This is a list of Tanzanian writers. *

Agoro Anduru Zaina Agoro (born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 7), better known by the Mononymous person, mononym Zaina, is a Nigerian-American singer and songwriter. Early life Zaina Agoro was born to Nigerian parents in Chicago, Illinois, where she spent h ...

(1948–1992), short story writer * Mark Behr (1963–2015), fiction writer also connected with South Africa *

Fadhy Mtanga Fadhili Frank Mtanga (born 14 November 1981) popularly known by his pen name Fadhy Mtanga is a Tanzanian Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within ...

(1981– ) novelist, poet and photographer * Abdulrazak Gurnah (1948– ), novelist and critic * Ebrahim N. Hussein (1943– ), playwright, essayist, poet and translator * Prince Kagwema (1931– ), novelist *

Euphrase Kezilahabi Euphrase Kezilahabi (13 April 1944 – 9 January 2020) was a Tanzanian novelist, poet, and scholar. Born in Ukerewe, Tanganyika (now in Tanzania), he last worked at the University of Botswana, as an associate professor at the Department of Afric ...

(1944–2020), novelist, poet and scholar * Jacqueline Massawe, poet *

Aniceti Kitereza Aniceti Kitereza (1896–1981) was a Tanzanian Catholic cleric and novelist, born in 1896 on the island of Ukerewe, in Lake Victoria, in modern Tanzania. In 1945, he wrote the first novel in his native language, Kikerewe. Only in 1981, it was pub ...

(1896–1981), novelist *

Elieshi Lema Elieshi Lema (born 1949) is a Tanzanian writer and publisher, also active in Tanzania's civil society. Biography Lema was born in the village of Nronga and grew up there. She studied library science and worked at the national library. She continu ...

(1949– ), novelist, children's author and publisher *

Amandina Lihamba Amandina Lihamba (born 1944) is a Tanzanian academic, actress, playwright and theatre director. She is a professor at the University of Dar es Salaam in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts and has served as its dean, head of department, an ...

(1944– ), playwright * Ismael R. Mbise, novelist and academic *

Penina Mlama Penina Muhando, also known as Penina Mlama (born 1948), is a Tanzanian Kiswahili playwright, a theorist and practitioner of theatre for development, Theatre for Development in Tanzania. Life and literary career Muhando was born in Berega, Morogo ...

(1948– ), playwright *

Sandra A. Mushi Sandra Aikaruwa Mushi (born 1974) is a Tanzanian writer, primarily of poetry and short stories. Biography Mushi was born in Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania, in 1974. She spent her childhood between the United Kingdom, Tanzania, and Botswana. She ...

(1974– ), fiction writer, poet * Elvis Musiba (died 2010), businessman and Swahili novelist * Godfrey Mwakikagile (1949– ), writer and specialist in African studies * Christopher Mwashinga (1965– ), poet, Christian non-fiction writer, and essayist *

Ras Nas Born in Morogoro (Tanzania), Ras Nas, aka Nasibu Mwanukuzi, is a musician and poet from Tanzania who blends African music and reggae with a dash of poetry. Ras Nas' latest album, ''Dar-es-Salaam'', contains roots reggae, soukous and dub poetry. It ...

, musician and poet * Julius Nyerere (1922–1999), politician and writer *

Nancy Sumari Nancy Abraham Sumari (born August 7, 1986) is a Tanzanian author, business woman, social entrepreneur and beauty pageant titleholder. She is the Managing Director of Bongo5 Media Group (T) Ltd, The Executive Director of The Neghesti Sumari Found ...

, children's book author and publisher *

Peter Palangyo Peter K. Palangyo (1939 - 18 January 1993) was a Tanzanian novelist and diplomat. His reputation rests on a single novel, ''Dying in the Sun'' (1968), which is considered by many to be one of the most compelling works of modernism in African writi ...

(1939–1993), novelist *

Hammie Rajab This is a list of characters for the 41st ''Super Sentai'' series, ''Uchu Sentai Kyuranger''. Much of the series takes inspiration from Greco-Roman mythology while the antagonist faction, Jark Matter, take cues from the shogunates of Japan's Edo p ...

, Swahili novelist *

Shaaban Robert Shaaban bin Robert, also known as Shaaban Robert (1 January 1909 – 20 June 1962), was a Tanzanian poet, author, and essayist who supported the preservation of Tanzanian verse traditions. Robert is celebrated as one of the greatest Tanzanian S ...

(1909–1962), Swahili novelist and poet * Emily Ruete (1844–1924), Princess of Zanzibar * Gabriel Ruhumbika (1938– ), novelist and short story writer *

Edwin Semzaba Edwin Semzaba was a Tanzanian novelist, playwright, actor and director. He wrote his works mainly in Swahili. He taught in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Dar es Salaam The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) is ...

, novelist, playwright, actor and director *

Robert Bin Shaaban Shaaban bin Robert, also known as Shaaban Robert (1 January 1909 – 20 June 1962), was a Tanzanian poet, author, and essayist who supported the preservation of Tanzanian verse traditions. Robert is celebrated as one of the greatest Tanzanian S ...

(1902–1962), poet, author and essayist *

Shafi Adam Shafi The Shafii ( ar, شَافِعِي, translit=Shāfiʿī, also spelled Shafei) school, also known as Madhhab al-Shāfiʿī, is one of the four major traditional schools of religious law (madhhab) in the Sunnī branch of Islam. It was founded by A ...

, Swahili novelist *

Erica Sugo Anyadike Erica Sugo Anyadike is a Tanzanian writer based in Kenya and was shortlisted for the 2020 Caine Prize. Her 2019 short story "How to Marry an African President" was also shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize The Commonwealth Short ...

, writer of short stories *

Richard Mabala Richard Frank Satterthwaite (born 11 December 1949), popularly known as Richard Mabala, is a British-born Tanzanian author, social activist, columnist and academic, predominantly recognized for his tale books ''Hawa The Bus Driver'', ''Mabala The ...

, writer of short stories, Columnist and poet (1949– ) * Joseph Marwa, novelist, poet and actor (1999– ) * Nahida Esmail, writer of short stories and social activist

References

{{Lists of writers by nationality Tanzanian

Writers A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, plays ...

See also

References