We have decided to put together a booklist themed on Taylor Swift’s newest album The Tortured Poets Department for all the Swifties and African literature fans out there. The books on this list will not disappoint!

Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department just released on April 19, and we have been obsessed with the songs on the album. Featured themes centered around heartbreak and romantic loss, the album is dominating the top charts.

African authors also tend to write on the themes of heartbreak and loss, especially in the genre of romance. We wanted to take this opportunity to create a Taylor Swift-inspired booklist featuring writers from Somalia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Egypt. We included different genres featuring Warsan Shire’s mesmerizing poetry as the star of the show along with a range of moving African novels by Onyi Nwabineli, Krystle Appiah, Chika Unigwe, and Noor Naga.

Take a break from listening to Swift’s new album and check out the booklist below!