Popular African Contemporary Fiction Books
Find contemporary fiction books written by authors from Africa for the next part of the Read Around The World Challenge. (127)
101.
The Silence of the Wilting Skin by Tlotlo Tsamaase EN
BotswanaDescription:
In an African city, a nameless young woman living in the wards slowly begins to lose her identity: her skin color is peeling off, people are becoming invisible, and the city plans to destroy the train where they bury their dead. After the narrator is given a warning by her grandmother's dreamskin, things begin to fall apart. Struggling to hold onto a fluctuating reality, she prescribes herself insomnia in a desperate attempt to save her family.
102.
Ghana103.
The Villain's Dance by Fiston Mwanza Mujila EN
Country: Africa / 
Congo, Democratic Republic of
Congo, Democratic Republic of
Description:
"The Democratic Republic of Congo, otherwise known as Congo-Kinshasa or DRCongo, has had a series of names since its founding. The name of Zaire best corresponds to the experience of the novel's characters. The years of Mobutu's regime were filled with utopias, dreams, fantasies and other uncontrolled desires for social redemption, the quest for easy enrichment and the desecration of places of power. Among these events: Zairians' immigration to Angola during the civil war boycotting the borders inherited from colonization, as if the country did not have its own diamonds, and the occupation of ... continue
104.
The Wolf at Number 4 by Ayo Tamakloe-Garr EN
Description:
Desire Mensah, a disgraced schoolteacher in her thirties, sees moving to sleepy little Cape Coast, Ghana, as her chance to get away from a shameful secret not buried deeply enough. And maybe, just maybe, she will find the love she craves and the husband her mother craves for her. But in Cape Coast, the past isn’t dead. It isn’t even past. That’s the kind of thing Wolfgang “Wolf” Ofori would say. Everyone says the eleven-year-old is a genius—eccentric though he is—and is bound to win Wonderkids, a quiz competition ordinarily for high school students. Wolf and Desire form a strange friendship, e... continue
105.
The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles by Katherine Pancol EN
MoroccoDescription:
Le Divorce meets The Elegance of the Hedgehog in this hilariously entertaining mega-bestseller from France When her chronically unemployed husband runs off to start a crocodile farm in Kenya with his mistress, Joséphine Cortès is left in an unhappy state of affairs. The mother of two—confident, beautiful teenage Hortense and shy, babyish Zoé—is forced to maintain a stable family life while making ends meet on her meager salary as a medieval history scholar. Meanwhile, Joséphine’s charismatic sister Iris seems to have it all—a wealthy husband, gorgeous looks, and a très chic Paris address—but s... continue
106.
TanzaniaDescription:
In his first new novel since winning the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature, a master storyteller captures young people in Tanzania in a time of dizzying global change. At the turn of the twenty-first century, three young people come of age in Tanzania. Karim returns to his sleepy hometown after university in Dar es Salaam with a new swagger and sense of ambition. There he catches the eye of Fauzia, who sees in him a chance at escape from a smothering upbringing. When the two of them offer a haven to Badar, a poor boy still unsure if the future holds anything for him at all, they little imagine ho... continue
107.
Théorie générale de l'oubli by José Eduardo Agualusa FR
AngolaDescription:
Luanda, 1975. À la veille de l’Indépendance, Ludovica, agoraphobe et terrorisée par l’évolution des événements, se retranche dans son appartement en construisant un mur qui en dissimule la porte et la met à l’abri du reste du monde. Ayant transformé sa terrasse en potager elle va vivre là presque trente ans, coupée de tout, avec son chien Fantôme et un cadavre. Ludo a vraiment existé et mené la vie que raconte le roman. En entrelaçant cette histoire avec les aventures tumultueuses des autres personnages, voisins ou entraperçus dans la rue, tous plus ou moins impliqués dans le marasme de la gue... continue
108.
These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany EN
EgyptDescription:
"It's always been Malak, Kees, and Jenna against the world. Since childhood, under the watchful eyes of their parents, aunties and uncles, they've learned to live their own lives alongside the expectations of being good Muslim women...With growing older and the stakes of love and life growing higher, the delicate balancing act between rebellion and religion is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. As their lives begin to take different paths, Malak, Kees, and Jenna--now on the precipice of true adulthood--must find a way back to each other as they reconcile faith, family, and tradition ... continue
109.
These Letters End in Tears : A Novel by Musih Tedji Xaviere EN
CameroonDescription:
Set in a country where being gay is punishable by law, These Letters End in Tears is the heart-wrenching forbidden love story of a Christian girl with a rebellious heart and a Muslim girl leading a double life Bessem notices Fatima for the first time on the soccer field—muscular and focused, she’s the only woman playing and seems completely at ease. When Fatima chases a rogue ball in her direction, Bessem freezes, mesmerized by the athlete’s charm and beauty. One playful wink from Fatima, and Bessem knows her life will never be the same. In Cameroon, a country where same-sex relationships are ... continue
110.
This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga EN
ZimbabweDescription:
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 BOOKER PRIZE A searing novel about the obstacles facing women in Zimbabwe, by one of the country’s most notable authors Anxious about her prospects after leaving a stagnant job, Tambudzai finds herself living in a run-down youth hostel in downtown Harare. For reasons that include her grim financial prospects and her age, she moves to a widow’s boarding house and eventually finds work as a biology teacher. But at every turn in her attempt to make a life for herself, she is faced with a fresh humiliation, until the painful contrast between the future she imagined and her... continue