English books from Africa
Recommended English books (824)
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
If you speak English here are some English books from Africa for the next part of the "Read Around The World Challenge".
11.
A General Theory of Oblivion by Jose Eduardo Agualusa EN
AngolaDescription:
WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2017 A finalist for the Man Booker International Prize 2016 The brilliant new novel from the winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. On the eve of Angolan independence, Ludo bricks herself into her apartment, where she will remain for the next thirty years. She lives off vegetables and pigeons, burns her furniture and books to stay alive and keeps herself busy by writing her story on the walls of her home. The outside world slowly seeps into Ludo’s life through snippets on the radio, voices from next door, glimpses of a man fleeing his... continue
12.
A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi EN
UgandaDescription:
“Makumbi is such an honest, truthful writer. . . . I loved every single page.” —Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage A Best Book of the Year at TIME; The Washington Post; O, the Oprah Magazine; BBC Winner of the Jhalak Prize In her thirteenth year, Kirabo confronts a piercing question: who is my mother? Kirabo has been raised by women in the small Ugandan village of Nattetta—her grandmother, her best friend, and her many aunts—but the absence of her mother follows her like a shadow. Seeking answers from Nsuuta, the local witch, Kirabo learns about the woman who birthed her, who she dis... continue
13.
A Grain of Wheat by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o EN
KenyaDescription:
A masterly story of myth, rebellion, love, friendship and betrayal from one of Africa's great writers, Ngugi wa Thiong'o's A Grain of Wheat includes an introduction by Abdulrazak Gurnah, author of By the Sea, in Penguin Modern Classics. It is 1963 and Kenya is on the verge of Uhuru - Independence Day. The mighty british government has been toppled, and in the lull between the fighting and the new world, colonized and colonizer alike reflect on what they have gained and lost. In the village of Thabai, the men and women who live there have been transformed irrevocably by the uprising. Kihika, le... continue
14.
A LONG WAY FROM DOUALA by Max Lobe EN
CameroonDescription:
On the trail of Roger, a brother who has gone north in search of football fame in Europe, Choupi, the narrator, takes with him the older Simon, a neighborhood friend. The bus trip north nearly ends in disaster when, at a pit stop, Simon goes wandering in search of grilled caterpillars. At the police station in Yaounde, the local cop tells them that a feckless boza who wants to go to Europe is not worth police effort and their mother should go and pleasure the police chief if she wants help! Through a series of joyful sparky vignettes, Cameroon life is revealed in all its ups and downs. Issues ... continue
15.
A Long Way Gone : Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah EN
Country: Africa / 
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Description:
My new friends have begun to suspect I haven’t told them the full story of my life. “Why did you leave Sierra Leone?” “Because there is a war.” “You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?” “Yes, all the time.” “Cool.” I smile a little. “You should tell us about it sometime.” “Yes, sometime.” This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them... continue
16.
A Month and a Day : A Detention Diary by Ken Saro-Wiwa EN
NigeriaDescription:
The moving last memoir of the outspoken critic of the Nigerian regime and international oil companies he held responsible for the destruction of his homeland-who lost his life in the campaign for the basic rights fo the Ogoni people of Nigeria.
17.
A Mouth Full of Salt by Reem Gafar EN
SudanDescription:
The Nile brings them life. But the Nile also takes away. 1970s. A village in North Sudan is shaken by the news that a little boy has drowned. Then the village camels die of a mysterious illness; the date tree fields catch fire and burn to the ground. The women whisper rumours of a mysterious sorceress from the Nuba mountains. It is the dry season. The men have no work, the women have their own troubles, the children continue to play where the river runs over its own banks. For 14-year-old Fatima escape lies in the big city of Khartoum. 1950s. In Khartoum, Nyamakeem is 33, a single mother makin... continue
18.
A Mouth Full of Salt by Reem Gaafar EN
Description:
The Nile brings them life, but the Nile also takes away. A small farming village in North Sudan wakes up one morning to the news that a little boy has drowned. Soon after, the animals die of a mysterious illness and the date gardens catch fire and burn to the ground. The villagers whisper of a sorceress who dwells at the foot of the mountains. It is the dry season. The men have places to go, the women have work to do, the children play at the place where the river runs over its own banks. Sixteen-year-old Fatima yearns to leave the village for Khartoum. In Khartoum, a single mother makes her w... continue
19.
A Murder of Hate by Yasin Kakande EN
Description:
A Murder of Hate is a gripping crime thriller that immerses readers in a world where murder, politics, and international diplomacy collide in a dangerous web of deceit and desire. Boston detectives Lisa Garcia and Basudde "Bus" Erias, two fierce rivals, are thrust into the heart of a chilling investigation when the niece of an African president-an exchange student in Boston-is brutally murdered. As they dig deeper into the case, they uncover more than just a killer; they expose the dark and deadly connections between Washington's power players and the ruthless dictators they secretly support. ... continue
20.
A Practical Guide to Levitation : Stories by Jose Eduardo Agualusa EN
Description:
A luminous collection of dryly humorous stories that revel in the surreal and fantastic, from the pen of José Eduardo Agualusa, winner of the International Dublin Literary Award Perfect for readers of Haruki Murakami, Julio Cortázar, and Namwali Serpell’s The Old Drift Vividly translated into English for the first time by long-time Agualusa collaborator Daniel Hahn, the jewel-like tales gathered in this collection are an exuberant celebration of story-telling in all its various forms. On the sands of Itamaracá, an old fisherman dreams of fish: shad in the morning, when the water’s smooth and s... continue