AFRICAN NOVEL CHALLENGE 2023 - PREPARATION THREAD

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AFRICAN NOVEL CHALLENGE 2023 - PREPARATION THREAD

1PaulCranswick
Modificato: Nov 27, 2022, 7:15 pm

From the deserts of the Sahara, the Pyramids of Giza, the blaring Horn of Africa, the plains of the Serengeti, Table Top Mountain and the teeming streets of Lagos - I propose to spend a good part of 2023 immersed in the rich culture and writing of AFRICA.

2PaulCranswick
Modificato: Nov 27, 2022, 7:17 pm

2023 TENTATIVE PLANS

January - NORTH AFRICA
February - LUSOPHONE LIT
March - CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE or Buchi Emecheta
April - THE HORN OF AFRICA
May - AFRICAN NOBEL WINNERS
June - EAST AFRICA
July - CHINUA ACHEBE or Ben Okri
August - FRANCOPHONE AFRICA
September - SOUTHERN AFRICA
October - SCHOLASTIQUE MUKASONGA / NGUGI WA THIONG'O
November - AFRICAN THRILLERS / CRIME WRITERS
December - WEST AFRICA

3PaulCranswick
Modificato: Gen 1, 2023, 9:31 am

JANUARY

NORTH AFRICA - SAHARAN SANDS

Authors from Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco

4amanda4242
Nov 20, 2022, 10:23 pm

I'm here!

5PaulCranswick
Nov 20, 2022, 10:26 pm

>4 amanda4242: I'm pleased!!

I have so many books by African authors that it is a bit self-serving to try to get to some of them in 2023!

6amanda4242
Nov 20, 2022, 10:27 pm

>5 PaulCranswick: I have so many books by African authors that it is a bit self-serving to try to get to some of them in 2023!

*snort* Why do you think I do the BAC?

7SqueakyChu
Nov 20, 2022, 10:48 pm

Nice! I want to participate in this! Thank you, Paul.

8PaulCranswick
Nov 20, 2022, 11:14 pm

>6 amanda4242: We have slightly too many books on the shelves, I think, Amanda!

>7 SqueakyChu: That is great news, Madeline, it will be wonderful to have you along. x

9WhiteRaven.17
Nov 21, 2022, 12:24 am

I don't know how much I will actually participate, but I am very unfamiliar with African authors or works so having a reference to work off of as introduction to this area of the world would be very helpful. I look forward to seeing what you put together Paul and appreciate the time and effort this must take.

10PaulCranswick
Nov 21, 2022, 12:50 am

>9 WhiteRaven.17: I will do my best, Kro, to make the introduction as broad and varied as possible. I am not an expert on African literature by any means but my magpie tendencies has resulted in my having a lot of African literature on the shelves.

11PaulCranswick
Nov 21, 2022, 2:17 am

FEBRUARY

LUSOPHONE LIT



Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Cape Verde and Sao Tome & Principe Authors. The latter country I visited and was quite affected by.
Some treasures to seek out here.

12cindydavid4
Nov 21, 2022, 3:24 am

oh excellent news! I have some books by African authors but not near as many as I want. Im interested in precolonial history and would appreciate suggestions as we go through the year. Cant wait!

13PaulCranswick
Modificato: Nov 21, 2022, 5:24 am

>12 cindydavid4: I will do my very best Cindy. x

14Caroline_McElwee
Nov 21, 2022, 11:33 am

Are you planning only fiction or both Paul, or maybe a month for non-fiction?

15m.belljackson
Nov 21, 2022, 11:33 am

Looking forward to starting off with WONDERS OF THE AFRICAN WORLD.

16PaulCranswick
Modificato: Nov 21, 2022, 12:00 pm

>14 Caroline_McElwee: For now it is called the African Novel Challenge, Caroline, but what's in a name?!

>15 m.belljackson: Henry Gates is from Africa, Marianne? North African - I am looking for authors born in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria or Morocco. At a push I will accept a parent born there.

17m.belljackson
Modificato: Nov 21, 2022, 1:01 pm

>16 PaulCranswick: No, Gates was born in the U.S. - I thought his many quotes would count...I'll check on parents > their
ancestors can be traced back to slavery from Africa.

(A forewarning to the tender-hearted - the only African author listed a few weeks ago on Audible
was Tony Onyango with We Are the Water People. Depressing and repetitive...not sure if he
will be on a list.)

18cindydavid4
Modificato: Nov 21, 2022, 12:59 pm

Nvm

19mahsdad
Modificato: Nov 21, 2022, 3:22 pm

I've only read a couple books from African authors. Not sure if they all qualify, if you're looking for authors born in African countries or not, but I'll put them out here...

