African literature is

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, either

oral The word oral may refer to: Relating to the mouth * Relating to the mouth, the first portion of the alimentary canal that primarily receives food and liquid **Oral administration of medicines ** Oral examination (also known as an oral exam or or ...

("orature") or written in African and Afro-Asiatic languages. Examples of

pre-colonial Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

African literature can be traced back to at least the fourth century AD. The best-known is the '' Kebra Negast'', or "Book of Kings." A common theme during the colonial period is the slave narrative, often written in English or French for western audiences. Among the first pieces of African literature to receive significant worldwide critical acclaim was ''

Things Fall Apart ''Things Fall Apart'' is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans during the late 19th century. It is seen as the ...

'', by

Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as the dominant figure of modern African literature. His first novel and '' magnum opus'', ''Things Fall Apart'' (1958), occupies ...

, published in 1958. African literature in the late colonial period increasingly feature themes of liberation and independence. Post-colonial literature has become increasingly diverse, with some writers returning to their native languages. Common themes include the clash between past and present, tradition and modernity, self and community, as well as politics and development. On the whole, female writers are today far better represented in African literature than they were prior to independence. The internet has also changed the landscape of African literature, leading to the rise of digital reading and publishing platforms such as OkadaBooks.

Overview

As George Joseph notes in his chapter o
African Literature
in ''Understanding Contemporary Africa'', whereas European views of literature stressed a separation of art and content, African awareness is inclusive and "literature" can also simply mean an artistic use of words for the sake of art alone. Traditionally, Africans do not radically separate art from teaching. Rather than write or sing for beauty in itself, African writers, taking their cue from oral literature, use beauty to help communicate important truths and information to society. An object is considered beautiful because of the truths it reveals and the communities it helps to build.

Oral literature

Oral literature (or orature, the term coined by

Ugandan }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

scholar

Pio Zirimu Pio Zirimu (died 1977) was a Ugandan linguist, scholar and literary theorist. He is credited with coining the word "orature" as an alternative to the self-contradictory term, " oral literature"trickster In mythology and the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a character in a story ( god, goddess, spirit, human or anthropomorphisation) who exhibits a great degree of intellect or secret knowledge and uses it to play tricks or otherwi ...

character. Storytellers in Africa sometimes use

call-and-response Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...

techniques to tell their stories. Poetry describes a narrative poem based upon a short and a ribald anecdote and is often sung, through: narrative epic, occupational verse, ritual verse, praise poems of rulers and other prominent people. Praise singers, bards sometimes known as "

griot A griot (; ; Manding: jali or jeli (in N'Ko: , ''djeli'' or ''djéli'' in French spelling); Serer: kevel or kewel / okawul; Wolof: gewel) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. The griot is a repos ...

s", tell their stories with music. Also recited, often sung, are

love songs A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...

work songs A work song is a piece of music closely connected to a form of work, either sung while conducting a task (usually to coordinate timing) or a song linked to a task which might be a connected narrative, description, or protest song. Definitions and ...

children's songs A children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that children invent and share among themselves or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home or education. Although children's songs have been recorded and studied ...

, along with

epigrams An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement. The word is derived from the Greek "inscription" from "to write on, to inscribe", and the literary device has been employed for over two millen ...

proverbs A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...

and

riddles A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requ ...

. These oral traditions exist in many languages including

Fula Fula may refer to: *Fula people (or Fulani, Fulɓe) *Fula language (or Pulaar, Fulfulde, Fulani) **The Fula variety known as the Pulaar language **The Fula variety known as the Pular language **The Fula variety known as Maasina Fulfulde *Al-Fula ...

, Swahili,

Hausa Hausa may refer to: * Hausa people, an ethnic group of West Africa * Hausa language, spoken in West Africa * Hausa Kingdoms, a historical collection of Hausa city-states * Hausa (horse) or Dongola horse, an African breed of riding horse See also ...

, and Wolof. In

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, oral poetry was an important part of Berber traditions when the majority of the population was illiterate. These poems, called '' Isefra'', were used for aspects of both religious and secular life. The religious poems included devotions, prophetic stories, and poems honoring saints. The secular poetry could be about celebrations like births and weddings, or accounts of heroic warriors. As another example, in

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...

, oral literature or folktales continue to be broadcast on the radio in the native language Booma.

Precolonial literature

Examples of

African literature are numerous. In

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

, there is a substantial literature written in Ge'ez going back at least to the fourth century AD; the best-known work in this tradition is the '' Kebra Negast'', or "Book of Kings." One popular form of traditional African folktale is the "trickster" story, in which a small animal uses its wits to survive encounters with larger creatures. Examples of animal tricksters include

Anansi Anansi ( ; literally translates to ''spider'') is an Akan folktale character and the Akan God of Stories, Wisdom, Knowledge, and possibly creation. The form of a spider is the most common depiction of Anansi. He is also, sometimes considered t ...

, a spider in the folklore of the Ashanti people of

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

; Ijàpá, a

tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like oth ...

in Yoruba folklore of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

; and Sungura, a hare found in central and East African folklore. Other works in written form are abundant, namely in North Africa, the Sahel regions of west Africa and on the Swahili coast. From

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...

alone, there are an estimated 300,000 or more manuscripts tucked away in various libraries and private collections, mostly written in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

but some in the native languages (namely

and Songhai). Many were written at the famous

University of Timbuktu The University of Timbuktu is a collective term for the teaching associated with three mosques in the city of Timbuktu in what is now Mali: the mosques of Sankore, Djinguereber, and Sidi Yahya. It was an organized scholastic community that endure ...

