Harare Review of Books

2021 has been an amazing year for African literature, with all of the top international literary prizes going to Africans. African literature has gained a lot of ground in the last three decades, but still tends not to have a presence on the world stage (because, of course, gatekeepers) — so, 2021 has been exceptional!

A list of the winners:

Abdulrazak Gurnah: The Nobel Prize in Literature, 2021

Boubacar Boris Diop: The 2022 Neustadt International Prize

Damon Galgut: The Booker Prize 2021

David Diop: The International Booker Prize 2021

Mohammed Mbougar Sarr: 2021 Prix Goncourt

Paulina Chizane: 2021 Camões Prize

Tsitsi Dangarembga: PEN Pinter Prize 2021

(with many thanks to Bhakti Shringarpure @bhakti_shringa for compiling this list).

In celebration, here are my top 5 African reads of 2021 (with less than 2 months to go).

Waiting for the rain (1975)

Charles Mungoshi

This unsettling book tells the story of Lucifer’s community as they deal with his imminent departure. Lucifer is going overseas, with the help of his white friends/mentors. Set in rural Zimbabwe, this is also the story of the conflict between old ways and new, between traditional beliefs and the values that have come through colonialism, between African cosmogony and Christianity. It’s very beautifully done, and feels timeless.

The Sex Lives of African Women (2021)

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah

Possibly my favourite non-fiction book of 2021, these are the experiences of African women all over the world in love, sex and relationships. Having never read anything similar (I believe Leila Slimani’s Sex and Lies covers similar ground, in the Arab World), I was moved, inspired and very entertained 🙂 Talking about sex is taboo in many African communities (and very definitely mine), so this was particularly refreshing. A very important and welcome read.

The First Woman/A Girl is a Body of Water (2020)

Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

The delightful story of Kirabo, a young Ugandan girl, from her early childhood spent with her grandparents in the village, to her time away at boarding school and her transformation into a young woman. This is an unashamedly feminist book, and is wonderful for an afrocentric (Ugandan-centric) take on this. It is also frequently funny, and sometimes sad.

The Prophet of Zongo Street (2005)

Mohammed Naseehu Ali

A mix of good stories and stories that I did not enjoy so much, this was nevertheless a very solid collection, and one I recommend. Zongo Street is a fictional street in a West African country, with many interesting goings-on. The stories set outside of Africa were less relatable for and less interesting to me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the rest.

Indigo (2013)

Molara Wood

Ms Wood shows off her prodigious literary powers in this collection of short stories, mostly set in Nigeria. There are stories of infidelity, infertility, ghosts, migration, female friendship, survival, and more. I found this excellent.