black woman from Zimbabwe, was named by the BBC in ...
(
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
): ''
Nervous Conditions ''Nervous Conditions'' is a novel by Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga, first published in the United Kingdom in 1988. It was the first book published by a black woman from Zimbabwe in English. ''Nervous Conditions'' won the Commonwealth Writ ...
'' (1988), '' The Book of Not'' (2006), ''
This Mournable Body ''This Mournable Body'' is a novel by Tsitsi Dangarembga which was published by Faber and Faber on 16 January 2020. Awards * PEN Pinter Prize *Shortlisted for 2020 Booker Prize Critical reception and reviews This Mournable Body is described ...
'' *
Mohammed Dib Mohammed Dib ( ar, محمد ديب; 21 July 1920 – 2 May 2003) was an Algerian author. He wrote over 30 novels, as well as numerous short stories, poems, and children's literature in the French language. He is probably Algeria's most prolific ...
(
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
): '' La grande maison'' * E. K. M. Dido (South Africa): '' 'n Stringetjie Blou Krale (A String of Blue Beads)'', '' Die Storie van Monica Peters (The Story of Monica Peters)'' *
Assia Djebar Fatima-Zohra Imalayen (30 June 1936 – 6 February 2015), known by her pen name Assia Djebar ( ar, آسيا جبار), was an Algerian novelist, translator and filmmaker. Most of her works deal with obstacles faced by women, and she is noted fo ...
(Algeria): '' Les Enfants du Nouveau Monde'' *
K. Sello Duiker Kabelo Sello Duiker (13 April 1974 – 19 January 2005) was a South African novelist. His debut novel, ''Thirteen Cents'', won the 2001 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book, Africa Region. His second novel, ''The Quiet Violence of Drea ...
(South Africa): '' Thirteen Cents'' (2000), '' The Quiet Violence of Dreams'' * Buchi Emecheta (Nigeria): ''
The Bride Price ''The Bride Price'' is a 1976 novel (first published in the UK by Allison & Busby and in the USA by George Braziller) by Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta. It concerns, in part, the problems of women in post-colonial Nigeria. The author dedicated t ...
'' (1976), '' The Slave Girl'' (1977), '' The Joys of Motherhood'' (1979), ''
Destination Biafra ''Destination Biafra'' is a 1982 novel by Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta, first published in London by Allison & Busby. It is considered to be Emecheta's personal account of the Biafra War. ''Destination Biafra'' was republished in paperback on 1 ...
'' (1982) *
Daniel Olorunfemi Fagunwa Chief Daniel Oròwọlé Olorunfẹmi Fágúnwà MBE (1903 – 7 December 1963), popularly known as D. O. Fágúnwà, was a Nigerian Yoruba author who pioneered the Yoruba-language novel. Early life Daniel Oròwọlé Fágúnwà was born in ...
(Nigeria): '' Ogboju odẹ ninu igbo irunmalẹ (The Forest of a Thousand Demons)'' *
Nuruddin Farah Nuruddin Farah ( so, Nuuradiin Faarax, ar, نورالدين فارح) (born 24 November 1945) is a Somali novelist. His first novel, ''From a Crooked Rib'', was published in 1970 and has been described as "one of the cornerstones of modern East ...
(
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
): ''
From a Crooked Rib ''From a Crooked Rib'' is a 1970 novel by Somalis, Somali writer Nuruddin Farah. It was Farah’s debut and was published as the 80th book in Heinemann's Heinemann African Writers Series, African Writers Series. Background Following the rejection ...
'' (1970), ''
Maps A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...
'', ''
Sweet and Sour Milk Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones, ...
'' *
Athol Fugard Athol Fugard, Hon. , (born 11 June 1932), is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright. He is best known for his political and penetrating plays opposing the system of apart ...
(South Africa): ''Tsotsi'' *
Nadine Gordimer Nadine Gordimer (20 November 192313 July 2014) was a South African writer and political activist. She received the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognized as a writer "who through her magnificent epic writin ...
(South Africa): ''
Burger's Daughter ''Burger's Daughter'' is a political and historical novel by the South African Nobel Prize in Literature-winner Nadine Gordimer, first published in the United Kingdom in June 1979 by Jonathan Cape. The book was expected to be banned in Sout ...
