Great African Reads discussion

For 2021, I have been allocated the following countries and am planning to read:

Burkina Faso Thomas Sankara: An African Revolutionary Completed 23 October 4 stars

Angola - Transparent City

Malawi - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope

Mozambique -Neighbours: The Story of a Murder Completed 26 August 4 stars

Sudan - The Translator Completed 16 June 3 stars

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind was really good. I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Annette wrote: "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind was really good. I’m sure you will enjoy it."

That's good to know. I initially looked at my countries yesterday and couldn't think of any books to fit. Then realised I owned four that fit, just need to think about it. My biggest headache is Burkina Faso as very little is translated and available as ebooks.

Burkina Faso, Malawi and Mozambique are indeed tough cookies for us with a focus on English works... I have thumbed through New Daughters of Africa and there is not a single author from these countries listed!
Nevertheless, here are some authors I can recommend:

Angola:
Manuel Rui
Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida (Her novel That Hair has just been translated into English this year.)
(and if nothing helps of course Agualusa J. Eduardo :))

Mozambique:
Ungulani Ba Ka Khosa
and of course Lília Momplé but I remember that you had difficulty getting hold of Neighbours: The Story of a Murder

Orgeluse wrote: "Burkina Faso, Malawi and Mozambique are indeed tough cookies for us with a focus on English works... I have thumbed through New Daughters of Africa and there is not a single author ..."

Thank you so much. Neighbours now seem to be available as an ebook, so that becomes an option. Angola is not such a major issue - if all else fails, there are a number of books on the South Africa - Angola war available. But I'd like to read Ondjaki as part of my Africa39 readings and he is reasonably available here.

Burkina Faso might just have to be our Q1 non-fiction read. My other option is Burkina Faso: A History of Power, Protest and Revolution, but that costs a fortune and won't be available in a library.

Carolien wrote: "Burkina Faso might just have to be our Q1 non-fiction read. My other option is Burkina Faso: A History of Power, Protest and Revolution, but that costs a fortune and won't be available in a library."

That book is also available as ebook and not expensive.

Two other books for Burkina Faso that are still on my TBR list:
- Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual, Magic, and Initiation in the Life of an African Shaman by Malidoma Patrice Somé
- A Certain Amount of Madness: The Life Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara by Amber Murrey

For Mozambique, you can also consider anything by Mia Couto.

Ondjaki is a widely read and so is Mia Couto!

Thank you! Of Water and Spirit is not available as an ebook to me. A Certain Amount of Madness, like my other option above, is available as ebook, but a fortune. These are well over $30 which at R15/USD start becoming a major expense. I looked at Mia Couto, but then realised I should probably just read what is on my shelf! I'm looking forward to see your choices this year.

You are absolutely right! My lists also consist mainly of books I already own, and these are no 1 priority. I have been sorting out books all day long today and will hopefully have finished by the end of the day. The pile of books that has to go is growing but there are still some interesting titles left and having shelves with spaces is also quite rewarding :)))

I ended up signing up for the TBR takedown, because I found so many books that I want to read while sorting a shelf. I did manage to give some away, so there is space for new ones though.

I ended up not reading 2 of the countries, even though I had the books to hand. I enjoyed the others though. Next year my focus will be on countries which I have not read yet, but own books.