In this booklist, we want to give a shoutout to African male writers who pen books in keeping with feminist ideals. They craft strong female protagonists with strength and wit, and continue to design equitable worlds for women. These African writers are feminist allies, and we love to read their fantastic books!

We have a ton of scintillating sci-fi novels in this booklist with female main characters who exude vitality and power such as the strong-willed Dirt in Moses Ose Utomi’s Daughters of Oduma, the ghost-talking Ropa in T.L. Huchu’s The Library of the Dead, the invincible Malika in Roye Okupe’s Malika: Warrior Queen, the courageous sisters Onyii and Ify in Tochi Onyebuchi’s War Girls, and more. Check out the books below to read more about the stunning female characters (and indeed role models) that these writers have created!

Some of the books below are nonfiction titles where African male authors have grappled with feminism in one way or the other such as JJ Bola’s Mask Off: Masculinity Redefined where he reimagines masculinity through a feminist lens.

We hope that this booklist inspires everyone to write fabulous female role models and perceive the world through different perspectives. Don’t forget to share the list with friends and family!