'' (1979), ''
The Conservationist ''The Conservationist'' is a 1974 novel by the South African writer Nadine Gordimer. The book was a joint winner of the Booker-McConnell Prize for fiction. It is described as more complex in design and technique than Gordimer's earlier novels. ...
'' (1974), ''
July's People ''July's People'' is a 1981 novel by the South African writer Nadine Gordimer. It is set in a near-future version of South Africa where apartheid is ended through a civil war. Gordimer wrote the book before the end of apartheid as her prediction ...
'' (1981) *
Alex La Guma Alex La Guma (20 February 1924 – 11 October 1985) was a South African novelist, leader of the South African Coloured People's Organisation (SACPO) and a defendant in the Treason Trial, whose works helped characterise the movement against ...
(South Africa): ''
In the Fog of the Seasons' End ''In the Fog of the Seasons' End'' is a 1972 novel by South African novelist Alex La Guma. Like many of La Guma's other novels, it is focused on challenging the social systems of apartheid in South Africa. The main character in the novel, Beukes, ...
'' (1972), ''
The Stone-Country ''The Stone-Country'' is a 1967 novel by South African novelist Alex La Guma. The novel is set in a prison, and explores how one prisoner inspires others to pursue anti-apartheid politics. It was the last novel La Guma was able to write before ...
'' (1967), ''
Time of the Butcherbird ''Time of the Butcherbird'' is the final novel by South African novelist Alex La Guma. The novel was first published in 1979. References

Works by Alex La Guma 1979 novels 20th-century South African novels {{1970s-SouthAfrica-novel-st ...
'' (1979), '' A Walk in the Night'' (2020) *
Abdulrazak Gurnah Abdulrazak Gurnah (born 20 December 1948) is a Tanzanian-born British novelist and academic. He was born in the Sultanate of Zanzibar and moved to the United Kingdom in the 1960s as a refugee during the Zanzibar Revolution. His novels include ...
(
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
): ''
Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...
'' (1994), '' By the Sea'' (2001), '' Afterlives'' (2020) *
Bessie Head Bessie Amelia Emery Head (6 July 1937 – 17 April 1986) was a South African writer who, though born in South Africa, is usually considered Botswana's most influential writer. She wrote novels, short fiction and autobiographical works that are ...
(
Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...
): ''
When Rain Clouds Gather ''When Rain Clouds Gather'' is a 1968 novel by South African- Motswana author Bessie Head. Head wrote the novel while in exile in Botswana in 1967. Plot Makehaya escapes Apartheid South Africa into Botswana. In the village of Golema Mmidi h ...
'' (1968), '' Maru'' (1971), ''A Question of Power'' (1973) *
Moses Isegawa Moses Isegawa, also known as Sey Wava (born 10 August 1963), is a Ugandan author. He has written novels set against the political turmoil of Uganda, which he left in 1990 for the Netherlands. His debut novel, ''Abyssinian Chronicles'', was first pu ...
(
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
): ''
Abyssinian Chronicles ''Abyssinian Chronicles'' (Abessijnse kronieken) is a 1998 novel by Ugandan author Moses Isegawa. Plot The book is set in Uganda, in the 1970s and '80s. The book follows the life of narrator Mugezi Muwaabi, as he plots his own independence from ...
'' (1998) * Rayda Jacobs (South Africa): '' The Slave Book'', '' Eyes of the Sky'', ''
Confessions of a Gambler Rayda Jacobs (born 6 March 1947) is a South African writer and film-maker. She was born in Diep River, Cape Town and began writing at a young age. In 1968, she moved to Toronto, Canada. She married there, had two children and later divorced. H ...
'' *
Tahar Ben Jelloun Tahar Ben Jelloun ( ar, الطاهر بن جلون; born in Fes, Morocco, 1 December 1944) is a Moroccan writer. All of his work is written in French although his first language is Darija. He became known for his 1985 novel ''L’Enfant de Sab ...
(
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
): ''
The Sacred Night ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', '' The Sand Child'' (1985), ''
This Blinding Absence of Light ''This Blinding Absence of Light'' (french: Cette aveuglante absence de lumière) is a 2001 novel by the Moroccan writer Tahar Ben Jelloun, translated from French by Linda Coverdale. Its narrative is based on the testimony of a former inmate at ...
'' (2001) *
Cheikh Hamidou Kane Cheikh Hamidou Kane (born 2 April 1928) is a Senegalese writer best known for his 1961 novel '' L'Aventure ambiguë'' (''Ambiguous Adventure''), about the interactions of western and African cultures. Its hero is a Fulani boy who goes to study i ...
