African Literature

African literature refers to literature of and from Africa. As George Joseph notes on the first page of his chapter on African literature in Understanding Contemporary Africa, while the European perception of literature generally refers to written letters, the African concept includes oral literature.
As George Joseph continues, while European views of literature often stressed a separation of art and content, African awareness is inclusive:

"Literature" can also imply an artistic use of words for the sake of art alone. ... traditionally, Africans do not radically separate art from teaching. Rat
...more

Cursed Daughters
Dream Count
Jacaranda
My Friends
This Motherless Land
The Promise
Watch Us Dance (In the Country of Others, #2)
Little Rot
Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?
Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent
Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad
And So I Roar
Blessings
La plus secrète mémoire des hommes
Small Worlds
Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1)
Half of a Yellow Sun
Americanah
Purple Hibiscus
Homegoing
The Thing Around Your Neck
Disgrace
So Long a Letter
We Should All Be Feminists
No Longer at Ease (The African Trilogy, #3)
Where Tomorrow Leads by DiAnn MillsThe No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall SmithCry, the Beloved Country by Alan PatonPurple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieBlack Mamba Boy by Nadifa Mohamed
African Lit
179 books — 31 voters
A spell of good things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀Nightbloom by Peace Adzo MedieHangman by Maya BinyamMaame by Jessica GeorgeRiver Spirit by Leila Aboulela
100 Notable African Books of 2023
100 books — 5 voters

White Teeth by Zadie SmithSmall Island by Andrea LevyThe Lonely Londoners by Sam SelvonOn Beauty by Zadie SmithGirl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Black British Literature (fiction)
124 books — 83 voters
On the Come Up by Angie ThomasWith the Fire on High by Elizabeth AcevedoBlack Enough by Ibi ZoboiI Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina ForestWatch Us Rise by Renée  Watson
Black Heroines 2019
68 books — 27 voters



Ayi Kwei Armah
...there is indeed a great force in the world, a force spiritual and able to shape the physical universe, but that force is not something cut off, not something separate from ourselves. It is the energy in us, the strongest in our working, breathing, thinking together as one people; weakest when we are scattered, confused, broken into individual, unconnected fragments.
Ayi Kwei Armah

Diriye Osman
I've always loved being gay. Sure, Kenya was not exactly Queer Nation but my sexuality gave me joy. I was young, not so dumb and full of cum! There was no place for me in heaven but I was content munching devil's pie here on earth. ...more
Diriye Osman, Fairytales for Lost Children

More quotes...
Reading Sistaz We're a female only book club run by Muslim girls 🌺 This group has been created to keep track of…more
48 members, last active 2 months ago
#BlogIndaba A blogger's coterie Grown in Zimbabwe for Africa and the world…more
9 members, last active 8 years ago
The Ìtàn Kíkà Group Ìtàn Kíkà in Yoruba means story reading or fiction reading. Through the Ìtàn Kíkà group the aim …more
9 members, last active 2 years ago
The Social Book Club: Nairobi If you want to find a sense of community, join us at The Social Book Club. We meet up every mont…more
2 members, last active 9 months ago

Tags

Tags contributing to this page include: african-literature and african-lit