. The material covers a wide array of topics, including astronomy, poetry, law, history, faith, politics, and philosophy. Swahili literature, similarly, draws inspiration from Islamic teachings but developed under indigenous circumstances, one of the most renowned and earliest pieces of Swahili literature being '' Utendi wa Tambuka'' or "The Story of Tambuka". As for the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

, North Africans such as Ibn Khaldun attained great distinction within

Arabic literature Arabic literature ( ar, الأدب العربي / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is '' Adab'', which is derived from ...

. Medieval North Africa boasted universities such as those of Fes and

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...

, with copious amounts of literature to supplement them.

Colonial African literature

The African works best known in the West from the periods of colonization and the slave trade are primarily

slave narratives The slave narrative is a type of literary genre involving the (written) autobiographical accounts of enslaved Africans, particularly in the Americas. Over six thousand such narratives are estimated to exist; about 150 narratives were published as s ...

, such as

Olaudah Equiano Olaudah Equiano (; c. 1745 – 31 March 1797), known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa (), was a writer and abolitionist from, according to his memoir, the Eboe (Igbo) region of the Kingdom of Benin (today southern Nigeria). Enslaved a ...

's ''

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano ''The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African'', first published in 1789 in London,

'' (

1789 Events January–March * January – Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès publishes the pamphlet '' What Is the Third Estate?'' ('), influential on the French Revolution. * January 7 – The 1788-89 United States presidential electio ...

). In the colonial period, Africans exposed to Western languages began to write in those tongues. In

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

, Joseph Ephraim Casely Hayford (also known as Ekra-Agiman) of the

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

(now Ghana) published what is probably the first African novel written in English, '' Ethiopia Unbound: Studies in Race Emancipation''. Although the work moves between fiction and political advocacy, its publication and positive reviews in the Western press mark a watershed moment in African literature. During this period, African

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

written in English began to emerge. Herbert Isaac Ernest Dhlomo of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

published the first English-language African play, ''The Girl Who Killed to Save: Nongqawuse the Liberator'' in 1935. In

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (; born James Ngugi; 5 January 1938) is a Kenyan author and academic who writes primarily in Gikuyu and who formerly wrote in English. He has been described as having been "considered East Africa’s leading novelist". His wo ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

wrote the first East African drama, '' The Black Hermit'', a cautionary tale about "

tribalism Tribalism is the state of being organized by, or advocating for, tribes or tribal lifestyles. Human evolution has primarily occurred in small hunter-gatherer groups, as opposed to in larger and more recently settled agricultural societies or civ ...

" ( discrimination between African tribes). Among the first pieces of African literature to receive significant worldwide critical acclaim was the novel ''

'', by

. Published in 1958, late in the colonial era, ''Things Fall Apart'' analysed the effect of colonialism on traditional African society. African literature in the late colonial period (between the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and independence) increasingly showed themes of liberation, independence, and (among Africans in francophone territories)

négritude ''Négritude'' (from French "Nègre" and "-itude" to denote a condition that can be translated as "Blackness") is a framework of critique and literary theory, developed mainly by francophone intellectuals, writers, and politicians of the African ...

. One of the leaders of the négritude movement, the poet and eventual president of

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

Léopold Sédar Senghor Léopold Sédar Senghor (; ; 9 October 1906 – 20 December 2001) was a Senegalese poet, politician and cultural theorist who was the first president of Senegal (1960–80). Ideologically an African socialist, he was the major theoretician o ...

, published in 1948 the first anthology of French-language poetry written by Africans, ''Anthologie de la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache de langue française'' (''Anthology of the New Black and Malagasy Poetry in the French Language''), featuring a preface by the French

existentialist Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and value ...

writer

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and lit ...

. For many writers this emphasis was not restricted to their publishing. Many, indeed, suffered deeply and directly: censured for casting aside their artistic responsibilities in order to participate actively in warfare,

Christopher Okigbo Christopher Ifekandu Okigbo (16 August 1932 – 1967) was a Nigerian poet, teacher, and librarian, who died fighting for the independence of Biafra. He is today widely acknowledged as an outstanding postcolonial English-language African poet an ...

was killed in battle for

Biafra Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...

against the Nigerian movement of the 1960s'

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

; Mongane Wally Serote was detained under South Africa's

Terrorism Act No 83 of 1967 The Terrorism Act No 83 of 1967 was a law of the South African Apartheid regime until all except section 7 was repealed under the Internal Security and Intimidation Amendment Act 138 of 1991. Detention without trial Section 6 of the Act allowed s ...

between 1969 and 1970, and subsequently released without ever having stood trial; in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1970, his countryman Arthur Norje committed suicide;

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeas ...

's Jack Mapanje was incarcerated with neither charge nor trial because of an off-hand remark at a university pub; and, in 1995,

Ken Saro-Wiwa Kenule Beeson "Ken" Saro-Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995) was a Nigerians, Nigerian writer, television producer, and environmental activist. Ken Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homelan ...

was hanged by the Nigerian junta.

