Great African Reads discussion

Hi everyone, In anticipation of going to live and work in Nigeria next year I want to do some related reading and am seeking recommendations for authors and for individual books.

I particularly like to read fiction, but will be happy also with non fiction recommendations. I have read Half of a Yellow Sun and a short story entitled Ceiling by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Many many years ago I read a novel by Buchi Emecheta but sadly can't recall the title or much about it except for the author's name. I also know of Ken Saro-wiwa ,Ben Okri,Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe but have not read them. Contemporary authors would be great to find as well as "important" novels giving context to Nigerian life and history.

Thanks in advance

this should be a great topic. i love Nigerian literature but haven't read enough...i think one thing along the lines of "important" novels, is that if you decide to read Achebe, don't read just "Things Fall Apart"...read the whole trilogy. This is something i've been wanting to do.

One contemporary novel i really enjoyed even though it was quite difficult sometimes in a visceral sense, was Purple Hibiscus (which is Adichie) and a book i've been meaning to read for a long time but it gave a friend nightmares is The Icarus Girl. I've also been anxious to get my hands on books by Helon Habila. I had his Oil on Water: A Novel briefly but had to return it to the library before i could read it. :(
Another writer whose work i've been excited to try is Teju Cole.

i'm excited to see what other people recommend...

Do you know where you'll be in Nigeria? Teju Cole's blog indicates he's working on a non-fiction narrative of Lagos.

Marieke, It will be Abuja, from mid Feb if all goes to plan

That is really exciting. Are you excited??

Will you travel much around the country?

Yes getting excited. Still depends on final medical clearannces etc but those should be OK, As for travel yes I hope to be able to visit some other NGOs who are clients of the organisation I shall be with, but won't know until I get there where, and how much Have you travelled much in Africa?

Unfortunately I've only been to Egypt. My dad and his wife lived in Kenya for a few years but I never managed to visit them. :(
They actually came home earlier than they had originally planned, so I thought I had a longer timeframe to figure out visiting them. So until I figure out a way to go somewhere in Africa, I'll have to content myself with books and being an armchair traveler. Will this be your first time living in Africa?

I've visited Morocco, Mali and Algeria before, but never lived there.

Sheila wrote: "I've visited Morocco, Mali and Algeria before, but never lived there."

i am jealous. :D

Sheila wrote: "In anticipation of going to live and work in Nigeria next year I want to do some related reading and am seeking recommendations for authors and for individual books."

1. Check www.cassavarepublic.biz. They have a small bookstore at their office in Abuja.
2. Toyin Falola, A Mouth Sweeter than Salt (Ibadan)
3. Sefi Atta, Everything Good Will Come (Lagos)
4. Amos Tutuola, Palmwine Drinkard
5. Ken Saro Wiwa, Sojaboy (Biafra war, far better than Yellow Sun)
6. Festus Iyayi, Violence (If you can find a copy)

Manu, thanks for the list and I will definitely check out the Cassava Republic Bookshop once in Abuja.

I can't believe I haven't read Falola's book yet. And thanks for the tip, Manu, about Sojaboy. I have Half a Yellow Sun so I'll probably read it soon...but good to know that Sojaboy is the better one. I'll look forward to reading it. Sheila's impending move is causing my TBR to grow ever higher!

Hey Manu, My thanks too for Cassava Republic Bookshop link....good one.

Your original list of authors is fantastic!

Other than Things Fall Apart, I recommend Anthills of the Savannah by Achebe.

For Buchi Emecheta, I've only read The Joys of Womanhood-- it's real good.

And Sole Woyinka... I enjoyed his childhood memoir, Aké: The Years of Childhood, (very fun! history and politics hidden under a wonderland of childhood perspective), but am looking forward to reading The Man Died, his prison memoir.

And Saro Wiwa, same-- I liked the book I've read (his prison memoir, A Month and Day), but really want to get on to Sojaboy.

Sojaboy is showing up on Amazon.com as Sozaboy? Same thing?

Yeah.

