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100 Notable African Books of 2023
A Little Light
Fiction - Short Stories
March 1, 2023 | 153 pages
Jacana Media
The eighth book by celebrated South African author Nthikeng Mohlele is a daring, imaginative, and thoughtful collection of stories, marking another milestone in his rich and brilliant career.
A Soft Landing
Fiction-Novel
May 1, 2023 | 256 pages
Kwela
In Wisani Mushwana's debut, a man's humdrum life in Cape Town takes a turn when he returns to his rural Limpopo hometown, Mbambamencisi, to care for his ailing mother while confronting old traumas.
A Spell of Good Things
Fiction-Novel
February 7, 2023 | 352 pages
Canongate Books | Knopf
Ayobami Adebayo's second novel earned her a spot on the Booker Prize Longlist! The novel truthfully exposes the unhappy lives of the haves and the have-nots, capturing the worlds of two families – one rich and one poor – and their unexpected connections.
Ada’s Room
Fiction-Novel
March 28, 2023 | 352 pages
Riverhead Books
In this mesmerizing tale of reincarnation, three women named Ada – a 15th-century West African mother, a math prodigy in Victorian England, and a captive in a concentration camp – are linked by a spirit, a mysterious bead, and a shared history of violence.
Anansi’s Gold
Nonfiction - Essays
August 1, 2023 | 400 pages
Bloomsbury USA
British-Ghanaian journalist Yepoka Yeebo delivers an unparalleled account of the legendary John Ackah Blay-Miezah, a pioneer of advance fee fraud notorious for swindling heads of state and international moguls in the post-independence decades.
And Suddenly the Flowers Withered
Fiction - Short Stories
September 24, 2023 | 176 pages
Europa Editions
João Melo's writing strikes a delicate balance between the strange and the absurd, earning comparisons to Borges and Ishiguro. In this collection, he subtly captures the daily lives of Luandans with an alluring, understated style.
And Then He Sang a Lullaby
Fiction-Novel
June 6, 2023 | 304 pages
Roxane Gay Books
This tale of queer love is hauntingly beautiful. August and Segun, two gay Nigerian men, discover love at university, but they must navigate the shadows of institutional and interpersonal homophobia.
Azucar
Fiction-Novel
June 8, 2023 | 172 pages
Peepal Tree Press
Nii Ayikwei Parkes' second novel tells the story of a Ghanaian crop scientist in a fictional Caribbean country and his beautiful but ill-fated romance driven by his deep connection to music and the land.
Bad Diaspora Poems
Poetry
July 6, 2023 | 115 pages
Jonathan Cape
Forward Prize winner Momtaza Mehri ‘s debut poetry collection is a raw and incisive look at the migrant experience and its generational complexities through the lens of Somalia's history.
Beyond the Door of No Return
Fiction-Novel
September 19, 2023 | 256 pages
Farrar Straus and Giroux
One of the few works of African historical fiction set in the 18th century, Diop’s book offers a fictionalized account of Michel Adanson, a French botanist and his obsession with a Senegalese woman.
Birds of Nabaa
Fiction-Novel
October 10, 2023 | 192 pages
Banipal Publishing
Birds of Nabaa unfolds along the physical and spiritual journeys of a narrator whose hometown in Mauritania is facing desertification. The story is beautifully rendered, rich with poetic and musical elements.
Black Foam
Fiction-Novel
February 7, 2023 | 224 pages
Amazon Crossing
In this spellbinding novel by Eritrean novelist Haji Jabir, a character is on the run from his past and journeys across North Africa and Israel, trying to assimilate into different worlds through disguise and guile, but prejudice follows him everywhere he goes.
Black Ghosts
Nonfiction - Essays
November 2, 2023 | 238 pages
Canongate Books
11 years after her critically acclaimed Looking for Transwonderland, Noo Saro Wiwa returns with Black Ghosts – an eye-opening account detailing the untold stories of Africans living in China.
Black Girl from Pyongyang
Nonfiction - Memoir
March 1, 2023 | 304 pages
Duckworth
In 1979, 7-year-old Monica Macias was sent to North Korea by her father, Equatorial Guinea's first president. This book is her story of growing up with North Korean president Kim Il Sung as her guardian.