Postcolonial African literature

With liberation and increased literacy since most African nations gained their independence in the 1950s and 1960s, African literature has grown dramatically in quantity and in recognition, with numerous African works appearing in Western academic curricula and on "best of" lists compiled since the end of the 20th century. African writers in this period wrote both in Western languages (notably

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, French, and

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

) and in traditional African languages such as Hausa. Ali A. Mazrui and others mention seven conflicts as themes: the clash between Africa's past and present, between tradition and modernity, between indigenous and foreign, between individualism and community, between socialism and capitalism, between development and self-reliance and between Africanity and humanity. Other themes in this period include social problems such as corruption, the economic disparities in newly independent countries, and the rights and roles of women. Female writers are today far better represented in published African literature than they were prior to independence. In

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...

, Nigeria's

Wole Soyinka Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...

became the first post-independence African writer to win the

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

in literature. Previously,

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

n-born

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

had been awarded the prize in 1957. Other African Nobel laureates in literature are

Naguib Mahfouz Naguib Mahfouz Abdelaziz Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Basha ( arz, نجيب محفوظ عبد العزيز ابراهيم احمد الباشا, ; 11 December 1911 – 30 August 2006) was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature. M ...

(Egypt) in 1988, Nadine Gordimer (South Africa) in 1991,

John Maxwell Coetzee John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

(South Africa) in 2003, Doris Lessing (UK/Zimbabwe) in 2007, and

Abdulrazak Gurnah Abdulrazak Gurnah (born 20 December 1948) is a Tanzanian-born British novelist and academic. He was born in the Sultanate of Zanzibar and moved to the United Kingdom in the 1960s as a refugee during the Zanzibar Revolution. His novels include ...

(Tanzania) in 2021.

Contemporary developments

There have been a lot of literary productions in

since the beginning of the current decade (2010), even though readers do not always follow in large numbers. One can also notice the appearance of certain writings that break with the

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

style. In addition, the shortage of literary critics can be deplored on the continent nowadays. Literary events seem to be very fashionable, including literary awards, some of which can be distinguished by their original concepts. The case of the

Grand Prix of Literary Associations The Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA) were launched in 2013 in Cameroon, in partnership with Brasseries du Cameroun and sponsorship by Castel Group, Castel Beer. The GPLA are defined as bilingual English-and-French literary prizes, som ...

is quite illustrative. ''

Brittle Paper ''Brittle Paper'' is an online literary magazine styled as an "African literary blog" published weekly in the English language. Its focus is on "build(ing) a vibrant African literary scene." It was founded by Ainehi Edoro (at the time a doctoral ...

'', an online platform founded by Ainehi Edoro, has been described as "Africa's leading literary journal". The increasing use of the internet has also changed how readers of African literature access content. This has led to the rise of digital reading and publishing platforms like OkadaBooks.

Literature published in Africa

Inaugurated in 1980 and running until 2009, the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa was presented for outstanding African writers and scholars published in Africa.

Notable novels by African writers

* Peter Abrahams (South Africa): '' Mine Boy'' (1946), '' This Island Now'', '' A Wreath for Udomo'' (1956) *

(Nigeria): '' Arrow of God'' (1964), '' No Longer At Ease'' (1960), ''

'' (1958), '' A Man of the People'' (1966), '' Anthills of the Savannah'' (1987), *

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ( ; born 15 September 1977) is a Nigerian writer whose works include novels, short stories and nonfiction. She was described in ''The Times Literary Supplement'' as "the most prominent" of a "procession of criticall ...

(Nigeria): '' Purple Hibiscus'' (2003), '' Half of a Yellow Sun'' (2006), '' Americanah'' (2013) * Chigozie Obioma (Nigeria): '' The Fishermen'' (2015), '' An Orchestra of Minorities'' (2019) *

José Eduardo Agualusa José Eduardo Agualusa Alves da Cunha (born December 13, 1960) is an Angolan journalist and writer of Portuguese and Brazilian descent. He studied agronomy and silviculture in Lisbon, Portugal. Currently he resides in the Island of Mozambiqu ...

(

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

): ''Rainy Season'', ''Creole'', ''The Book of Chameleons'', '' My Father's Wives'' *

Ama Ata Aidoo Ama Ata Aidoo, ''née'' Christina Ama Aidoo (born 23 March 1942) is a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright and academic. She was the Minister of Education under the Jerry Rawlings administration. In 2000, she established the Mbaasem Foundation t ...

(Ghana): '' Our Sister Killjoy'' (1977), '' Changes: a Love Story'' (1991) *

Germano Almeida Germano Almeida (; born 31 July 1945) is a Cape Verdean author and lawyer. Biography Born on the Cape Verdean island Boa Vista, Almeida studied law at the University of Lisbon and currently practices in Mindelo. His novels have been translat ...

(Cape Verde): '' O dia das calças roladas'' (1982), ''The Last Will and Testament of Senhor da Silva Araújo'' * Elechi Amadi (Nigeria): '' The Concubine'' (1966), '' The Great Ponds'', '' Sunset in Biafra'' * Ayi Kwei Armah (Ghana): '' The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born'' (1968), '' Two Thousand Seasons'' (1973) *

Sefi Atta Sefi Atta (born January 1964) is a Nigerian Americans, Nigerian-American novelist, short-story writer, playwright and screenwriter. Her books have been translated into many languages, radio plays have been broadcast by the BBC, and her stage play ...