(Senegal): ''
L'Aventure ambiguë ''L'Aventure ambiguë'' is a novel by Senegalese author Cheikh Hamidou Kane, first published in 1961, about the interactions of western and African cultures. Its hero is a boy from the Diallobé region of Senegal who goes to study in France. There ...
'' (1961) * Malama Katulwende (Zambia): ''Bitterness'' *
Yasmina Khadra Mohammed Moulessehoul ( ar, محمد مولسهول; born January 10, 1955), better known by the pen name Yasmina Khadra ( ar, ياسمينة خضراء), is an Algerian author living in France, who writes in French. One of the most famous Algeri ...
(Algeria): '' The Swallows of Kabul'' (2002) * Christopher Zacharia Lameck (
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
): ''The Mythical Father'', ''Lost'', ''Ztraceni'' ''European Madness'', *
Camara Laye Camara Laye (January 1, 1928 – February 4, 1980) was a writer from Guinea. He was the author of '' The African Child'' (''L'Enfant noir''), a novel based loosely on his own childhood, and ''The Radiance of the King'' (''Le Regard du roi'' ...
(
Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
): ''
The African Child ''The African Child'' (French: ''L'Enfant noir'') is an autobiographical French novel by Camara Laye published in 1953. It tells the story of a young African child, Baba, growing up in Guinea. The novel won the Prix Charles Veillon writing prize. ...
'' (''L'Enfant noir'', 1953), '' The Radiance of the King'' (1954) *
Naguib Mahfouz Naguib Mahfouz Abdelaziz Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Basha ( arz, نجيب محفوظ عبد العزيز ابراهيم احمد الباشا, ; 11 December 1911 – 30 August 2006) was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature. ...
(
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
): '' The Beginning and the End'' (1949), '' Cairo Trilogy'', ''
Children of Gebelawi ''Children of Gebelawi'' () is a novel by the Egyptian writer and Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz. It is also known by its Egyptian dialectal transliteration, ''Awlad Haretna'', and by the alternative translated transliteral Arabic title of ''Chil ...
'', '' Midaq Alley'' * Charles Mangua (Kenya): '' Son of Woman'' (1971), ''
A Tail in the Mouth A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...
'' *
Sarah Ladipo Manyika Sarah Ladipo Manyika is a British-Nigerian writer of novels, short stories and essays and an active member of the literary community, particularly supporting and amplifying young writers and female voices. She is author of two well received nove ...
(Nigeria): '' In Dependence'' (2008) *
Dambudzo Marechera Dambudzo Marechera (4 June 1952 – 18 August 1987) was a Zimbabwean novelist, short story writer, playwright and poet. His short career produced a book of stories, two novels (one published posthumously), a book of plays, prose, and poetry, ...
(Zimbabwe): ''
The House of Hunger ''The House of Hunger'' ( 1978) is a novella/short story collection by Zimbabwean writer Dambudzo Marechera (1952–1987), his first published book, and was published three years after he left university and ten years before his death.
'' (1978) *
Dalene Matthee Dalene Matthee (13 October 1938 – 20 February 2005) was a South African author best known for her four "Forest Novels", written in and around the Knysna Forest. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages, including English, Fren ...
(South Africa): ''Kringe in 'n bos'' (''Circles in a Forest'') *
Zakes Mda Zakes Mda ( ), legally Zanemvula Kizito Gatyeni Mda (born 1948) is a South African novelist, poet and playwright and he is the son of politician A. P. Mda. He has won major South African and British literary awards for his novels and plays. He i ...
(South Africa): ''
Ways of Dying ''Ways of Dying'' is a 1995 novel by South African novelist and playwright Zakes Mda. The text follows the wanderings and creative endeavors of Toloki, a self-employed professional mourner, as he traverses an unnamed South African city during ...
'' (1995), ''
The Heart of Redness ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' *
Thomas Mofolo Thomas Mokopu Mofolo (22 December 1876 – 8 September 1948) is considered the greatest Basotho author. He wrote mostly in the Sesotho language, but his most popular book, '' Chaka'', has been translated into English and other languages. Biography ...
