Books from Senegal
20 popular senegalese books
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
The target of the Read Around The World Challenge is to read at least one book written by an author from each and every country in the world.
All books that are listed here as part of the "Read Around Africa Challenge" were written by authors from Senegal.
Find a great book for the next part of your reading journey around the world from this book list. The following popular books have been recommended so far.
11.
Mi carta más larga by Mariama Ba ES
Description:
Mi carta más larga está considerada como una de las novelas más importantes de la literatura africana, por cómo su autora, Mariama Bâ, aborda la situación de las mujeres de Senegal.
Durante su encierro tradicional a raíz de su viudez, Ramatoulaye escribe a Aïssatou, su mejor amiga que vive fuera del país. Esta carta es una reflexión de cómo ha sido la vida de la protagonista, su visión personal sobre los matrimonios forzados, la injusticia social que viven las mujeres y el sentimiento de desamor y engaño... continue
12.
Murambi, the Book of Bones by Boubacar Boris Diop EN
Description:
In April of 1994, nearly a million Rwandans were killed in what would prove to be one of the swiftest, most terrifying killing sprees of the 20th century. In Murambi, The Book of Bones, Boubacar Boris Diop comes face to face with the chilling horror and overwhelming sadness of the tragedy. Now, the power of Diop's acclaimed novel is available to English-speaking readers through Fiona Mc Laughlin's crisp translation. The novel recounts the story of a Rwandan history teacher, Cornelius Uvimana, who was living and working in Djibouti at the time of the massacre. He returns to Rwanda to try to com... continue
13.
Description:
Ramata, la bella esposa del todopoderoso ministro de Justicia de Senegal, acude al hospital Le Dantec, en Dakar, donde, tras una serie de incidentes, acaba provocando la muerte del portero de la Maternidad, Ngor Ndong. La corrupción policial y política pr
14.
Riwan oder der Sandweg by Ken Bugul DE
Description:
Als Ken Bugul ernüchtert aus Europa in ihr Dorf zurückkehrt, ist sie zu einer Außenseiterin geworden. Sie ist die Gescheiterte, die mit leeren Händen nach Hause gekommen ist - ohne Geld, ohne Mann, ohne zu wissen, wie es weitergehen soll. Erneut macht sie sich auf die Suche. Fasziniert von Sanftmut und Toleranz des großen Serigne, zieht sie an seinen Hof und wird zu seiner achtundzwanzigsten Ehefrau.
Dieser Roman erzählt mutig über afrikanische Traditionen und Polygamie, Verführung und Selbstbestimmung.
Riwan oder der Sandweg wurde zu einem der h... continue
15.
Description:
"Cultural differences between the families of Mireille, daughter of a French diplomat, and Ousmane, son of a poor Muslim family in Senegal, threatens to destroy their marriage."--Amazon.com viewed Dec. 12, 2022.
16.
So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba EN
Description:
Written by award-winning African novelist Mariama Ba and translated from the original French, So Long a Letter has been recognized as one of Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century. The brief narrative, written as an extended letter, is a sequence of reminiscences - some wistful, some bitter - recounted by recently widowed Senegalese school teacher Ramatoulaye Fall. Addressed to a lifelong friend, Aissatou, it is a record of Ramatoulaye's emotional struggle for survival after her husband betrayed their marriage by taking a second wife. This semi-autobiographical account is a perceptive tes... continue
17.
The Most Secret Memory of Men by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr EN
Description:
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD · LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD A masterful coming-of-age novel and a gripping investigation into the life of a mysterious author who disappeared without a trace, by the first writer from sub-Saharan Africa to be awarded France’s prestigious Prix Goncourt. Paris, 2018. Diégane Latyr Faye, a young Senegalese writer, discovers a legendary book published in 1938 titled The Maze of Inhumanity. No one knows what happened to the author, T.C. Elimane, once referred to as the “Black Rimbaud.” After he was accused of plagiarism, his reputation... continue
18.
Une si longue lettre by Mariama Bâ FR
Description:
Une si longue lettre est une œuvre majeure, pour ce qu'elle dit de la condition des femmes. Au cœur de ce roman, la lettre que l'une d'elle, Ramatoulaye, adresse à sa meilleure amie, pendant la réclusion traditionnelle qui suit son veuvage. Elle y évoque leurs souvenirs heureux d'étudiantes impatientes de changer le monde, et cet espoir suscité par les Indépendances. Mais elle rappelle aussi les mariages forcés, l'absence de droits des femmes. Et tandis que sa belle-famille vient prestement reprendre les affaires du défunt, Ramatoulaye évoque alors avec douleur le jour où son mari prit une sec... continue
19.
Description:
"Ousmane's satirical fable tells of the downfall of El Hadji, a member of the African elite who have taken the place of white businessmen in Francophone Africa. The protagonist is stricken with xala--impotence--in a racous bedrroom scene with his new young wife. The novel subtly traces the interplay among his three wives as El Hadji desperately tries to over come the affliction. In his obsession he resorts to primitive incantation, and his unscrupulous business associates cynically reject their former friend."--Cover
20.
Description:
Looks at how the new African middle class have taken over from the colonialists as the exploiters of the people.