(Nigeria): '' Everything Good Will Come'' (2005) *

Ayesha Harruna Attah Ayesha Harruna Attah (born December 1983) is a Ghanaian-born fiction writer. She lives in Senegal. Early years and education Ayesha Harruna Attah was born in Accra, Ghana, in the 1980s, under a military government, to a mother who was a journali ...

(Ghana): '' Harmattan Rain'' *

Mariama Bâ Mariama Bâ (April 17, 1929 – August 17, 1981) was a Senegalese author and feminist, whose two French-language novels were both translated into more than a dozen languages. Born in Dakar, she was raised a Muslim. Her frustration with the fate ...

(Senegal): '' Une si longue lettre'' (''So Long a Letter'') * Chris Barnard (South Africa): ''

Bundu Bundu may refer to: * Bundu (state), a former state in what is now Senegal * Also known as the place where Aditya Kumar (BE/10023/12) was born and brought up * Bundu, India, a town in Jharkhand, India ** Bundu block, the larger administrative u ...

'', ''Mahala'' * Ishmael Beah (

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

): ''

A Long Way Gone ''A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier'' is a 2007 memoir written by Ishmael Beah, an author from Sierra Leone. The book is a firsthand account of Beah's time as a child soldier during the Sierra Leone Civil War in the 1990s. The book describ ...

'' (2007), ''Radiance of Tomorrow'' * Mongo Beti (Cameroon): '' Poor Christ of Bomba'' (1956 as ''Le Pauvre Christ de Bomba'') * André Brink (South Africa): '' 'n Droe Wit Seisoen (A Dry White Season)'', '' Gerugte van Reen (Rumours of Rain)'' *

J. M. Coetzee John Maxwell Coetzee OMG (born 9 February 1940) is a South African–Australian novelist, essayist, linguist, translator and recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature. He is one of the most critically acclaimed and decorated authors in ...

(South Africa): ''

Disgrace ''Disgrace'' is a novel by J. M. Coetzee, published in 1999. It won the Booker Prize. The writer was also awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature four years after its publication. Plot David Lurie is a white South African professor of English wh ...

'' (1999), '' Life & Times of Michael K'' (1983) *

Mia Couto António Emílio Leite Couto, better known as Mia Couto (born 5 July 1955), is a Mozambican writer. He won the Camões Prize in 2013, the most important literary award in the Portuguese language, and the Neustadt International Prize for Liter ...

(

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

): '' Terra Sonâmbula (Sleepwalking Land)'' * Ungulani Ba Ka Khosa (Mozambique): '' Ualalapi'' (1987) * Luís Bernardo Honwana (Mozambique): '' Nós Matamos O Cão-Tinhoso e Outros Contos'', '' We Killed Mangy Dog and Other Stories'' (1964) *

Tsitsi Dangarembga Tsitsi Dangarembga (born 4 February 1959) is a Zimbabwean novelist, playwright and filmmaker. Her debut novel, '' Nervous Conditions'' (1988), which was the first to be published in English by a Black woman from Zimbabwe, was named by the BBC i ...

(

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

): ''

Nervous Conditions ''Nervous Conditions'' is a novel by Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga, first published in the United Kingdom in 1988. It was the first book published by a black woman from Zimbabwe in English. ''Nervous Conditions'' won the Commonwealth Wri ...

'' (1988), '' The Book of Not'' (2006), '' This Mournable Body'' * Mohammed Dib (

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

): '' La grande maison'' * E. K. M. Dido (South Africa): '' 'n Stringetjie Blou Krale (A String of Blue Beads)'', '' Die Storie van Monica Peters (The Story of Monica Peters)'' *

Assia Djebar Fatima-Zohra Imalayen (30 June 1936 – 6 February 2015), known by her pen name Assia Djebar ( ar, آسيا جبار), was an Algerian novelist, translator and filmmaker. Most of her works deal with obstacles faced by women, and she is noted fo ...

(Algeria): '' Les Enfants du Nouveau Monde'' *

K. Sello Duiker Kabelo Sello Duiker (13 April 1974 – 19 January 2005) was a South African novelist. His debut novel, ''Thirteen Cents'', won the 2001 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book, Africa Region. His second novel, ''The Quiet Violence of Drea ...

(South Africa): '' Thirteen Cents'' (2000), '' The Quiet Violence of Dreams'' * Buchi Emecheta (Nigeria): '' The Bride Price'' (1976), '' The Slave Girl'' (1977), '' The Joys of Motherhood'' (1979), '' Destination Biafra'' (1982) * Daniel Olorunfemi Fagunwa (Nigeria): '' Ogboju odẹ ninu igbo irunmalẹ (The Forest of a Thousand Demons)'' *

Nuruddin Farah Nuruddin Farah ( so, Nuuradiin Faarax, ar, نورالدين فارح) (born 24 November 1945) is a Somali novelist. His first novel, ''From a Crooked Rib'', was published in 1970 and has been described as "one of the cornerstones of modern East ...