(South Africa/
Lesotho Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
): '' Chaka'' (1925) *
Nadifa Mohamed Nadifa Mohamed ( so, Nadiifa Maxamed, ar, نظيفة محمد) (born 1981) is a Somali-British novelist. She featured on ''Granta'' magazine's list "Best of Young British Novelists" in 2013, and in 2014 on the Africa39 list of writers aged u ...
(Somalia) '' Black Mamba Boy'' (2010), '' The Orchard of Lost Souls'' (2013), ''
The Fortune Men ''The Fortune Men'' is a 2021 novel by the Somali-British author Nadifa Mohamed, published on 27 May 2021, by the Viking Books imprint of Penguin General. The novel was shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize, and won the 2022 Wales Book of t ...
'' (2021) * Bai Tamia Moore (Liberia): '' Murder in the Cassava Patch'' (1968) * Fadhy Mtanga (
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
): ''Kizungumkuti'', '' Huba'', ''Fungate'' *
Meja Mwangi Meja Mwangi (born 27 December 1948) is a Kenyan writer. He has worked in the film industry, including in screenwriting, assistant directing, and casting. Biography Mwangi was born David Dominic Mwangi in Nanyuki, Kenya, and was educated at Nany ...
(Kenya): ''
Carcase for Hounds ''Carcase for Hounds'' is a novel by Kenyan writer Meja Mwangi first published in 1974. The novel concerns the Mau Mau liberation struggle during the latter days of British colonial rule and attempts, by the actions of the main protagonists, to ...
'' (1974), '' Going Down River Road'', ''
Kill Me Quick ''Kill Me Quick'', published in 1973, is a novel by Meja Mwangi. The novel won the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature in 1974. Plot The story follows Meja and Maina, two young boys who move to the city after obtaining their secondary school diplo ...
'' (1973) *
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (; born James Ngugi; 5 January 1938) is a Literature of Kenya, Kenyan author and academic who writes primarily in Gikuyu language, Gikuyu and who formerly wrote in English language, English. He has been described as having bee ...
(Kenya): '' A Grain of Wheat'' (1967), '' Matigari'' (1986), ''
Petals of Blood ''Petals of Blood'' is a novel written by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and first published in 1977. Set in Kenya just after independence, the story follows four characters – Munira, Abdulla, Wanja, and Karega – whose lives are intertwined due to the ...
'' (1977), '' Weep Not, Child'' (1964), ''
Wizard of the Crow ''Wizard of the Crow'' ( Gikuyu: ''Mũrogi wa Kagogo'') is a 2006 novel written by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and translated from the original Kikuyu into English by the author, his first novel in more than 20 years. The story is set in the imaginary F ...
'' (2006) *
Lewis Nkosi Lewis Nkosi (5 December 1936 – 5 September 2010) was a South African writer, who spent 30 years in exile as a consequence of restrictions placed on him and his writing by the Suppression of Communism Act and the Publications and Entertainme ...
(South Africa): ''
Mandela's Ego Lewis Nkosi (5 December 1936 – 5 September 2010) was a South African writer, who spent 30 years in exile as a consequence of restrictions placed on him and his writing by the Suppression of Communism Act and the Publications and Entertainme ...
'' (2006), '' Mating Birds'' (1986), '' Underground People'' (2002) *
Flora Nwapa Florence Nwanzuruahu Nkiru Nwapa (13 January 1931 – 16 October 1993), was a Nigerian author who has been called the mother of modern African literature, African Literature. She was the forerunner to a generation of African women writers, and ...
(Nigeria): '' Efuru'' (1966), '' Idu'' (1970), '' One is Enough'', ''
Never Again "Never again" is a phrase or slogan which is associated with the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides. The phrase may originate from a 1927 poem by Yitzhak Lamdan which stated "Never again shall Masada fall!" In the context of genocide ...
'', '' Women are Different'' *
Nnedi Okorafor Nnedimma Nkemdili "Nnedi" Okorafor (formerly Okorafor-Mbachu; born April 8, 1974) is a Nigerian-American writer of science fiction and fantasy for both children and adults. She is best known for her ''Binti Series'' and her novels ''Who Fears ...
(Nigeria): '' Zahrah the Windseeker'' (2005) *
Ben Okri Ben Okri (born 15 March 1959) is a Nigerian-British poet and novelist.Ben Okri"
British Council, ...
(Nigeria): ''
The Famished Road ''The Famished Road'' is a novel by Nigerian author Ben Okri, the first book in a trilogy that continues with ''Songs of Enchantment'' (1993) and ''Infinite Riches'' (1998). Published in London in 1991 by Jonathan Cape, the story of ''The Famis ...
