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A drawing of the Africa Continent made of Books An illustration of a woman reading a book in her house with the africa continent being made by books in her library
Illustration by Vanessa Toye

50 Notable African Books of 2020

A Broken People’s Playlist

Chimeka Garricks

Fiction - Short Stories

March 21, 2023 | 224 pages

HarperVia | Masobe Books

Chimeka Garrick's music-inspired collection is an opera of life in Port Harcourt, one of Nigeria's most beloved cities. All twelve stories, woven around music references, capture the varied lives of average Nigerians experiencing love, heartbreak, and self-discovery.

BUY

A Girl Is A Body of Water

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

Fiction

September 1, 2020 | 560 pages

Tin House Books

In Nattetta, a small Ugandan village, a girl named Kirabo battles a secret and ancient power awakening inside her. Makumbi departs from her debut novel in this inspiring story exploring myths of origin centered on women’s lives.

BUY

Accra Noir

(Editor)Nana-Ama Danquah

Fiction - Short Stories

December 1, 2020 | 256 pages

Akashic Books

BUY

Addis Ababa Noir

Maaza Mengiste

Fiction - Anthology

August 4, 2020 | 255 pages

Akashic Books

Booker Prize shortlistee Maaza Mengiste rounds up a brilliant cast of Ethiopian writers to ponder the dark underbelly of one of Africa’s oldest cities through page-turning crime stories guaranteed to keep your pulse thumping.

BUY

Afterland by Lauren Beukes

Lauren Beukes

Fiction

July 28, 2020 | 416 pages

Mulholland Books

6 years after Broken Monsters, Lauren Beukes delivers yet another fiercely feminist speculative fiction. After a pandemic wipes out all men, leaving behind Cole’s son, she embarks on an epic journey to protect him from predators.

BUY

An Act of Defiance

Irene Sabatini

Fiction

September 1, 2020 | 336 pages

Indigo Press

Ben and Gabrielle’s love story was rocky from the very start, but a shocking experience send them reeling in the deep end of Mugabe's Zimbabwe, prompting Gabrielle to embark on a journey of self-discovery.

BUY

At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop

(Trans.) Anna Moschovakis | David Diop

Fiction

November 10, 2020 | 160 pages

Farrar

This dark, twisted war story is about Senegalese men who fought in the first world war. At the heart of the story is an enigmatic character entangled in a web of revenge killing and rumors of black magic.

BUY

Butter Honey Pig Bread

Francesca Ekwuyasi

Fiction

November 3, 2020 | 368 pages

Arsenal Pulp Press

This is not your usual diaspora story. The book traces the lives of three women who live abroad but return to Lagos, all the while haunted by the shadows of the Abiku, a malevolent spirit in Yoruba mythology.

BUY

Charlotte by Helen Moffett

Helen Moffett

Fiction

May 14, 2020 | 368 pages

Amistad | Zaffre

South African novelist Helen Moffett’s sequel to Pride and Prejudice is a bold retelling of a classic. Charlotte's decision to marry Mr. Collins has always puzzled readers, but she finally gets to tell her side of the story!

BUY

Conditional Citizens: On Belonging in America

Laila Lalami

Nonfiction - Essays

September 22, 2020 | 208 pages

Pantheon

In this beautiful collection of essays straddling the person and the political, Leila Lalami exposes the contradictions at the heart of American political life. She dissects the long-standing structures put in place to keep "outsiders" out.

BUY

Deluge by Leila Chatti

Leila Chatti

Poetry

April 21, 2020 | 74 pages

Copper Canyon Press

Tunisian-American poet Leila Chatti takes readers on a poetic journey through her struggle with chronic vaginal bleeding. She looks at how faith and illness conspire to complicate the lives of women. Her writing is visceral and haunting.

BUY

Embracing My Shadow: Growing Up Lesbian in Nigeria by Unoma Azuah

Unoma Azuah

Nonfiction - Memoir

March 1, 2020 | 196 pages

Beaten Track Publishing

Writer-Activist Unoma Azuah uses literature to make space for the expression of queer African life. Her long-awaited memoir, in which she chronicles her experience as a lesbian in Nigeria, is a mix of brilliant prose and poignant storytelling.

BUY

His Only Wife

Peace Adzo Medie

Fiction

September 1, 2020 | 288 pages

Algonquin Books

This buzzed-about novel is about love in Accra. Afi imagines her life changing for the better with her move to Accra and her marriage to Elikem, only to get caught up in an inconvenient love triangle. 

