32 Books by African Canadian Authors

African Canadian authors have a unique set of experiences and stories to share with readers. But often times, African literary circles do not closely acknowledge the contributions made by these talented writers. Our book list celebrates 32 books written by African Canadian authors over the past few years that showcase the Black African experience in Canada.

Ranging from full-length novels to poetry and memoirs, the books discuss important topics in Canadian politics such as Black identity and culture, immigrant and refugee experiences, Black history in Canada, and modern romance, to name a few. Nigerian-Canadian author Jane Igharo writes stories centered on strong female characters and modern international romances such as Where We End & Begin, The Sweetest Remedy, and Ties That Tether. Meanwhile, authors like Mohamed Abdulkarim Ali and Njoki Wane use the memoir form to pen down their lifelong battles with their racial identities in Canada in Angry Queer Somali Boy and From My Mother’s Back. Other authors turn to poetry to grapple with the trials and tribulations of being Black in Canada such as Bertrand Bickersteth’s The Response of Weeds, Bola Opaleke’s Skeleton Of A Ruined Song, Ian Keteku’s Black Abacus, and Tolu Oloruntoba’s The Junta of Happenstance and Each One a Furnace. Read on to discover the amazing and awe-inspiring poetry, memoirs, short stories, and novels written by Canadian African authors.