Liberian literature has reached a significant milestone with the inclusion of Elma Shaw’s Redemption Road on the WAEC prescribed list of Literature-in-English texts for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for 2026-2030.
The novel, alongside Pede Hollist’s So the Path Does Not Die, will serve as African prose texts recommended for the harmonized Literature-in-English syllabus for senior secondary schools across West Africa. Students in Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia will study the text for WASSCE, NECOSSCE, and other equivalent O-Level examinations.

Published in 2008, Redemption Road follows Bendu Lewis, a young woman who counsels survivors of the Liberian Civil War while grappling with her own traumatic experiences from the conflict. The novel features a foreword by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and explores themes of post-war trauma, reconciliation, peace, and justice in Liberia.

This inclusion represents a breakthrough moment for Liberian literature in West African education, offering students across the region an opportunity to engage with Liberia’s history and the universal themes of conflict, recovery, and redemption through the lens of one of its own writers. The recognition of Redemption Road on such a prominent regional curriculum underscores the growing acknowledgment of diverse African voices in literature education and provides a platform for conversations about war, healing, and nation-building that resonate far beyond Liberia’s borders.

Congratulations to Elma Shaw!