'' (1991), ''
Songs of Enchantment ''Songs of Enchantment'' is a novel by Nigerian author Ben Okri, the second book in a trilogy that started with ''The Famished Road ''The Famished Road'' is a novel by Nigerian author Ben Okri, the first book in a trilogy that continues wit ...
'' (1993) *
Deon Opperman Deon is a given name. People with the name include: * Deon Burton (born 1976), English-born Jamaican footballer * Deon Butler (born 1986), American football player * Deon Cain (born 1996), American football player * Deon Hemmings (born 1968), Ja ...
(South Africa): '' Donkerland (Dark Land)'', '' Kruispad (Crossroad)'', '' Hartland (Heartland)'' *
Yambo Ouologuem Yambo Ouologuem (August 22, 1940 – October 14, 2017) was a Malian writer. His first novel, ''Le devoir de violence'' (English: ''Bound to Violence'', 1968), won the Prix Renaudot. He later published ''Lettre à la France nègre'' (1969), and '' ...
(Mali): ''Le Devoir de Violence'' (''Bound to Violence'') *
Alan Paton Alan Stewart Paton (11 January 1903 – 12 April 1988) was a South African writer and anti-apartheid activist. His works include the novels ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' and '' Too Late the Phalarope''. Family Paton was born in Pietermaritzbu ...
(South Africa): ''
Cry, The Beloved Country ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' is a 1948 novel by South African writer Alan Paton. Set in the prelude to apartheid in South Africa, it follows a black village priest and a white farmer who must deal with news of a murder. American publisher Benne ...
'' (1948) *
Pepetela Artur Carlos Maurício Pestana dos Santos (born 1941) is a major Angolan writer of fiction. He writes under the name Pepetela. A Portuguese Angolan, Pepetela was born in Benguela, Portuguese Angola, and fought as a member of the MPLA in the long g ...
(Angola) : ''Muana Puó, Mayombe,
A Gloriosa Família ''A Gloriosa Família'' is a novel by the Angolan author Pepetela published in 1997 by Dom Quixote (Lisbon). The novel deals with the family of Baltasar Van Dum, a Flemish slave trader in Luanda, during the period of time that the Dutch ruled the ...
'' (1997) *
Sol Plaatje Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje (9 October 1876 – 19 June 1932) was a South African intellectual, journalist, linguist, politician, translator and writer. Plaatje was a founding member and first General Secretary of the South African Native Nation ...
(South Africa): ''
Mhudi ''Mhudi: An Epic of South African Native Life a Hundred Years Ago'' is a South African novel by Sol Plaatje first published in 1930, and one of the first published African novels by a black African to be published in English. The novel was republi ...
'' (1930) *
Nawal El Saadawi Nawal El Saadawi ( ar, نوال السعداوي, , 22 October 1931 – 21 March 2021) was an Egyptian feminist writer, activist and physician. She wrote many books on the subject of women in Islam, paying particular attention to the practice of ...
(Egypt): ''
Woman at Point Zero ''Woman at Point Zero'' ( ar, امرأة عند نقطة الصفر, ) is a novel by Nawal El Saadawi written in 1975 and published in Arabic in 1977. The novel is based on Saadawi's meeting with a female prisoner in Qanatir Prison and is the fi ...
'' (1975) *
Tayeb Salih Tayeb Salih ( ar, الطيب صالح, aṭ-Ṭayyib Ṣāliḥ; 12 July 1929 – 18 February 2009) was a Sudanese writer, cultural journalist for the BBC Arabic programme as well as for Arabic journals, and a staff member of UNESCO. He is best k ...
(Sudan): ''
Season of Migration to the North ''Season of Migration to the North'' ( ar, موسم الهجرة إلى الشمال ) is a classic postcolonial Arabic novel by the Sudanese novelist Tayeb Salih, published in 1966; it is the novel for which he is best known. It was first publi ...
'' (1966) *
Wilton Sankawulo Wilton Gbakolo Sengbe Sankawulo, Sr. (26 July 1937 –21 February 2009) was a Liberian politician and author. Biography Sankawulo was born in 1937 in Haindi in Lower Bong County. He began his education in kpolopele Lutheran Mission, near Han ...