(

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

): '' From a Crooked Rib'' (1970), ''

Maps A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

'', '' Sweet and Sour Milk'' * Athol Fugard (South Africa): ''Tsotsi'' * Nadine Gordimer (South Africa): '' Burger's Daughter'' (1979), ''

The Conservationist ''The Conservationist'' is a 1974 novel by the South African writer Nadine Gordimer. The book was a joint winner of the Booker-McConnell Prize for fiction. It is described as more complex in design and technique than Gordimer's earlier novels. ...

'' (1974), '' July's People'' (1981) *

Alex La Guma Alex La Guma (20 February 1924 – 11 October 1985) was a South African novelist, leader of the South African Coloured People's Organisation (SACPO) and a defendant in the Treason Trial, whose works helped characterise the movement against ...

(South Africa): ''

In the Fog of the Seasons' End ''In the Fog of the Seasons' End'' is a 1972 novel by South African novelist Alex La Guma. Like many of La Guma's other novels, it is focused on challenging the social systems of apartheid in South Africa. The main character in the novel, Beukes, ...

'' (1972), ''

The Stone-Country ''The Stone-Country'' is a 1967 novel by South African novelist Alex La Guma. The novel is set in a prison, and explores how one prisoner inspires others to pursue anti-apartheid politics. It was the last novel La Guma was able to write before ...

'' (1967), ''

Time of the Butcherbird ''Time of the Butcherbird'' is the final novel by South African novelist Alex La Guma Alex La Guma (20 February 1924 – 11 October 1985) was a South African novelist, leader of the South African Coloured People's Organisation (SACPO) a ...

'' (1979), '' A Walk in the Night'' (2020) *

(

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

): ''

Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in parad ...

'' (1994), '' By the Sea'' (2001), '' Afterlives'' (2020) * Bessie Head (

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...

): '' When Rain Clouds Gather'' (1968), '' Maru'' (1971), ''A Question of Power'' (1973) * Moses Isegawa (

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

): '' Abyssinian Chronicles'' (1998) * Rayda Jacobs (South Africa): '' The Slave Book'', '' Eyes of the Sky'', '' Confessions of a Gambler'' * Tahar Ben Jelloun (

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

): '' The Sacred Night'', '' The Sand Child'' (1985), ''

This Blinding Absence of Light ''This Blinding Absence of Light'' (french: Cette aveuglante absence de lumière) is a 2001 novel by the Moroccan writer Tahar Ben Jelloun, translated from French by Linda Coverdale. Its narrative is based on the testimony of a former inmate at ...

'' (2001) *

Cheikh Hamidou Kane Cheikh Hamidou Kane (born 2 April 1928) is a Senegalese writer best known for his 1961 novel '' L'Aventure ambiguë'' (''Ambiguous Adventure''), about the interactions of western and African cultures. Its hero is a Fulani boy who goes to study i ...

(Senegal): ''

L'Aventure ambiguë ''L'Aventure ambiguë'' is a novel by Senegalese author Cheikh Hamidou Kane, first published in 1961, about the interactions of western and African cultures. Its hero is a boy from the Diallobé region of Senegal who goes to study in France. There ...

'' (1961) * Malama Katulwende (Zambia): ''Bitterness'' *

Yasmina Khadra Mohammed Moulessehoul ( ar, محمد مولسهول; born January 10, 1955), better known by the pen name Yasmina Khadra ( ar, ياسمينة خضراء), is an Algerian author living in France, who writes in French. One of the most famous Algeri ...

(Algeria): '' The Swallows of Kabul'' (2002) * Christopher Zacharia Lameck (

): ''The Mythical Father'', ''Lost'', ''Ztraceni'' ''European Madness'', * Camara Laye ( Guinea): '' The African Child'' (''L'Enfant noir'', 1953), '' The Radiance of the King'' (1954) *

(

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

): '' The Beginning and the End'' (1949), '' Cairo Trilogy'', '' Children of Gebelawi'', '' Midaq Alley'' * Charles Mangua (Kenya): '' Son of Woman'' (1971), '' A Tail in the Mouth'' *

Sarah Ladipo Manyika Sarah Ladipo Manyika is a British-Nigerian writer of novels, short stories and essays and an active member of the literary community, particularly supporting and amplifying young writers and female voices. She is author of two well received nove ...

(Nigeria): '' In Dependence'' (2008) * Dambudzo Marechera (Zimbabwe): '' The House of Hunger'' (1978) * Dalene Matthee (South Africa): ''Kringe in 'n bos'' (''Circles in a Forest'') * Zakes Mda (South Africa): ''

Ways of Dying ''Ways of Dying'' is a 1995 novel by South African novelist and playwright Zakes Mda. The text follows the wanderings and creative endeavors of Toloki, a self-employed professional mourner, as he traverses an unnamed South African city during ...