Black Racist Bitch
Nonfiction - Essays
August 25, 2023
Tafelberg
Inspired by a viral Tiktok video that sparked a heated conversation about whiteness, Thandiwe Ntshinga's debut book is a searing intersectional analysis of race through the lens of South Africa's history and contemporary experience.
Bloomer
Fiction-Novel
February 1, 2023 | 292 pages
Modjaji Books
Set in Cape Town, this warm and humorous novel follows a group of spirited 70-year-olds as they create a safe, convivial space in their seniors living complex during the pandemic.
Breaking the Silence
Poetry - Anthology
March 1, 2023 | 302 pages
University of Nebraska Press
Liberian poet and literature professor Patricia Jabbeh Wesley presents this magisterial collection of Liberian poetry from the 1800s to the present, exploring the challenges, conflicts, and triumphs that have defined Liberia's history.
Burnt Eucalyptus Wood
Nonfiction - Memoir
July 18, 2023 | 176 pages
Indigo Press
Burnt Eucalyptus Wood details the adoption experience of Ethiopian writer Ennatu Domingo at age seven. Offering an honest account, it navigates themes of loss, identity, racism, and language.
Caged Ocean Dub
Fiction - Short Stories
June 16, 2023 | 273 pages
Android Press
Dare Segun Falowo's short story collection is a stunning debut. He blends a poetic style with a vivid imagination rooted in mythology, urban legend, and folklore to create stories that are spellbinding.
Call and Response
Fiction - Short Stories
February 7, 2023 | 304 pages
Viking
Motswana author Gothataone Moeng’s collection includes beautifully crafted stories about the lives of ordinary women as they navigate relationships, tradition, and caretaking in contemporary Botswana.
Daughter in Exile
Fiction-Novel
January 31, 2023 | 400 pages
HarperVia
Lola's blissful life in Senegal takes a turn when she moves to America. A hopeful journey with her lover soon becomes a struggle for belonging in a nation marked by racism and tough immigration laws.
Dazzling
Fiction-Novel
February 16, 2023 | 352 pages
Hachette | The Overlook Press
This fast-paced, gripping fantasy tale draws inspiration from the legendary Igbo Leopard cults. Ozoemena, a girl at a boarding school, goes looking for answers when her classmates mysteriously disappear.
Digging Stars
Fiction-Novel
September 12, 2023 | 288 pages
W. W. Norton & Company
Novuyo Tshuma explores the wonders of indigenous astronomy and Bantu mathematics in this novel about a Zimbabwean scientist haunted by questions about her father's past.
Don’t Answer When They Call Your Name
Fiction-Novel
May 16, 2023 | 144 pages
Masobe Books
Rooted in Igbo mythology, the novel tells the story of an Aja, a child chosen by the Oracle and has to be sent into the forest to appease a ruthless deity for past sins. Ukamaka Olisakwe creates an enchanting forest world for the brave, young protagonist Adanne.
Dreamer
Fiction-Novel
June 1, 2023 | 225 pages
Blackbird Books
Tanya Junghans draws from Zulu mythology to craft this trans-dimensional tale centered on a young woman’s journey to becoming a Dreamer – a hero among a mystical race entrusted with protecting the Milky Way galaxy from destruction.
Drinking from Graveyard Wells
Fiction - Short Stories
March 7, 2023 | 160 pages
University Press of Kentucky
Zimbabwean author Yvette Lisa Ndlovu stuns with this collection of page-turning stories inspired by Shona cosmology, folklore, and indigenous knowledge. The fictional worlds are refreshingly fantastical as they are captivating.
Edge of Here
Fiction - Short Stories
September 14, 2023 | 256 pages
Trapeze Books
Kelechi Okafor writes beautiful stories about contemporary Black womanhood, drawing from ancient times to the modern era. Her collection is a stunning blend of speculative fiction and romance at its finest.
Expert in All Styles
Fiction - Short Stories
April 18, 2023 | 248 pages
Farafina Books
In his debut collection, Nigerian writer I. O. Echeruo presents a dazzling assortment of tales gathered over a decade and exploring themes of power, religion, romance, and a broad tapestry of Nigerian life.