BUY

I Have Brown Skin and Curly Hair by Karen Theunissen

Karen Theunissen

Fiction - Children's Book

September 2, 2020 | 32 pages

Jacana Media

In this gorgeous book, Karen Theunissen contributes to the growing list of racially affirmative books for children of color. The rhymed narrative and beautiful illustration make this book a favorite for children and parents. 

BUY

Igifu by Scholastique Mukasonga

(Trans.) Jordan Stump | Scholastique Mukasonga

Fiction - Short Stories

September 15, 2020 | 160 pages

Archipelago

English readers can finally enjoy the surreal, painful beauty of Scholastique Mukasonga’s short story collection. Though the stories are autobiographical, they offer a cast of characters and experiences that explore the link between vulnerability and survival.  

BUY

Ikenga

Nnedi Okorafor

Fiction - Middle Grade

August 18, 2020 | 240 pages

Viking Books for Young Readers

Nnedi Okorafor dips into Igbo mythology to build a dazzling fantasy world for readers between ages 8 to 12. Following a personal tragedy, a boy named Nnamdi must confront powers that seek to destroy his hometown Kalaria. 

BUY

Joburg Noir

Niq Mhlongo

Fiction - Anthology

October 1, 2020 | 209 pages

Jacana Media

Johannesburg is the featured character in this anthology of 20 stories exploring the myths, fears, legends, and fantasies that has made South Africa’s culture capital one of the most storied cities in contemporary African fiction.

BUY

Little Family

Ishmael Beah

Fiction

April 28, 2020 | 262 pages

Riverhead Books

Ishmael Beah has long captivated readers with stories about Sierra Leon. In his new novel, a group of friends live in an abandoned airplane, making a living and sharing a bond that is far thicker than blood. 

BUY

Love in Color

Bolu Babalola

Fiction - Short Stories

August 20, 2020 | 288 pages

Headline

Bolu Babalola “decolonizes love” in this stunning retellings of ancient love stories. The alluring collection affirms that love is a universal experience that takes varying forms in different cultures, from Mesopotamia to Senegal to Lesotho.

BUY

Mamaseko by Thabile Makue

Thabile Makue

Poetry

March 1, 2020 | 144 pages

University of Nebraska Press

Blood is the central metaphor in Thabile Makue’s second poetry collection. Blood as a figure of bodily and historical connectedness is the context for Makue’s exploration of intergenerational trauma and the power of female bond.

BUY

Nairobi Noir

(Editor) Peter Kimani

Fiction - Anthology

February 4, 2020 | 256 pages

Akashic Books

Nairobi Noir takes readers into the enigmas that haunt Kenya’s most populous city through the deft storytelling of a stellar cast of writers, which includes Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Stanley Gazemba, Makena Onjerika, Troy Onyango, and others.

BUY

New-Generation African Poets: A Chapbook Box Set (Saba) 

Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani (Editors)

Poetry - Anthology

September 8, 2020 | 350 pages

Akashic Books

Akashic Books’ chapbooks boxset of African poetry has delighted lovers of poetry for 6 years. The latest collection features 11 new voices. Get ready to be inspired and edified with the power of poetic expression.

BUY

No Roses From My Mouth by Stella Nyanzi

Stella Nyanzi

Poetry

February 1, 2020 | 196 pages

Ubuntu Reading Group

Stella Nyanzi is a beacon of feminist resistance on the continent.  No Roses from My Mouth, written and published while Nyanzi was in prison, is a witness to the exposure of women’s lives and bodies to violence.

BUY

Of Passion and Ink: New Voices from Cameroon

(Editor) Dzekashu MacViban

Nonfiction - Anthology

November 25, 2020 | 242 pages

Bakwa Books

Dzekashu MacViban of Bakwa Books is a champion of Cameroonian indie publishing. With this collection, which he edits, he reawakens the Cameroonian short story tradition. The collection features new voices and covers everything from romance to speculative fiction.

BUY

Ogadinma Or, Everything Will Be All Right

Ukamaka Olisakwe

Fiction

September 10, 2020 | 269 pages

Indigo Press

Ukamaka Olisakwe’s second novel tells the story of Ogadinma, a woman who undergoes the most harrowing experiences in a world ruled by patriarchal values but fights unrelentingly for dignity and the right to happiness.