'' (1995), ''

The Heart of Redness ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' * Thomas Mofolo (South Africa/ Lesotho): '' Chaka'' (1925) * Nadifa Mohamed (Somalia) '' Black Mamba Boy'' (2010), '' The Orchard of Lost Souls'' (2013), '' The Fortune Men'' (2021) * Bai Tamia Moore (Liberia): '' Murder in the Cassava Patch'' (1968) * Fadhy Mtanga (

): ''Kizungumkuti'', '' Huba'', ''Fungate'' * Meja Mwangi (Kenya): '' Carcase for Hounds'' (1974), '' Going Down River Road'', '' Kill Me Quick'' (1973) *

(Kenya): '' A Grain of Wheat'' (1967), '' Matigari'' (1986), '' Petals of Blood'' (1977), '' Weep Not, Child'' (1964), '' Wizard of the Crow'' (2006) *

Lewis Nkosi Lewis Nkosi (5 December 1936 – 5 September 2010) was a South African writer, who spent 30 years in exile as a consequence of restrictions placed on him and his writing by the Suppression of Communism Act and the Publications and Entertainme ...

(South Africa): '' Mandela's Ego'' (2006), '' Mating Birds'' (1986), '' Underground People'' (2002) * Flora Nwapa (Nigeria): '' Efuru'' (1966), '' Idu'' (1970), '' One is Enough'', '' Never Again'', '' Women are Different'' *

Nnedi Okorafor Nnedimma Nkemdili "Nnedi" Okorafor (formerly Okorafor-Mbachu; born April 8, 1974) is a Nigerian-American writer of science fiction and fantasy for both children and adults. She is best known for her ''Binti Series'' and her novels ''Who Fears ...

(Nigeria): '' Zahrah the Windseeker'' (2005) *

Ben Okri Ben Okri (born 15 March 1959) is a Nigerian-British poet and novelist.Ben Okri"
British Council, ...

(Nigeria): ''

The Famished Road ''The Famished Road'' is a novel by Nigerian author Ben Okri, the first book in a trilogy that continues with ''Songs of Enchantment'' (1993) and ''Infinite Riches'' (1998). Published in London in 1991 by Jonathan Cape, the story of ''The Famis ...

'' (1991), '' Songs of Enchantment'' (1993) *

Deon Opperman Deon is a given name. People with the name include: * Deon Burton (born 1976), English-born Jamaican footballer * Deon Butler (born 1986), American football player * Deon Cain (born 1996), American football player * Deon Hemmings (born 1968), Ja ...

(South Africa): '' Donkerland (Dark Land)'', '' Kruispad (Crossroad)'', '' Hartland (Heartland)'' * Yambo Ouologuem (Mali): ''Le Devoir de Violence'' (''Bound to Violence'') * Alan Paton (South Africa): ''

Cry, The Beloved Country ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' is a 1948 novel by South African writer Alan Paton. Set in the prelude to apartheid in South Africa, it follows a black village priest and a white farmer who must deal with news of a murder. American publisher Benn ...

'' (1948) *

Pepetela Artur Carlos Maurício Pestana dos Santos (born 1941) is a major Angolan writer of fiction. He writes under the name Pepetela. A Portuguese Angolan, Pepetela was born in Benguela, Portuguese Angola, and fought as a member of the MPLA in the long ...

(Angola) : ''Muana Puó, Mayombe,

A Gloriosa Família ''A Gloriosa Família'' is a novel by the Angolan author Pepetela published in 1997 by Dom Quixote (Lisbon). The novel deals with the family of Baltasar Van Dum, a Flemish slave trader in Luanda, during the period of time that the Dutch ruled the ...

'' (1997) *

Sol Plaatje Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje (9 October 1876 – 19 June 1932) was a South African intellectual, journalist, linguist, politician, translator and writer. Plaatje was a founding member and first General Secretary of the South African Native Nation ...

(South Africa): ''

Mhudi ''Mhudi: An Epic of South African Native Life a Hundred Years Ago'' is a South African novel by Sol Plaatje first published in 1930, and one of the first published African novels by a black African to be published in English. The novel was republi ...

'' (1930) *

Nawal El Saadawi Nawal El Saadawi ( ar, نوال السعداوي, , 22 October 1931 – 21 March 2021) was an Egyptian feminist writer, activist and physician. She wrote many books on the subject of women in Islam, paying particular attention to the practice of ...

(Egypt): ''

Woman at Point Zero ''Woman at Point Zero'' ( ar, امرأة عند نقطة الصفر, ) is a novel by Nawal El Saadawi written in 1975 and published in Arabic in 1977. The novel is based on Saadawi's meeting with a female prisoner in Qanatir Prison and is the fi ...

'' (1975) * Tayeb Salih (Sudan): ''

Season of Migration to the North ''Season of Migration to the North'' ( ar, موسم الهجرة إلى الشمال ) is a classic postcolonial Arabic novel by the Sudanese novelist Tayeb Salih, published in 1966; it is the novel for which he is best known. It was first publi ...

'' (1966) * Wilton Sankawulo (Liberia): '' Birds Are Singing'' * Karel Schoeman (South Africa): '' n Ander Land (Another Country)'', '' Na die Geliefde Land (Promised Land)'' *

Olive Schreiner Olive Schreiner (24 March 1855 – 11 December 1920) was a South African author, anti-war campaigner and intellectual. She is best remembered today for her novel ''The Story of an African Farm'' (1883), which has been highly acclaimed. It deal ...

(South Africa): ''

The Story of an African Farm ''The Story of an African Farm'' (published in 1883 under the pseudonym Ralph Iron) was South African author Olive Schreiner's first published novel. It was an immediate success and has become recognised as one of the first feminist novels. B ...