(Liberia): ''
Birds Are Singing Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
'' *
Karel Schoeman Karel Schoeman (, 26 October 1939 – 1 May 2017) was a South African novelist, historian, translator and man of letters. Author of twenty novels and numerous works of history, he was one of South Africa's most honoured writers. Schoeman wrote ...
(South Africa): '' n Ander Land (Another Country)'', ''
Na die Geliefde Land NA, N.A., Na, nA or n/a may refer to: Chemistry and physics * Sodium, symbol Na, a chemical element * Avogadro constant (''N''A) * Nucleophilic addition, a type of reaction in organic chemistry * Numerical aperture, a number that characterizes a ...
(Promised Land)'' *
Olive Schreiner Olive Schreiner (24 March 1855 – 11 December 1920) was a South African author, pacifist, anti-war campaigner and intellectual. She is best remembered today for her novel ''The Story of an African Farm'' (1883), which has been highly acclaimed ...
(South Africa): ''
The Story of an African Farm ''The Story of an African Farm'' (published in 1883 under the pseudonym Ralph Iron) was South African author Olive Schreiner's first published novel. It was an immediate success and has become recognised as one of the first feminist novels. B ...
'' (1883) *
Benjamin Sehene Benjamin Sehene (born 1959) is a Rwandan author whose work primarily focuses on questions of identity and the events surrounding the Rwandan genocide. He spent much of his life in Canada and lives in France. Sehene was born in Kigali to a Tuts ...
(
Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
): '' Le Feu sous la Soutane (Fire under the Cassock)'' *
Ousmane Sembène Ousmane Sembène (; 1 January 1923 or 8 January 1923 – 9 June 2007), often credited in the French style as Sembène Ousmane in articles and reference works, was a Senegalese film director, producer and writer. The ''Los Angeles Times'' consider ...
(
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
): ''
Xala ''Xala'' (, Wolof for "temporary sexual impotence") is a 1975 Senegalese film directed by Ousmane Sembène. It is an adaptation of Sembène's 1973 novel of the same name. The film depicts El Hadji, a businessman in Senegal, who is cursed with ...
'' (1973), '' The Black Docker'' (''Le Docker Noir''), ''
God's Bits of Wood ''God's Bits of Wood'' is a 1960 novel by the Senegalese author Ousmane Sembène that concerns a railroad strike in colonial Senegal of the 1940s. It was written in French under the title ''Les bouts de bois de Dieu''. The book deals with several ...
'' (''Les Bouts de Bois de Dieu''), ''
The Last of the Empire ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
'' (''Le dernier de l'Empire''), '' Tribal Scars'' (''Voltaïque''), (1962) *
Wole Soyinka Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...
(Nigeria): ''The Interpreters (novel), The Interpreters'' (1965), ''Seasons of Anomy'' (1973), ''Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth'' (2021) * Amos Tutuola (Nigeria): ''The Palm Wine Drinkard'' (1952), ''My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (novel), My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'' (1954), ''Simbi and the Satyr of the Dark Jungle'', ''Feather Woman of the Jungle'', ''The Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town'', ''Ajaiyi and his Inherited Poverty'' * Marlene van Niekerk (South Africa): ''Triomf'' (''Triumph'', 1994) * Yvonne Vera (Zimbabwe): ''Butterfly Burning'' (1998) * José Luandino Vieira (
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
): ''Luuanda'' (1963) * Joseph Jeffrey Walters (Liberia): ''Guanya Pau: A Story of an African Princess'' (1891) * Berhanu Zerihun (Ethiopia): ''Ye'imba debdabbéwoch'' ("Tearful Letters")


Notable African poets

*
Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as the dominant figure of modern African literature. His first novel and ''magnum opus'', ''Things Fall Apart'' (1958), occupies ...
(Nigeria) *
Ama Ata Aidoo Ama Ata Aidoo, ''née'' Christina Ama Aidoo (born 23 March 1942) is a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright and academic. She was the Minister of Education under the Jerry Rawlings administration. In 2000, she established the Mbaasem Foundation to ...
