Detail from the cover of Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase.
Mother/Jacana Media
Tlotlo Tsamaase’s first novel adds to an exciting and growing body of African science fiction.
Margaret Busby in 1971 at her desk at Allison and Busby publishers.
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Her book Daughters of Africa brought black women writers into the literary canon.
The book is set in a time of darkness: power outages and COVID-19.
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The South African novelist messes with the line between fiction and non-fiction.
Tutu Puoane’s Wrapped in Rhythm features words by poet Lebo Mashile.
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Wrapped in Rhythm powerfully uses the poems of Lebo Mashile as lyrics.
Tsitsi Dangarembga, the author of Nervous Conditions, a Zimbabwean classic.
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It reads powerfully in the Shona language, and is one of two of her books newly translated into it.
Some of the titles published by Weaver in their 25 years.
Courtesy Weaver Press
Dozens of young writers were published first at Weaver Press, which believed in fiction as a way of telling the truth.
Lerato Mogoatlhe is the author of Vagabond.
Courtesy Lerato Mogoatlhe
The solo journey of a queer, black woman across the continent makes fascinating reading.
Detail from the cover of Peponi, the Kiswahili translation of Tanzanian Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah’s novel Paradise.
Mkuki Na Nyota
Swahili readers who have not encountered Abdulrazak Gurnah’s work in other languages are in for a great treat.
African trader Nelson (centre) in a photo shop in Guangzhou, China.
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She reveals a range of African experiences: from traders to martial arts champions, visa overstayers to heart surgeons.
Henri Lopes wrote about the complexity of mixed race identity.
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Driven by social justice, he showed that all people are capable of both good and evil.
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Married couple Woppa Diallo and Mame Bougouma Diene won for their powerful short story A Soul of Small Places.
Axmed Naaji (left) performs in London, where he lived in exile in the later part of his life.
Screengrab/YouTube/Kayd Somali Arts and Culture
For six decades he was a household name in urban Somalia.
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Digital platforms have birthed a new school of writers and activists in Nigeria and Kenya.
Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, whose novel A Spell of Good Things has been longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize.
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A Spell of Good Things powerfully explores polygamy, patriarchy, political corruption and poverty.
NoViolet Bulawayo, Zimbabwean author of the politically charged novels We Need New Names and Glory.
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Writers have challenged oppression, exposed social injustices and advocated for political change.
I Write Into the Yawning Void is Magona’s new book, released in the year she turns 80. Björn Rudner.
Björn Rudman
From domestic worker to matriarch of South African literature, the book is a reflection on her writing journey.
Paulina Chiziane in Portugal after being awarded the Camões Prize for writers from Portuguese-speaking countries.
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The Camões Prize is the most important award for Portuguese literature, and Paulina Chiziane is the first African woman to receive it.
Detail of a photo of Frank Anthony (front left) on Robben Island with Walter Sisulu (front right).
© Unknown/Courtesy Nelson Mandela Foundation
The activist and writer has been erased from South Africa’s history - but new academic work seeks to restore his voice.
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Novelist Petina Gappah’s call for translators on Facebook has resulted in the publication of Chimurenga Chemhuka.
Ama Ata Aidoo passed away at the age of 81.
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A commanding presence on the global literary stage, Ama Ata Aidoo was a powerful feminist voice with a prolific output.