'' (1883) * Benjamin Sehene ( Rwanda): '' Le Feu sous la Soutane (Fire under the Cassock)'' *

Ousmane Sembène Ousmane Sembène (; 1 January 1923 or 8 January 1923 – 9 June 2007), often credited in the French style as Sembène Ousmane in articles and reference works, was a Senegalese film director, producer and writer. The ''Los Angeles Times'' consider ...

(

): '' Xala'' (1973), '' The Black Docker'' (''Le Docker Noir''), ''

God's Bits of Wood ''God's Bits of Wood'' is a 1960 novel by the Senegalese author Ousmane Sembène that concerns a railroad strike in colonial Senegal of the 1940s. It was written in French under the title ''Les bouts de bois de Dieu''. The book deals with several ...

'' (''Les Bouts de Bois de Dieu''), '' The Last of the Empire'' (''Le dernier de l'Empire''), '' Tribal Scars'' (''Voltaïque''), (1962) *

(Nigeria): '' The Interpreters'' (1965), '' Seasons of Anomy'' (1973), ''

Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth ''Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth'' is a 2021 novel written by Nigerian playwright and novelist Wole Soyinka. It was released on 28 September 2021, by BookCraft. The novel is a satirical political novel inspired by the c ...

'' (2021) * Amos Tutuola (Nigeria): '' The Palm Wine Drinkard'' (1952), '' My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'' (1954), ''Simbi and the Satyr of the Dark Jungle'', ''Feather Woman of the Jungle'', ''The Witch-Herbalist of the Remote Town'', ''Ajaiyi and his Inherited Poverty'' *

Marlene van Niekerk Marlene van Niekerk (born 10 November 1954) is a South African poet, writer, and academic. She is best known for her novels, the satirical tragicomedy ''Triomf'' (1994) and the Herzog-winning ''Agaat'' (2004), which explore themes including the ...

(South Africa): ''Triomf'' (''Triumph'', 1994) * Yvonne Vera (Zimbabwe): ''

Butterfly Burning ''Butterfly Burning'' is a novel by Zimbabwean writer Yvonne Vera that was first published on January 1, 1998. Set in the late 1940s, it is about the voice of the people under colonialism in Zimbabwe. It is a romantic story that follows the life ...

'' (1998) * José Luandino Vieira (

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

): '' Luuanda'' (1963) * Joseph Jeffrey Walters (Liberia): '' Guanya Pau: A Story of an African Princess'' (1891) *

Berhanu Zerihun Berhanu Zerihun (1933/4 – 1987) was a prolific Ethiopian writer in Amharic and journalist, noted for his clear and crisp writing style, which contrasted against the more complex writing style popular in his time. Early life Born in Gond ...

(Ethiopia): '' Ye'imba debdabbéwoch'' ("Tearful Letters")

Notable African poets

(Nigeria) *

(Ghana) *

Jared Angira Jared Angira (born 21 November 1947) is a Kenyan poet. He has been called "the country's first truly significant poet". Life Angira was born in 1947 in Siaya, Kenya. He studied commerce at the University of Nairobi from 1968 until 1971. He contr ...

(Kenya) *

Kofi Anyidoho Kofi Anyidoho (born 25 July 1947) is a Ghanaian poet and academic who comes from a family tradition of Ewe poets and oral artists.

(Ghana) *

Kofi Awoonor Kofi Awoonor (born George Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor-Williams; 13 March 1935 – 21 September 2013) was a Ghanaian poet and author whose work combined the poetic traditions of his native Ewe people and contemporary and religious symbolism to depict A ...

(Ghana) * Fadhy Mtanga (

) *

Breyten Breytenbach Breyten Breytenbach (; born 16 September 1939) is a South African writer, poet and painter known for his opposition to apartheid, and consequent imprisonment by the South African government. He is informally considered as the national poet lau ...

(South Africa) * Dennis Brutus (South Africa) * Abena Busia (Ghana) * John Pepper Clark (Nigeria) *

José Craveirinha José Craveirinha (28 May 1922 – 6 February 2003) was a Mozambican journalist, story writer and poet, who is today considered the greatest poet of Mozambique. His poems, written in Portuguese, address such issues as racism and the Portuguese co ...

(Mozambique) *

Viriato Clemente da Cruz Viriato Clemente da Cruz (25 March 1928 – 13 June 1973) was an Angolan poet and politician, who was born in Kikuvo, Porto Amboim, Portuguese Angola, and died in Beijing, People's Republic of China. He is considered one of the most important Angol ...

(Angola) * Hadraawi (Somalia) * Ingrid Jonker (South Africa) * Jonathan Kariara (Kenya) * Susan Kiguli (Uganda) * Ahmadou Kourouma ( Ivory Coast) *

Antjie Krog Antjie Krog (born 23 October 1952) is a South African writer and academic, best known for her Afrikaans poetry, her reporting on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and her 1998 book '' Country of My Skull''. In 2004, she joined the Arts f ...

(South Africa) *

Mumbi Macharia Mumbi Macharia is a Kenyan performing spoken-word poet and writer. Career Mumbi began Spoken Word poetry in 2016 performing at Kwani? Open Mic, PAL (Poetry After Lunch) at the Kenya Cultural Center, and Slam Africa. Mumbi has been a guest a ...