Forged by Blood
Fiction-Novel
August 8, 2023 | 400 pages
HarperVoyager | Voyager
Ehigbor Okosun's debut novel is a Nigerian mythology-inspired epic fantasy. It follows Dèmi, a young woman with blood magic, seeking vengeance for her mother's murder amidst a tyrannical regime.
Gaslight
Fiction - Crime
November 21, 2023 | 384 pages
Mulholland Books
A Nigerian mega-church on the outskirts of Lagos sets the scene for Femi Kayode's second novel in the Phillip Taiwo series. The story follows the adventures of a psychological investigator tackling cases that are a bit too thorny for the police.
Ghost Season
Fiction-Novel
January 10, 2023 | 320 pages
W. W. Norton & Company
In the first few pages of Fatin Abbas' debut, set in Sudan, the reader is greeted with a burnt corpse. What follows is a powerful exploration of conflict, community, and belonging.
Hangman
Fiction-Novel
August 8, 2023 | 208 pages
Farrar Straus and Giroux
To the unnamed character in Maya Binyam's debut, everything is off-kilter after he returns to his home country where no one recognizes him. The novel's atmosphere is surreal and laced with social critique.
History of Ash
Fiction-Novel
August 1, 2023 | 224 pages
Hoopoe
Khadija Marouazi's debut novel is a gut-wrenching account of imprisonment and torture. It follows the lives of Leila and Mouline as they narrate the atrocities that marked the history of Morocco in the '70s and '80s.
House Woman
Fiction-Novel
June 6, 2023 | 314 pages
The Unnamed Press
Adohra Nworah's debut is a captivating psychological thriller about a Nigerian woman who arrives in Texas with dreams of a blissful marriage, but her aspirations take a chilling turn as her in-laws reveal a much darker and sinister plan for her.
I Am Still With You
Nonfiction - Memoir
February 21, 2023 | 240 pages
Algonquin Books
Stories about disappearances are always haunting. Emmanuel Iduma explores the silences he encounters within his family and the larger culture as he searches for answers about the fate of his uncle, who never returned from Nigeria's Biafra War.
I Am the Mau
Fiction - Short Stories
August 1, 2023 | 256 pages
Fremantle Press
Kenyan author Chemutai Glasheen is a brilliant storyteller, evident in this collection where human rights issues are woven into gripping narratives that provide fresh perspectives on the age-old battle between the oppressed and the oppressor.
In the Belly of the Congo
Fiction-Novel
February 7, 2023 | 432 pages
Other Press | Simon and Schuster
This story about a missing princess and the descendant who tries to investigate her disappearance exposes Brussels' 1958 human zoo, an exhibition that features Congolese families under the gaze of Europeans.
Innards
Fiction - Short Stories
June 6, 2023 | 224 pages
W. W. Norton & Company
Magogodi oaMphela Makhene's short story collection is an ode to Soweto, one of Africa's most celebrated urban communities. The stories expose the legacies of apartheid and the history of resistance and resilience that led to its demise.
Langabi
Fiction-Novel
July 1, 2023 | 432 pages
Jacana Media | Mother
Zimbabwean author Christopher Mlalazi's book is the first offering from Jacana's speculative fiction imprint. It debuts the Blademakers of the Langabi series, where an ironworking family strives to defend their world against creatures and tyrannical royals.
Last Seen in Lapaz
Fiction - Crime
February 7, 2023 | 360 pages
Soho Crime
Ghana's crime story Czar Kwei Quartey is back! When a sex-trafficker is murdered, PI Emma Djan, on her third assignment, is tasked with locating his missing girlfriend, the daughter of a diplomat.
Like Thunder
Fiction - Speculative
November 28, 2023 | 303 pages
DAW
In the gripping conclusion of the Desert Magician's duology, Okorafor takes us to a future Earth, in the year 2077, through a cast of electrifying characters seeking to save a world in the brink of destruction.
Lost Libraries, Burnt Archives
Fiction - Anthology
February 28, 2023 | 252 pages
University of Basel Center for African Studies
In 2021, University of Cape Town's African Studies library was burned to the ground. This collection features South African writers reflecting on the tragedy and the aftermath of losing an archive.
Love Offers No Safety
Nonfiction - Anthology
August 29, 2023 | 140 pages
Cassava Republic
Cassava Republic makes history yet again with this culture-shifting anthology. Love Offers No Safety features Nigerian writers critiquing toxic forms of masculinity and homophobia in Nigerian society.