(Ghana) * Jared Angira (Kenya) * Kofi Anyidoho (Ghana) * Kofi Awoonor (Ghana) * Fadhy Mtanga (
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
) * Breyten Breytenbach (South Africa) * Dennis Brutus (South Africa) * Abena Busia (Ghana) * John Pepper Clark (Nigeria) * José Craveirinha (Mozambique) * Viriato Clemente da Cruz (Angola) * Hadraawi (Somalia) * Ingrid Jonker (South Africa) * Jonathan Kariara (Kenya) * Susan Kiguli (Uganda) * Ahmadou Kourouma (Ivory Coast) * Antjie Krog (South Africa) * Mumbi Macharia (Kenya) *
Jack Mapanje Jack Mapanje (born 25 March 1944)Bai Tamia Moore (Liberia) * Micere Githae Mugo (Kenya) * Togara Muzanenhamo (Zimbabwe) * Christopher Mwashinga (Tanzania) * Arthur Nortje (South Africa) * Gabriel Okara (Nigeria) * Nii Parkes (Ghana) *
Christopher Okigbo Christopher Ifekandu Okigbo (16 August 1932 – 1967) was a Nigerian poet, teacher, and librarian, who died fighting for the independence of Biafra. He is today widely acknowledged as an outstanding postcolonial English-language African poet an ...
(Nigeria) *
Ben Okri Ben Okri (born 15 March 1959) is a Nigerian-British poet and novelist.Ben Okri"
British Council, ...
(Nigeria) * Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye (Kenya) * Okot p'Bitek (Uganda) * Lenrie Peters (Gambia) * Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo (Madagascar) * Jacques Rabemananjara (Madagascar) * Elie Rajaonarison (Madagascar) * Ny Avana Ramanantoanina (Madagascar) * Dox (poet), Jean Verdi Salomon Razakandraina (Dox) (Madagascar) * David Rubadiri (Malawi, Uganda) * Tijan Sallah (Gambia) * Dina Salústio (Cabo Verde) *
Léopold Sédar Senghor Léopold Sédar Senghor (; ; 9 October 1906 – 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese poet, politician and cultural theorist who was the first president of Senegal (1960–80). Ideologically an African socialist, he was the major theoretician o ...
(Senegal) * Bewketu Seyoum (Ethiopia) * Warsan Shire * Adam Small (writer), Adam Small (South Africa) *
Wole Soyinka Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...
(Nigeria) * Véronique Tadjo (Ivory Coast) * Arménio Vieira (Cape Verde) * Patricia Jabbeh Wesley (Liberia)


See also

*
Grand Prix of Literary Associations The Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA) were launched in 2013 in Cameroon, in partnership with Brasseries du Cameroun and sponsorship by Castel Group, Castel Beer. The GPLA are defined as bilingual English-and-French literary prizes, som ...
* List of African writers by country * List of African novelists * Literature by country * African cinema * Poetry in Africa * Nigerian literature * International Research Confederacy on African Literature and Culture * African-American literature * Asian literature * European literature * Oceanian literature * Latin-American literature * :Liberian literature, Liberian literature * African language material archive * ''The Journal of Commonwealth Literature''


References


Bibliography

* Werku, Dagnachew, ''The Thirteenth Sun'', 1968. * Berhanemariam, Sahlesillasse, ''The Warrior King'', 1974. * * *Margaret Busby, Busby, Margaret (ed.), ''Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present'', Jonathan Cape, 1992. * Ali Mazrui, Mazrui, Ali A. (ed.), ''General History of Africa''
vol. VIII
UNESCO, 1993, ch. 19, Ali A. Mazrui et al., "The development of modern literature since 1935". * Gordon, April A., and Donald L. Gordon, ''Understanding Contemporary Africa'', London: Lynne Rienner, 1996, ch. 12, George Joseph, "African Literature". * Simon Gikandi, Gikandi, Simon (ed.), ''Encyclopedia of African Literature'', London: Routledge, 2003. *Abiola Irele, Irele, Abiola, and Simon Gikandi (eds),''The Cambridge History of African and Caribbean Literature'', 2 vols, Cambridge [u.a.]: Cambridge University Press, 2004
Table of contents
*Shamim, Amna. ''Gynocentric Contours of the Male Imagination: A Study of the Novels of Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong'o''. New Delhi: Idea Publishing, 2017. *Marvin x. ''Black theatre: a periodical of the black theatre movement'', New York: 1994


External links


Things We Inherited: Voices from Africa
''Cordite Poetry Review''
New African Literature resourceThe Africa_(Bookshelf) at Project GutenbergAfrican Literature AssociationAfrican Literature Reviews
* (Bibliography) {{DEFAULTSORT:African Literature African literature, Arts in Africa, Literature