For more contemporary Nigerian writing, you could try: - Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani's I Do Not Come to You by Chance
- Sade Adeniran's Imagine This
- Nnedi Okorafor's mostly YA books Zahrah the Windseeker, among several - though these are more fantasy/SF, but still have lots of Nigeria in them
- E C Osundu's short stories Voice of America: Stories
There is a pretty vibrant literary scene in Nigeria too, if you have time!

Also a couple of blogs: http://amckiereads.wordpress.com/ Amy reads often reviews Nigerian literature, and Molara Wood's http://wordsbody.blogspot.com/ talks about the Lagos scene.

Hope these all help.

This is all great stuff, keep the suggestions coming! Thank you.

An update! I am now here in Abuja. I arrived last Saturday morning. Once I get more settled in and find my way around I intend to check out Manu's bookshop recommendation. Tx again.

Sheila wrote: "An update! I am now here in Abuja. I arrived last Saturday morning. Once I get more settled in and find my way around I intend to check out Manu's bookshop recommendation. Tx again."

Sounds fascinating, Sheila. Check out the Naija stories. Yejide told me about them. The URL is www.naijastories. com . It is a project to promote young women writers in Nigeria. There is abook out under the same title that you can get as an epub from amazon.

An addition to your list: Helon Habila, any of his books. The latest is Oil on Water Very good and topical.

Friederike wrote: "An addition to your list: Helon Habila, any of his books. The latest is Oil on Water Very good and topical."

I have that on my list to read. Nice to see your assessment of it.

Sheila! That's so exciting that you have arrived!

Just a heads up, we'll be readingEverything Good Will Come in April with the Contemporary Literature project.

I would encourage to read Antonyms of a mirage by Atilola. i'm not sure but i think the link is www.alaroro.com

I'm checking for a book page...doesn't seem to be one!

Hi Everyone and many thanks for the recommendation re Nigerian reads. I did find the Cassava Republic book shop in Abuja and am a huge fan. Sadly my internet connectivity ended up not being so great and my allowance struggled to accomodate book buying but back home now and ready to go reading again.

Dear All,

So much to read and so little time for reading. I read all your postings and so many attractive books are mentioned. It is hard to get books where I live and work in Ouagadougou. And, if I do get the books, job, family and writing demands take of all my time and energy. Before I can really engage in all this, I must finish the second and third books in my own African Trilogy, which tells a lot about what it has been like for this kid from Kansas for over 43 years of experiencing every corner in Africa. Tell me. Am I the only person who has visited or worked in all 54 African countries? My Best to All, Mark Wentling (aka Chief Baobab)

Hi Mark, being nosey - what do yu do that has taken you so far from home and to so many African countries? Never ade it to BF but did make Mali before the war.

Nina wrote: "For more contemporary Nigerian writing, you could try: - Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani's I Do Not Come to You by Chance
- Sade Adeniran's Imagine This
- Nnedi Okorafor's mo..."

Another great blog featuring African Literature is Mary Okeke Reviews: http://www.maryokekereviews.blogspot....

Sheila - I first worked for the US Peace Corp for about 10 years, then with USAID for over 30 years and the rest with NGOs. I am currently working as Plan International's Country Director for Burkina Faso. I arrive in Togo in 1970 as a Peace Corps Volunteer and live for three years in a village. Much that occurred in this village serves as the backdrop for my first book, "Africa's Embrace." Best, mark




Mark wrote: "Dear All,

So much to read and so little time for reading. I read all your postings and so many attractive books are mentioned. It is hard to get books where I live and work in Ouagadougou. And, if..."

Mark wrote: "Dear All,

So much to read and so little time for reading. I read all your postings and so many attractive books are mentioned. It is hard to get books where I live and work in Ouagadougou. And, if..."

Mark, I was VSO volunteer in Nigeria and before that in rural India and also Plan supporter - on my second boy in Sudan - small world.

Thanks for the links Shannon! Awesome = )

Shannon, I love the blog's backdrop of book covers - reminds me of my love of African colours - tx for the link

Just came across this list of the 100 must read Nigerian Novels from Africa Writes 2015

Great list I have to say!