English books from Africa
Recommended English books (653)
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
If you speak English here are some English books from Africa for the next part of the "Read Around The World Challenge".
321.
Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah EN
TanzaniaDescription:
By the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature A BBC RADIO 4 Book at Bedtime SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE _______________________ 'A poetic and vividly conjured book about Africa and the brooding power of the unknown' Independent on Sunday 'Gurnah evokes his world in poetic prose which is pure and lucid - a small paradise in itself ... The pleasures, sadnesses and losses in all the shining facets of this book are lingering and exquisite' Guardian 'An obliterated world is enthrallingly retrieved' Sunday Times _______________________ Born in East Africa, Yusuf has few qualms about the j... continue
322.
Patchwork by Ellen Banda-Aaku EN
ZambiaDescription:
Everyone calls me Pumpkin. Firstly, because I was a fat, chubby-cheeked baby. And, secondly, because when Ma was pregnant with me, no matter how much pumpkin she ate, she just couldn't get enough ...'. Lusaka. 1978. Pumpkin is nine years old. Her fashionable mother is the queen of Tudu Court, but underneath the veneer of respectability that her father's money provides lies a secret that threatens their whole world - the tall, elegant Totela Ponga is a drunk. And when Pumpkin's father - the wealthy businessman JS - discovers her mother's alcoholism it sets in motion a chain of events that come ... continue
323.
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi EN
NigeriaDescription:
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • STONEWALL BOOK AWARD WINNER • ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by The New York Times • Time • Buzzfeed • NPR • New York Public Library • Publishers Weekly • School Library Journal A genre-defying novel from the award-winning author NPR describes as “like [Madeline] L’Engle…glorious.” A singular book that explores themes of identity and justice. Pet is here to hunt a monster. Are you brave enough to look? There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best... continue
324.
Petals of blood by Ngugi wa Thiong'o EN
KenyaDescription:
There has been a murder in the Kenyan village of Ilmorog. Four suspects are placed in detention: headmaster Munira, teacher and political activist Karega, spirited barmaid Wanja and storekeeper Abdulla. But there are no easy solutions to the crime in a place already filled with fear and intimidation. As the murder is investigated, it becomes clear how the lives of suspects and victims are inextricably linked to the fortunes of their village, and to the crisis of modern Kenya itself. Petals of Bloodwas published in 1977 to huge controversy, leading to Ngugi's imprisonment for his portrayal of a... continue
325.
Poems and Short Stories of Seychelles and Beyond by Marion Zarqani Gendron EN
Country: Africa / 
Seychelles
Seychelles
Description:
Do you wish to be inspired into an actual presence in the Seychelles? The Seychelles and Beyond is an experience of the captivating endearment of these magical islands set in a tropical paradise.This is much more than a travel experience ?
326.
Present Darkness : A Novel by Malla Nunn EN
EswatiniDescription:
A tale set in the harsh world of apartheid South Africa finds Detective Emmanuel Cooper cancelling his holiday plans to learn the truth about his best friend's wrongful murder charge by a high-profile white teen, a case that pits him against violent gangs and corrupt government officials. By the author of A Beautiful Place to Die. Original.
327.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie EN
Description:
Fifteen-year-old Kambili's world is circumscribed by the high walls and frangipani trees of her family compound. Her wealthy Catholic father, under whose shadow Kambili lives, while generous and politically active in the community, is repressive and fanatically religious at home. When Nigeria begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili's father sends her and her brother away to stay with their aunt, a University professor, whose house is noisy and full of laughter. There, Kambili and her brother discover a life and love beyond the confines of their father's authority. The visit will li... continue
328.
Radiance of Tomorrow by Ishmael Beah EN
Country: Africa / 
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Description:
A haunting, beautiful first novel by the bestselling author of A Long Way Gone. "Every story begins and ends with a woman, a mother, a grandmother, a girl, a child. Every story is a birth..." So begins Radiance of Tomorrow, Ishmael Beah's first novel, one dogged by memories of horror but glimmering with an improbable hope. When Beah ' s memoir, A Long Way Gone, was published in 2007, it soared to the top of bestseller lists, becoming an instant classic: a harrowing account of Sierra Leone ' s civil war and the fate of child soldiers that " everyone in the world should read " (Carolyn See, The ... continue
329.
Description:
An epic West-African inspired YA fantasy from an incredible new talent.
330.
Reading the Ceiling by Dayo Forster EN
GambiaDescription:
Destiny can be decided in a moment. Reading the Ceiling is a remarkable achievement: fresh, funny and wholly authentic, it paints a compelling portrait of the modern African experience for women, and introduces a stunning new voice to contemporary fiction. Ayodele has just turned 18. It's definitely a milestone, but it isn't the only one: she's also decided -- having now reached womanhood -- that the time is right to lose her virginity. It's an understandable decision, but what she doesn't yet know is that her choice of suitor will have a drastic effect on the rest of her life... Three men. Th... continue