The 100 Notable African Books of 2024 is here! [Go HERE to see the beautiful spread of books.]

Every year, since 2018, we curate a list of 100 books that have left a mark on African literary culture. The process begins with tracking African books published in English throughout the year. At the year’s end, we select 100 titles that made an impact—whether they sparked important conversations, tackled unique themes, introduced underrepresented worlds, or simply stood out for their exceptional writing.

Some books on the list are wildly popular, while others are quiet yet significant contributions. We also consult partners and colleagues in the culture who lend their insights on selections.

This year’s list includes books from 25 countries—Botswana, São Tomé, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Namibia, Sudan, Egypt, Cameroon, Western Sahara, Togo, South Africa, Nigeria, and many more. Contemporary African writing is still fiercely pan-African.

Fiction remains dominant, but poetry had a strong showing. The visual culture around books is at an all-time high, as is evident in the stunning book covers.

I would be honest and say that curating this year’s list has been the hardest because of how much good books are coming out.

Around 30% of the books in the list are debuts, a figure we’ve seen remain steady in recent years. This tells us there is an organic growth of new voices.

While large US publishers continue to dominate in the global arm of African publishing, Africa-based publishers like Masobe Books made a significant impact this year. The global literary market has become increasingly cut-throat, but African publishers are holding their own.

Translations were on the rise, as well. [For more detailed, go here to read our 2024 trend analysis on African publishing and literary culture].

Big shoutout to the Brittle Paper team for yet another successful year pulling off this magisterial list. I want to specifically thank Damilola Ogunmuko, our Editorial Assistant, a phd student in the African cultural Studies department, for working on the early drafts of the list.

Thanks to Hannah Corones and Blue Noesky, our undergraduate English Department interns, for the massive data entry involved.

And thanks to those industry folks who replied my whatsapp message asking for their take on the most notable books of the year. And, of course, thanks to our readers for being as excited as we are about African writing and literary culture.

How to Support:

Share the list on all your social media channels, tagging your favorite authors or a friend who you think needs the list in their lives. Feel free to use the graphic below.

Follow @brittlepaper on IG. We will be sharing lots of cool, fun content around the list. It’s also just a great way to be updated on African literary culture beyond the list.

Buy the books! Click on the “buy links.” Buying the book allows you to directly support the authors and publishers.