Lucky Girl
Fiction-Novel
May 2, 2023 | 336 pages
Dial Press Trade Paperback
Unruly Soila defies family expectations by relocating from Nairobi to New York in search of freedom. Her journey reveals the harsh realities of places like New York City and the self-discovery that emerges.
Maame
Fiction-Novel
January 31, 2023 | 320 pages
St. Martin's Press
A mega-bestseller and one of the biggest hits of the year, George's debut is a tender story about a Ghanaian woman, who having devoted her life to caring for her sick father and shouldering her family's burdens, finds herself struggling to live fully.
Mama’s Sleeping Scarf
Fiction - Children's Book
September 5, 2023 | 32 pages
Knopf
Mama’s Sleeping Scarf is Chimamanda Adichie’s first foray into children's literature. It tells the story of a girl named Chino and the beauty of everyday life in Lagos. The illustrations are by Joelle Avelino, a Congolese and Angolan artist based in London.
Mass for Shut-Ins
Poetry
March 21, 2023 | 120 pages
Yale University Press
Mary-Alice Daniel's debut collection in the prestigious Yale Young Poets series is a blend of religious registers and a touch of irreverence. Her work is a thought-provoking exploration of religion, death, and other profound themes.
Mothersound
Fiction - Anthology
November 21, 2023 | 436 pages
Android Press
Mothersound is the first ever anthology based on an African story-verse. These 14 stories are built around the Sauúti, a five-planet system orbiting a binary star, rooted in African mythologies, languages, and cultures.
Mtama Road
Fiction - Short Stories
August 4, 2023
Down River Road
Nairobi-based writer Linda Musita's debut features seven short stories set on the city's famous Mtama Road, exploring Nairobi through the perspectives of young characters.
My Everyday Lagos
Nonfiction - Cookbook
October 24, 2023 | 288 pages
Ten Speed Press
Yewande Komolafe, New York Times cooking editor, pens a culinary love letter to Lagos, Africa's most populous and enigmatic city. Her cookbook features 75 recipes, complemented by reflections on Nigerian cuisine and her personal journey.
Nightbloom
Fiction-Novel
June 13, 2023 | 352 pages
Algonquin Books
Peace Adzo Medie returns with a new novel that explores the complexities of intimate relationships, this time focusing on female friendship. The story follows two Ghanaian women whose relationship unravels following an incident.
No Edges
Fiction - Anthology
April 11, 2023 | 144 pages
Two Lines Press
The first ever collection of Swahili short stories in English translation, No Edges introduces eight writers from Tanzania and Kenya, who use rhythmic language to depict their vivid Africanfuturist visions of society.
No One Dies Yet
Fiction-Novel
August 31, 2023 | 384 pages
Europa Editions
Three American men visit Accra for the Year of Return, but their trip takes a dark turn. Kobby Ben Ben's highly anticipated thriller explores the tensions between African and Diaspora worlds, while highlighting Ghana's queer communities.
Nomenclatures of Invisibility
Poetry
April 25, 2023 | 88 pages
BOA Editions
Ethiopian-Eritrean poet Mahtem Shifferaw explores the complex and layered experiences of migration. If the many borders we cross leave marks, she shows ways to embrace the complexities of being perpetually in transit.
Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels
Fiction - Children's Book
May 30, 2023 | 288 pages
Margaret K. McElderry Books
In the second installment of Tọlá Okogwu middle-grade series, Onyeka, the girl with the superpower hair, and her companions forms a band of rebels to defeat the nefarious power behind the Academy of the Sun.
Other Names, Other Places
Fiction-Novel
August 15, 2023 | 304 pages
Fairlight Books
This novel is about a British-Tunisian woman named Nessie whose disjointed childhood memories, mysterious past, and self-sabotage make this immigrant tale truly unique and compelling.
Raising Boys Who Do Better
Nonfiction - Essays
June 1, 2023 | 288 pages
DK
Following the success of Bringing Up Race, Uju Asika returns with this must-read book for parents who want to raise their boys to become compassionate men in the era of #MeToo. Asika discusses toxic masculinity, racism, sexism, consent, and mental health.
