We are halfway through 2020 and the year has been one with unexpected curves and twists. From the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected more than 200 countries worldwide, to the Black Lives Matter protests that have rocked the US and some other countries for months now, it’s safe to assume that 2020 is one year that won’t be quickly forgotten.
Nevertheless, the year still has some redemptive qualities, some of which are the new books released by African authors/authors of African descent. We have curated a list of twelve books that were added to the African literary space in 2020.
Enjoy the list!
- A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
A Girl is a Body of Water is a story about 12-year-old Kirabo, a young Ugandan girl who was determined to find her mother. Kirabo’s journey to reconcile her rebellious origins, alongside her desire to reconnect with her mother and to honor her family’s expectations, is rich in the folklore of Uganda and an arresting exploration of what it means to be a modern girl in a world that seems determined to silence women. Makumbi’s unforgettable novel is a sweeping testament to the true and lasting connections between history, tradition, family, friends, and the promise of a different future.
A Girl is a Body of Water is written by Ugandan novelist Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and was published by Tin House in January 2020.
- The Missing American by Kwei Quartey
Set in both Ghana and the United States, The Missing American tells the story of Emma Djan, a recently sacked police officer turned private detective based in Accra, and Gordon Tilson, a middle-aged widower in Washington, DC. When Gordon becomes a victim of an Internet scam, his paths cross with that of Emma and things heat up from there.
The Missing American is written by Ghanaian-American author, Kwei Quartey, and was published in January 2020 by Soho Crime, an imprint of Soho Press.
- Given by Nandi Taylor
Unable to watch her father waste away from a mysterious illness, fierce warrior Yenni, of the Yirba tribe, sets off for a distant empire. Determined to find a cure for her father, Yenni travels to Cresh, where she comes face to face with culture shock, prejudice, and a brazen shape-shifting dragon, Weysh. As her gods, the Sha, watch and judge, Yenni only has two options: succeed and save her father, or fail and face exile. To complicate her journey, Weysh believes that Yenni is his “Given”, his destiny—if only he knew that falling in love isn’t part of her plan.
Given is written by Canadian Afro-Caribbean writer, Nandi Taylor and was published by Wattpad Books in January 2020.
- The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
The unforgettable, inspiring story of a teenage girl growing up in a rural Nigerian village who longs to get an education so that she can find her “louding voice” and speak up for herself, The Girl with the Louding Voice is a simultaneously heartbreaking and triumphant tale about the power of fighting for your dreams. Despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in her path, Adunni never loses sight of her goal of escaping the life of poverty she was born into so that she can build the future she chooses for herself – and help other girls like her do the same. Her spirited determination to find joy and hope in even the most difficult circumstances imaginable will “break your heart and then put it back together again” (Jenna Bush Hager on The Today Show) even as Adunni shows us how one courageous young girl can inspire us all to reach for our dreams…and maybe even change the world.
The Girl with the Louding Voice is the debut novel of Nigerian writer Abi Dare, and was published in February 2020 by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
- An Act of Defiance by Irene Sabatini
An Act of Defiance is the third book by Zimbabwean author, Irene Sabatini. Sabatini won the 2010 Orange Award for New Writers for her debut novel, The Boy Next Door. In An Act of Defiance, Sabatini addresses politics, love, and self-realisation through the eyes of Gabrielle and Ben, her main characters. An Act of Defiance was published in March 2020 by Indigo Press.
- Sensuous Knowledge by Minna Salami
Sensuous Knowledge is a collection of thought provoking essays that explore questions central to how we see ourselves, our history, and our world. In this riveting meditation, Salami asks women to break free of the prison made by ingrained male centric biases, and build a house themselves—a home that can nurture us all.
Sensuous Knowledge is written by Nigerian-Finnish writer, Minna Salami, and released in March 2020 by Harper Collins US .
- The Death of Comrade President by Alain Mabanckou
Published in April 2020 by Serpent’s Tails Books, The Death of Comrade President follows the story of thirteen-year-old Michel who lives in Pointe-Noire with his parents. When Comrade President Marien Ngouabi is murdered in Brazzaville, it sparks a sequence of events that cuts across the whole country and spares no one in its reach, even little Michel.
The Death of Comrade President is written by the multi-award winning French-Congolese writer, Alain Mabanckou.
- Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
Conjure Women is the debut novel of Afia Atakora. The book centres around a mother and daughter who have the gift of healing, and tranverses between the beginning and the end of the American Civil War era. Conjure Women was published in April 2020 by Random House.
Afia Atakora was born in the United Kingdom to Ghanaian parents.
- Charlotte by Helen Moffett
Touted as a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte tells the story of 27-year-old Charlotte, who everyone believed was hopeless when it came to marriage. In a bid to secure her future, Charlotte accepts the proposal of buffoonish clergyman Mr Collins and in doing so she is propelled into a new world: not only of duty and longed-for children, but secrets, grief, unexpected love and friendship, and a kind of freedom.
Charlotte is written by South African writer Helen Moffett and published by Bonnier Manilla in May 2020.
- The Dragons, The Giants, The Women by Wayetu Moore
The Dragons, the Giants, the Women is a memoir that details Wayetu Moore’s journey from childhood, to escaping the Liberian Civil War, her experience as a new immigrant to Texas, and returning to Liberia. The Dragons, the Giants, the Women was published in June 2020 by Graywolf Press.
Wayetu Moore is a Liberian-American writer whose debut novel, She Would Be King, was named a best book of 2018 by Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Entertainment Weekly and BuzzFeed.
- A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is the first in a gripping fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore, in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction.
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is the debut novel of Ghanaian-American writer, Roseanne A. Brown and was released in June 2020 by Balzer + Bray/Harper Collins.
- A Broken People’s Playlist by Chimeka Garricks
A Broken People’s Playlist is a collection of short stories with underlying themes so beautifully woven that each story flows into the other seamlessly. From its poignant beginning in “Lost Stars” a story about love and it’s fleeting, transient nature to the gritty, raw musical prose encapsulated in “In The City”, a tale of survival set in the alleyways of the waterside. A Broken People’s Playlist is a mosaic of stories about living, loving and hurting through very familiar sounds, in very familiar ways and finding healing in the most unlikely places.
Written by Nigerian writer Chimeka Garricks, A Broken People’s Playlist was released in June 2020 by Masobe Books.
That’s the list folks! I’m sure you will agree that the African literary space has been buzzing this year, COVID-19 notwithstanding. Which of these books have you read? Feel free to share in the comment section.
List Compiled by Oriyomi Adebare
Bio: Oriyomi Adebare is a freelance writer and editor. She volunteers with OPTG Africa.