BUY

Our Riches

Chris Andrews | Kaouther Adimi

Fiction

April 28, 2020 | 160 pages

New Directions

Our Riches is a very bookish book. Set in a celebrated bookshop in Algiers and against Algeria’s turbulent history, it weaves the lives of characters across generations linked by the love and awe for books and reading. 

BUY

Quirky Quick Guide to Having Great Sex by Tiffany Kagure Mugo

Tiffany Kagure Mugo

Nonfiction

April 21, 2020 | 260 pages

Kwela

Thank you Kwela Books for gifting the world Tiffany Kagure Mugo’s guide to all things sex and relationships. The book contains 260 pages of truths, advice, and tips about everything from making a sex tape to using condoms.

BUY

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

Jordan Ifueko 

Fiction - YA

August 18, 2020 | 400 pages

Harry N. Abrams

 Ifueko draws from African oral stories to build a stunning fantasy world. Evoking Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone, the novel features a female character bent on finding her place in the world on her own terms. 

BUY

Riot Baby

Tochi Onyebuchi

Fiction

January 21, 2020 | 176 pages

Tor.com

Tochi Oyebuchi explores the utopian possibilities of black life. Ella awakens to a super power that could save her brother Kev from the racist stranglehold of the criminal justice system and, perhaps, change the course of history.

BUY

Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone

Minna Salami

Nonfiction

March 31, 2020 | 208 pages

Amistad

Salami's debut is groundbreaking work! She offers an Africa-centered, black feminist approach to knowledge by excavating African cosmologies, philosophies, history, and art for ideas on dismantling patriarchal ideals of beauty, power, womanhood, and more.

BUY

Sex and Lies: True Stories of Women’s Intimate Lives in the Arab World

Leila Slimani | Sophie Lewis

Nonfiction - Essays

July 14, 2020 | 176 pages

Penguin Books

Leila Slimani writes bestselling fiction about sexually expressive female characters. Her first nonfiction book translated in English shows Moroccan women navigating suppressive sexual politics. Let's just say the book is a persuasive argument for a sexual revolution.

BUY

Songs We Learn from Trees: An Anthology of Ethiopian Amharic Poetry

Alemu Tebeje | Chris Beckett

Poetry - Anthology

May 1, 2020 | 240 pages

Carcanet Press

This anthology of Amharic poetry in English is the first of its kind. It features giants of 20th century Ethiopian poetry such as Kebede Mikael and Tsegaye Gabre Medhin, in addition to poems by over 30 contemporary poets.

BUY

Straight from the Horse’s Mouth

(trans.) Emma Ramadan | Meryem Alaoui

Fiction

September 15, 2020 | 304 pages

Other Press

Meryem Alaoui's debut is finally available to English readers. Set in Casablanca, it chronicles the life a prostitute named Jmai---a perceptive, alluring character who charms with her fascinating takes on the world around her.

BUY

Stranger Faces

Namwali Serpell

Nonfiction - Essays

October 29, 2020 | 196 pages

Transit Books

Following her speculative fiction debut, Namwali Serpell takes on philosophy and political culture to explore the meanings we give to people’s faces. She asks why it matters to interrogate our beliefs and myths about the face.

BUY

That Hair

(Trans.) Eric Becker | Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida

Nonfiction - Memoir

March 17, 2020 | 200 pages

Tin House Books

Angolan-Portuguese writer Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida reflects on the old truth that the personal is always political. In her semi-autobiography available in English for the first time, hair is a feminist trope for exploring race and self-discovery. 

BUY

The Actual by Inua Ellams

Inua Ellams

Poetry

October 5, 2020 | 84 pages

Penned In The Margins

“Word sorcerer” Inua Ellams exposes our current moment in all its stark realities. If you’re still reeling from a year of protests and pandemic, Ellams’ 55 poems will give you the language you seek to express your truth.

BUY

The Book Of Echoes

Rosanna Amaka

Fiction

March 19, 2020 | 384 pages

Doubleday

A story told by a ghost, The Book of Echoes traces the intertwined fates of Londoner Michael and Ngozi, a domestic worker in Enugu. Though separated, their lives are linked by a history of violence anchored on slavery.

BUY

The Death of Comrade President

(Trans.) Helen Stevenson | Alain Mabanckou

Fiction

September 1, 2020 | 256 pages

The New Press

Michel is a day-dreaming 12-year-old boy. When the President is assassinated, his life in Pointe-Noire is forever changed. Mabanckou, known for his absurdist humor, captures the political life of a nation through the eyes of a child. 

