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. (81)
1.
A Song of Comfortable Chairs by Alexander McCall Smith EN
ZimbabweDescription:
In this latest installment in the beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, Grace Makutsi encounters a pair of quandaries that will require all of her and Mma Ramotswe’s cleverness and generosity to resolve. “An escape from life’s woes as well as a suggestion for how to make the whole deal more palatable—fragility, fruit cake, and all.” —The Boston Globe Grace Makutsi’s husband, Phuti Radiphuti, is in a bind. An international firm is attempting to undercut his prices in the office furniture market. Phuti has always been concerned with quality and comfort, but this firm seems interested on... continue
2.
Algerian White by Assia Djebar EN
AlgeriaDescription:
In Algerian White, Assia Djebar weaves a tapestry of the epic and bloody ongoing struggle in her country between Islamic fundamentalism and the post-colonial civil society. Many Algerian writers and intellectuals have died tragically and violently since the 1956 struggle for independence. They include three beloved friends of Djebar: Mahfoud Boucebi, a psychiatrist; M'Hamed Boukhobza, a sociologist; and Abdelkader Alloula, a dramatist; as well as Albert Camus. In Algerian White, Djebar finds a way to meld the personal and the political by describing in intimate detail the final days and hours ... continue
3.
All das zu verlieren by Leïla Slimani DE
MoroccoDescription:
»Die neue Stimme der französischen Literatur.« ZEITmagazin Kann man sich zu seinem Glück zwingen? Prix Goncourt-Preisträgerin Leïla Slimani erzählt von der Zerrissenheit einer Frau und schafft eine »moderne Madame Bovary« (Libération). Nach außen hin führt Adèle ein Leben, dem es an nichts fehlt. Sie arbeitet für eine Pariser Tageszeitung, ist unabhängig. Mit ihrem Ehemann, einem Chirurgen, und ihrem kleinen Sohn lebt sie in einem schicken Viertel, ganz in der Nähe von Montmartre. Sie reisen, sie fahren übers Wochenende ans Meer. Dennoch macht Adèle dieses Leben nicht glücklich. Gelangweilt ei... continue
4.
An Island : A Novel by Karen Jennings EN
Country: Africa / 
South Africa
South Africa
Description:
NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE • A “beautifully and sparingly constructed” (The New York Times) novel about a lighthouse keeper with a mysterious past, and the stranger who washes up on his shores—An Island is the American debut of a major voice in world literature. “An Island by Karen Jennings is quite simply a revelation—a ferocious, swift chess game of a novel.”—Paul Yoon, author of Run Me to Earth Samuel has lived alone on an island off the coast of an unnamed African country for more than two decades. He tends to his garden, his lighthouse, and his chicke... continue
5.
Another Morocco by Abdellah Taїa EN
Description:
Tales of life in North Africa that flirt with strategies of revelation and concealment, by the first openly gay writer to be published in Morocco. Tangier is a possessed city, haunted by spirits of different faiths. When we have literature in our blood, in our souls, it's impossible not to be visited by them. —from Another Morocco In 2006, Abdellah Taïa returned to his native Morocco to promote the Moroccan release of his second book, Le rouge du tarbouche (The Red of the Fez). During this book tour, he was interviewed by a reporter for the French-Arab journal Tel Quel, who was intrigued by th... continue
6.
Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin EN
ZambiaDescription:
"Baking Cakes in Kigali" is a novel about the real meaning of reconciliation - about how, in the aftermath of tragedy, life goes on and people still manage to find reasons to celebrate.
7.
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue EN
CameroonDescription:
A compulsively readable debut novel about marriage, immigration, class, race, and the trapdoors in the American Dream—the unforgettable story of a young Cameroonian couple making a new life in New York just as the Great Recession upends the economy New York Times Bestseller • Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award • Longlisted for the PEN/Open Book Award • An ALA Notable Book NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The New York Times Book Review • San Francisco Chronicle • The Guardian • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Chicago Public Library • BookPage • Refinery29 • Kirkus Reviews Jende Jonga, a... continue
8.
Bird Summons by Leila Aboulela EN
EgyptDescription:
'BIRD SUMMONS is a magic carpet ride into the forest of history and the lives of women. Deep and wild' Lucy Ellmann, author of SWEET DESSERTS and MIMI Salma, happily married, tries every day to fit into life in Britain. When her first love contacts her, she is tempted to risk it all and return to Egypt. Moni gave up a career in banking to care for her disabled son, but now her husband wants to move to Saudi Arabia - where she fears her son's condition will worsen. Iman feels burdened by her beauty. In her twenties and already in her third marriage, she is treated like a pet and longs for freed... continue
9.
Blackass : A Novel by A. Igoni Barrett EN
NigeriaDescription:
"First published in 2015 by Chatto & Windus, an imprint of Vintage/ Penguin Random House UK, London"--Title page verso.
10.
Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh EN
Description:
'Chukwuebuka Ibeh's writing has a certain delicacy to it, so wonderfully observant, and so beautiful' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie When Obiefuna's father witnesses an intimate moment between his teenage son and the family's apprentice, newly arrived from the nearby village, he banishes Obiefuna to a Christian boarding school marked by strict hierarchy and routine, devastating violence. Utterly alienated from the people he loves, Obiefuna begins a journey of self-discovery and blossoming desire, while his mother Uzoamaka grapples to hold onto her favourite son, her truest friend. Interweaving the p... continue