Relations
Fiction - Anthology
January 17, 2023 | 464 pages
HarperVia
Edited by the luminous Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, the collection features 32 African writers exploring connections that link humans with each other despite language, identity, class, and gender differences.
Riambel
Fiction-Novel
May 30, 2023 | 160 pages
Indigo Press
Priya Hein's debut shines light on the marginalized Creole community in Mauritius, historically obscured by slavery and the tourism industry. 15-year-old Noemie resists the legacy of violence that dooms her family to servitude.
River Spirit
Fiction-Novel
March 7, 2023 | 400 pages
Grove Press
Blending Islamic faith, anticolonial struggle, and romance, Leila Aboulela's political drama transports us to late 19th century Sudan and the conflict between a self-proclaimed Sudanese messiah and his war against the British.
Rootless
Fiction-Novel
March 14, 2023 | 368 pages
Ballantine
One of the biggest titles of the year, Rootless unfolds around Esi leaving her husband and daughter in London to return to Ghana. As she yearns for more than motherhood and marriage, her rejection of traditional roles causes disruptions in her world.
Rotten Evidence
Nonfiction - Memoir
October 17, 2023 | 263 pages
McSweeney's
In 2016, Egyptian journalist Ahmed Naji was sentenced to jail for alleged violation of public modesty in his novel, USING LIFE, due to references to sex and drugs. This memoir documents the highly publicized trial and his 10-month prison experience.
Saltwater Demands a Psalm
Poetry
April 4, 2023 | 96 pages
Graywolf Press
Ghanaian poet Kweku Abimbola’s collection explores the interconnectedness of Black life and worlds. Inspired by traditional Akan dirges, these poems invoke Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, and Tamir Rice, commemorating the lives lost due to police brutality.
Sand Roses
Fiction-Novel
November 1, 2023 | 332 pages
Holland House Books
Algerian author Hamza Koudri is brilliant in his debut about two sisters, Fahima and Salima, who arrive in Bousada with big dreams only to be haunted by the colonial French authority for killing a policeman.
Serwa Boateng’s Guide to Witchcraft and Mayhem
Fiction - Children's Book
September 12, 2023 | 304 pages
Rick Riordan Presents
Ghanaian-American fantasy author Roseanne A. Brown stuns in this middle grade book about magic-wielding preteens set in the Smithsonian Museum. Serwa is on a mission to free her mother, while coming to terms with the fact that she is half-vampire.
Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
Fiction-Novel
August 8, 2023 | 320 pages
DAW
One of the year's most anticipated novels, Shigidi lived up to the hype. Wole Talabi's African cosmological take on the art heist genre is an action-packed and sex-fueled adventure story about Yoruba gods.
Shubeik Lubeik
Fiction - Graphic Novel
January 10, 2023 | 528 pages
Pantheon
Egyptian graphic designer Deena Mohamed's graphic novel follows the lives of three characters who struggle to fulfill their desires in a world where wishes are bought and sold and the best wishes are reserved for the rich and powerful.
Sister Nature
Nonfiction - Essays
June 20, 2023 | 259 pages
Jacaranda Books
A Kenyan farmer of Dutch descent, Jess de Boers advocates for a regenerative relationship to land and community by spotlighting the experience of Northern Kenyan farmers pioneering new approaches to sustainable farming.
Small by Small
Nonfiction - Memoir
October 15, 2023 | 304 pages
Sandstone Press Ltd
A gripping memoir about a Nigerian doctor's experience with the country's medical system in the 1990s — one of the nation's bleakest and most perplexing decades. Anya's blend of humor and sharp insights is irresistible!
Small Worlds
Fiction-Novel
July 18, 2023 | 253 pages
Grove Press | Viking
Spanning three summers across London and Accra, Small Worlds--an instant bestseller--centers on the protagonist Stephen, his relationship with his father, and his struggle to come to terms with family expectations.
Something Evergreen Called Life
Poetry
March 1, 2023 | 117 pages
Action Books
This soulful collection of poetry captures the difficulties of being exiled to a different country during the pandemic. Sudanese author Raina Mamoun explores the loss of home and hardships of isolation while fighting against power.
Tales of Tangier
Fiction - Short Stories
May 16, 2023 | 264 pages
Yale University Press
All 31 stories written by one of Morocco's most celebrated writers are available in this new volume in the popular and capture the wild and dreamy, sordid and beautiful faces of Tangier, one of Africa's most enigmatic cities.