BUY

The Death of Vivek Oji

Akwaeke Emezi

Fiction

August 4, 2020 | 256 pages

Riverhead Books

Emezi makes history with this novel that explores trans experience in the Nigerian context. Like their debut novel Freshwater, this novel leads us right into the heart of a character who pays the ultimate price for daring to be different.

BUY

The Deep Blue Between

Ayesha Harruna Attah

Fiction - YA

October 15, 2020 | 256 pages

Pushkin Children's Books

Hassana and Husseina are twin sisters. An encounter with slave raiders pull them continents apart, but their love for travel bring them back together. Set in 19th century Accra, Attah’s 4th novel is a beautiful sibling story. 

BUY

The Dragons, the Giant, the Women

Wayetu Moore

Nonfiction - Memoir

June 2, 2020 | 272 pages

Graywolf Press

Written in her signature lush prose, Wayetu Moore’s memoir details her family’s flight from Liberia’s first war in the late ‘80s and her struggle to find a place in the United States, a country torn by racial conflict. 

BUY

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

Abi Daré

Fiction

February 4, 2020 | 384 pages

Dutton

A tear-jerker-that-will-leave-you-unbelievably-inspired, Abi Daré’s debut is about Adunni, a girl from a rural Nigerian town, who surmounts ordeals to fulfill her dreams of living a better life, all the while refusing to stifle her “louding voice!" 

BUY

The Infinite

Patience Agbabi

Fiction - Middle Grade

April 2, 2020 | 256 pages

Canongate Books

Patience Agbabi creates a finely constructed sci-fi world around Leaplings---children who can leap through time. A beautifully imagined world peppered with Nigerian cultural references, this book about a time-traveling black girl is an inspiring read.

BUY

The Missing American

Kwei Quartey

Fiction

January 14, 2020 | 421 pages

Soho Crime

After 5 books, Quartey retires the Inspector Darko series and introduces a new private investigator named Emma Djan. In the first book of the new series, she is hot on the trails of email scammers and fetish priests.  

BUY

The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

Fiction

October 6, 2020 | 240 pages

The New Press

The Perfect Nine is Ngũgĩ's feminist spin on a Gikuyu origin story. In the original epic, Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi pray for nine suitors to marry their nine daughters. In Ngũgĩ's retelling, 9 daughters decide who is worthy among 99 suitors. 

BUY

The Returnees

Elizabeth Okoh

Fiction

April 16, 2020 | 288 pages

Hodder & Stoughton

Okoh's debut captures the life of the African millennial. Londoner Osayuki is 25 and still nursing a broken heart when she arrives in Lagos to find a big, bold, and puzzling universe of intrigue, romance, and drama.

BUY

The Waiting

Martin Egblewogbe

Fiction - Short Stories

February 13, 2020 | 146 pages

Flipped Eye Publishing

Renown master of the short story, Martin Egblewogbe, stuns yet again in this collection of dark, absurdist tales set in the city of Accra. Get ready for a disembodied penis, a lusting pastor, and everything in-between. 

BUY

Transcendent Kingdom

Yaa Gyasi

Fiction

September 1, 2020 | 288 pages

Knopf

Yaa Gyasi's second novel is an intimate, heart-rending story about a Ghanaian family in Alabama. Haunted by tragic experiences from childhood, Gifty, a Stanford post-grad of neuroscience, seeks to unravel the mystery of her family’s misfortune. 

BUY

Un-American by Hafiza Geter

Hafiza Geter

Poetry

September 8, 2020 | 104 pages

Wesleyan University Press

Nigerian-American poet Hafiza Geter is a powerful, new voice worthy of attention. In this debut collection, she takes up the varied landscapes of her upbringing as the starting point for exploring questions of identity and belonging. 

BUY

Water Birds on the Lakeshore: An Anthology of African Young Adult Fiction

(Editor) Zukiswa Wanner

Fiction - Anthology

September 22, 2020 | 167 pages

Goethe-Institut Südafrika

Yes, the kids can write! This groundbreaking collection available in English, French, and Swahili makes space for young adult writers on the continent. From Benin Republic to Namibia, teenagers tell gripping stories about their world. 

BUY

ǀNamgu’s Escape Theory

Beauty Boois

Fiction

August 5, 2020 | 168 pages

University of Namibia Press

ǀNamgu's life seems perfect. She’s beautiful and comes from money. But a deep shadow of loneliness and anger haunts her. Namibian author Beauty Boois’ debut offers a striking portrait of a young woman battling with mental health issues. 

BUY