A (Possibly Evolving) List of Great Novels by African Writers — for @jmmcdermott

I’ve been commanded by Lord McDermott to put together a list of great novels by African writers so he’d have some stuff to read.  And that’s exactly what I’ve done.

I’ve intentionally chucked out the books everyone has likely read, such as Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (I know for a fact that Mr. McDermott has read this one, so that’s an easy task).

In no particular order, here are the novels (a very VERY short list):

Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe

Ambiguous Adventure by Cheikh Hamidou Kane

Devil on the Cross OR The River Between by Ngugi wa Thiong’o (Matagari is also excellent)

The Famished Road OR Songs of Enchantment by Ben Okri

Waiting for the Barbarians OR The Lives of Animals OR Disgrace OR Foe by J.M. Coetzee

July’s People by Nadine Gordimer

Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga

Purple Hibiscus OR Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

In the Fog of the Seasons’ End by Alex La Guma

Houseboy by Ferdinand Oyono

The Dark Child by Camara Laye

One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina (a memoir, not a novel, but oh well)

Bound to Violence by Yambo Ouologuem

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Note:  I have enormous gaps in my reading knowledge of African writers.  You’ll notice that there are no writers from places like Egypt, for example, or some of the interior nations.  Anyone who would like to suggest novels by writers from these missing countries is encouraged to do so in the comments below!