Tesserae
Poetry - Anthology
September 22, 2023 | 274 pages
Carnelian Heart Publishing
Vazhure and Christie present a culture-shifting anthology that celebrates contemporary Zimbabwean women's poetry. The collection is a breathtaking display of literary talent in one of Africa's richest literary traditions.
The Animals of My Earth School
Poetry
April 10, 2023 | 96 pages
Terrapin Books
A luminous ode to nonhuman creatures, these verses blend playful and solemn tones. Ugandan poet Mildred Kiconco Barya places the lives animals at the core of profound reflections on life, the body, and collective experiences.
The Beauty Hunters
Nonfiction - Scholarly
April 1, 2023 | 160 pages
University of Nebraska Press
Adil Babikir introduces poet al-Ḥārdallo to English readers, bringing into the spotlight the life of a brilliant poet whose work offers a glimpse into the world of Sudanese Bedouin poetry.
The Daughters of Izdihar
Fiction-Novel
January 10, 2023 | 384 pages
HarperVoyager
Nehal and Georgina have very little in common. In fact, they should be sworn enemies. But their struggle to harness their growing magical power make them an unlikely pair in the fight against a power threatening to destroy their world.
The Drinker of Horizons
Fiction-Novel
March 14, 2023 | 256 pages
Farrar Straus and Giroux
Mia Couto's Sands of the Emperor trilogy, an epic account of Mozambique's history, comes to an end with this soulful love story between a Mozambican woman and a Portuguese sergeant.
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa
Fiction-Novel
April 18, 2023 | 336 pages
Bloomsbury UK | Bloomsbury USA
For precocious 15-year-old, Andrew Aziza, everything is a math equation, including life, poetry, Nigerian life, and Africa's problems. This deeply philosophical novel shows him navigating the complexities that come with being young, gifted, and frustrated with the world.
The Great Banned-Books Bake Sale
Fiction - Children's Book
August 1, 2023 | 32 pages
Tilbury House
Aya Khalil's widely loved book captures the climate of unease and resistance against the current wave of book banning in American society through the inspiring tale of an Egyptian girl rallying her community to stand up against censorship.
The History of a Difficult Child
Fiction-Novel
June 27, 2023 | 400 pages
Viking
The child narrator in this powerful debut is alluring, truthful, and unforgettable in their narration of the upheavals of 1980s Ethiopia from the perspective of a wealthy family struggling under the weight of an increasingly despotic government.
The House of the Coptic Woman
Fiction-Novel
October 10, 2023 | 224 pages
Hoopoe
Ashraf El-Ashmawi offers a magnetic story about a rural Egyptian town where tensions between Copts and Muslims take a dark and sinister turn as murders, arsons, and alleged suicides reach a crescendo.
The Institute for Creative Dying
Fiction-Novel
February 1, 2023 | 390 pages
Afritondo
In a Johannesburg suburb, five dying strangers live in a mansion under the care of stewards, who offer an alternative end-of-life experience centered on mind-altering drugs. Thompson's debut is a bold exploration of mortality.
The List
Fiction-Novel
October 3, 2023 | 336 pages
Fourth Estate | William Morrow
In London, a black celebrity couple is on the brink of 'I do' until the man's name pops up on a #MeToo list, turning the wedding countdown into a wild encounter with the court of social media.
The Middle Daughter
Fiction-Novel
April 4, 2023 | 310 pages
Canongate Books | Dzanc Books
The Middle Daughter brilliantly reimagines the Hades and Persephone tale, centering on Nani, a Nigerian woman entrapped by a charismatic preacher husband who unveils his true, sinister nature.
The Private Apartments
Fiction - Short Stories
May 2, 2023 | 192 pages
Astoria | House of Anansi Press
Omar's debut is a collection of stories about Somali women in the diaspora living captivating lives, challenging boundaries, and striving to safeguard the beauty of their most intimate dreams and desires.
The Putin Files
Nonfiction - Essays
July 7, 2023 | 174 pages
Bookcraft
In the 11th book of Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka's Interventions series, a meticulous examination of the Russia-Ukraine war is undertaken in the context of Africa's politics and its historical encounters with war and conflict.