(Kenya) * Jack Mapanje (Malawi) * Eugene Marais (South Africa) * Don Mattera (South Africa) * Bai Tamia Moore (Liberia) *

Micere Githae Mugo Micere Githae Mugo (born Madeleine Micere Githae in 1942) is a playwright, author, activist, instructor and poet from Kenya. She is a literary critic and professor of literature in the Department of African American Studies at Syracuse Univers ...

(Kenya) * Togara Muzanenhamo (Zimbabwe) *

Christopher Mwashinga Christopher R. Mwashinga, Jr (born 9 January 1965) is a Tanzanian author and poet from Mbeya, Tanzania who lives in the United States. He has published books of Christian poetry, theology, mission, and religious history. His poetry has been p ...

(Tanzania) * Arthur Nortje (South Africa) *

Gabriel Okara Gabriel Imomotimi Okara (24 April 1921 – 25 March 2019) was a Nigerian poet and novelist who was born in Bumoundi in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The first modernist poet of Anglophone Africa, he is best known for his early experimental ...

(Nigeria) *

Nii Parkes Nii Ayikwei Parkes (; born 1 April 1974), born in the United Kingdom to parents from Ghana, where he was raised, is a performance poet, writer, publisher and sociocultural commentator. He is one of 39 writers aged under 40 from sub-Saharan Africa ...

(Ghana) *

(Nigeria) *

Ben Okri Ben Okri (born 15 March 1959) is a Nigerian-British poet and novelist.Ben Okri"
British Council, ...

(Nigeria) * Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye (Kenya) * Okot p'Bitek (Uganda) *

Lenrie Peters Lenrie Leopold Wilfred Peters (1 September 1932 – 28 May 2009) was a Gambian surgeon, novelist, poet and educationist. Biography Peters was born in 1931 in Bathurst (now Banjul) in The Gambia. His parents were Lenrie Ernest Ingram Peters and Kez ...

( Gambia) * Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo (Madagascar) * Jacques Rabemananjara (Madagascar) * Elie Rajaonarison (Madagascar) * Ny Avana Ramanantoanina (Madagascar) * Jean Verdi Salomon Razakandraina (Dox) (Madagascar) * David Rubadiri (Malawi, Uganda) *

Tijan Sallah Tijan M. Sallah (born 6 March 1958) is a Gambian people, Gambian poet and prose writer. Early life Tijan Sallah was born in Serekunda, The Gambia, on 6 March 1958. His mother was of Wolof people, Wolof ethnicity and his father was a Toucouleur ...

(Gambia) * Dina Salústio (Cabo Verde) *

(Senegal) * Bewketu Seyoum (Ethiopia) *

Warsan Shire Warsan Shire (born 1 August 1988) is a British writer, poet, editor and teacher, who was born to Somali parents in Kenya. In 2013 she was awarded the inaugural Brunel University African Poetry Prize, chosen from a shortlist of six candidates o ...

Adam Small Adam Small (21 December 1936 – 25 June 2016) was a South African writer who was involved in the Black Consciousness Movement and other activism. He was noted as a Coloured writer who wrote works in Afrikaans that dealt with racial discriminatio ...

(South Africa) *

(Nigeria) *

Véronique Tadjo Véronique Tadjo (born 1955) is a writer, poet, novelist, and artist from Côte d'Ivoire. Having lived and worked in many countries within the African continent and African diaspora, diaspora, she feels herself to be Pan-Africanism, pan-African ...

(Ivory Coast) * Arménio Vieira (Cape Verde) * Patricia Jabbeh Wesley (Liberia)

References

Bibliography

* Werku, Dagnachew, ''The Thirteenth Sun'', 1968. * Berhanemariam, Sahlesillasse, ''The Warrior King'', 1974. * * * Busby, Margaret (ed.), '' Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present'', Jonathan Cape, 1992. * Mazrui, Ali A. (ed.), ''

General History of Africa The General History of Africa (GHA) is a two-phase project launched by UNESCO in 1964. The 1964 General Conference of UNESCO, during its 13th Session, instructed the Organization to undertake this initiative after the newly independent African Membe ...

''
vol. VIII
UNESCO, 1993, ch. 19, Ali A. Mazrui et al., "The development of modern literature since 1935". * Gordon, April A., and Donald L. Gordon, ''Understanding Contemporary Africa'', London: Lynne Rienner, 1996, ch. 12, George Joseph, "African Literature". * Gikandi, Simon (ed.), ''Encyclopedia of African Literature'', London: Routledge, 2003. * Irele, Abiola, and Simon Gikandi (eds),''The Cambridge History of African and Caribbean Literature'', 2 vols, Cambridge .a. Cambridge University Press, 2004
Table of contents
*Shamim, Amna. ''Gynocentric Contours of the Male Imagination: A Study of the Novels of Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong'o''. New Delhi: Idea Publishing, 2017. *Marvin x. ''Black theatre: a periodical of the black theatre movement'', New York: 1994

External links

Things We Inherited: Voices from Africa
''Cordite Poetry Review''
New African Literature resourceThe Africa_(Bookshelf) at Project GutenbergAfrican Literature AssociationAfrican Literature Reviews
* (Bibliography) {{DEFAULTSORT:African Literature

Literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...