The Race to Be Myself
Nonfiction - Memoir
October 1, 2023 | 309 pages
W. W. Norton & Company
In 2009, South African athlete Caster Semenya became the center of a heated debate about gender in sports. Her memoir is a beautiful and inspiring story of resilience and defiance against a powerful institution and the court of public opinion.
The Stone Breakers
Fiction-Novel
September 5, 2023 | 355 pages
Schaffner Press
Congolese author Emmanuel Dongala is brilliant in Stone Breaker. The novel follows the compelling journey of 16 women working in a quarry, breaking stones. Together, they stage an uprising, demanding fair treatment and better wages.
The Sun Sets in Singapore
Fiction-Novel
October 31, 2023 | 352 pages
Dialogue Books | Grand Central Publishing
Actress and writer Kehinde Fadipe debuts a sizzling novel that entwines the lives of three successful Nigerian women with a captivating handsome stranger against the alluring backdrop of Singapore.
The Widow Who Died With Flowers In Her Mouth
Fiction - Short Stories
February 7, 2023 | 352 pages
Masobe Books
In his third book, award-winning Nigerian author Obinna Udenwe maintains his irreverent storytelling, capturing African life through stories of individuals challenging societal norms on sex and love.
Three Egg Dilemma
Fiction-Novel
May 1, 2023 | 258 pages
Jacana Media
17 years after his critically acclaimed debut, Morabo Morojele returns with a novel centered on a man named Example, living in a Lesotho township with friends like Sticks, Latrine, Eyebrows, and a mysterious creature. The story portrays a world in turmoil.
Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Insha Allah
Nonfiction - Memoir
June 20, 2023 | 224 pages
Feral House
On Sara Cheikh's first visit to see her family at a Western Saharan refugee camp after 20 years, she is unexpectedly held back due to border closures and the increasing panic around COVID-19. The memoir details the ensuing adventures.
Tremor
Fiction-Novel
October 17, 2023 | 256 pages
Random House
If you missed the philosophical musings in Teju Cole's Open City, get ready to fall in love with Tremor. An enigmatic Nigerian photography professor, who has a keen eye, moves through space in usual ways and reflects on the dark and bloody echoes of history.
Twilight of Torment: II. Heritage
Fiction-Novel
June 21, 2023 | 292 pages
Seagull Books
The second book in Léonora Miano’s Twilight of Torment series explores the dark roots of toxic masculinity through the story of a man who severely beats his girlfriend, nearly killing her.
Voice of the Two Shores
Poetry
March 6, 2023 | 200 pages
Flipped Eye Publishing
Originally published in Gun, Agboton's native language from the Republic of Benin, this poetry collection is a profound meditation on death, exile, and displacement, deeply rooted in West African Indigenous knowledge.
Warrior of the Wind
Fiction-Novel
November 21, 2023 | 496 pages
Orbit
The second book in the Nameless Republic series follows Danso and Lilong as they flee the Red Emperor Esheme. In this sequel to Son of the Storm, Okungbowa expands his intricate West African-inspired world.
Wedged Between Man and God
Nonfiction - Anthology
August 21, 2023 | 299 pages
Cookingpot Publishing
Edited by Unoma Azuah and Claire Ba, this anthology is presented in French and English. It celebrates queer women’s experience in West Africa, while confronting the marginalization of queer communities in Africa.
What Napoleon Could Not Do
Fiction-Novel
February 7, 2023 | 368 pages
Riverhead Books
DK Nnuro’s debut earned a coveted spot on President Obama's reading list. It tells the story of two Ghanaian siblings and how their lives are shaped by the dream of making a life in the US.
When We Were Fireflies
Fiction-Novel
April 1, 2023 | 420 pages
Masobe Books
Yarima Lalo, an artist in Abuja, discovers he has died twice before and goes in search of answers. Abubakar Ibrahim's hypnotic tale blends magic, philosophical questioning, and the possibility of life-changing awakening.
Whites Can Dance Too
Fiction-Novel
June 15, 2023 | 256 pages
Faber Books
The protagonist, also named Kalaf Epalanga, travels across borders with little more than the power of this music, Kuduro, a kind of Angola techno. His luck runs out trying to enter Norway for a festival without a passport.