Rosewater by Tade Thompson. He's Nigerian, but I think born in the UK. Afro-futurism, scifi.
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. South African
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Nigeria
Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala. Nigerian, but might have been born in the US
The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat. I believe she is Ethiopian, but not sure if she was native born

That is my woefully thin list of African novels. I may not actually read the books on the schedule you put out, but I will definitely follow along looking for more BBs :)

20labfs39
Nov 21, 2022, 2:22 pm

Yay! I enjoyed the Asian Book Challenge this year, Paul, and am so glad you are continuing on with Africa. Count me in.

21Caroline_McElwee
Nov 21, 2022, 5:06 pm

>16 PaulCranswick: I clearly had my blinkers on there Paul ha.

22figsfromthistle
Modificato: Nov 21, 2022, 5:58 pm

This sounds like an interesting challenge. I have not participated in any of these "side" challenges yet but I will try to next year. I have The Cairo Trilogy on my shelf by Naguib Mahfouz ( Egyptian) It seems quite long so I may choose a different one for January. Looking forward to it!

23PaulCranswick
Nov 21, 2022, 6:11 pm

>17 m.belljackson: The first human came out of Africa if the anthropologists are right so we can all trace our ancestry back to the continent. Born there or parents only, Marianne, so that the author can genuinely describe themselves as "African".

>18 cindydavid4: x

>19 mahsdad: All my challenges are easy going ones, Jeff, with a "dip-in/dip-out" setup that is meant to encourage not discourage. Completists are welcome but those who want to only read one book are equally so and they can qualify by reading January's book in October!

>20 labfs39: Lovely that you will participate, Lisa, your contributions to the Asian Book Challenge have been noteworthy. x

>21 Caroline_McElwee: No problem, Caroline, as you know my only rule is that the rules are there to be twisted!

>22 figsfromthistle: That is nice to know that you will be in next year, Anita. I could well give you two bites at the Mahfouz cherry next year.

24amanda4242
Nov 21, 2022, 6:43 pm

>11 PaulCranswick: I've done some digging and it doesn't look like there are any novels available in English from Sao Tome & Principe. The only thing I've been able to find for the country in English is an out of print political treatise.

25richardderus
Nov 21, 2022, 6:51 pm

>3 PaulCranswick: Recommending:
Hot Maroc...Moroccan story of a nebbishy Walter-Mitty-esque Moroccan internet café denizen, funny and poignant and not a little frustrating (I wanted to shake Rahhal!)
The Last Summer of Reason...poignant story of Algeria's descent into criminal religiosity.
The Slave Yards...family saga in the titular space described, in Benghazi.

I've really enjoyed all three of these books. If you want a *serious* commitment, try our old friend Naguib Mahfouz's Sugar Street trilogy! Fair warning: Trying to stop at one is futile. There are three. Get them all.

26cindydavid4
Nov 21, 2022, 7:45 pm

>19 mahsdad: I have always heard about things fall apart for some reason never read it. Guess its time.. I

I really loved Americanah but not sure if its considered a memoir or a novel. Also read purple hibiscus which I liked Havent read Half a yellow sun so read that.

27ELiz_M
Nov 21, 2022, 10:55 pm

The photo in >1 PaulCranswick: reminds me of this image (click on it to get to article about why so many "African" book have similar covers):


I'm amused that these yearly regional challenges continue to be a year behind my favorite Litsy challenges:
ReadingAsia2021
ReadingAfrica2022

I hope you are planning to read books from reading North, Central and South America in 2024! :)

>3 PaulCranswick:
Basma Abdel Aziz
Abd al-Rahman Abnudy
Leila Aboulela
Kaouther Adimi
Alaa Al Aswany
Gamal Al Ghitani
Meryem Alaoui
Tawfiq Al-Hakim
Ibrahim al-Koni
Shukri al-Mabkhout
Tahar Ben Jelloun
Mahi Binebine
Driss Chraibi
Kamel Daoud
Mohammed Dib
Assia Djebar
Nawal El Saadawi
Sonallah Ibrahim
Abdelfattah Kilito
Fouad Laroui
Malika Mokeddem
Hassouna Mosbahi
Youssef Rakha
Alifa Rifaat
Ahdaf Soueif
Abdellah Taïa
Kateb Yacine
Latifa Zayyat

>11 PaulCranswick:
Germano de Almeida
Mia Couto
José Craveirinha
Luis Bernardo Honwana
Ungulani ba ka Kossa
Lina Magaia
Ondjaki
Pepetela
Luandino Vieira

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/sao-tome-and-principe

28amanda4242
Modificato: Nov 21, 2022, 11:20 pm

>27 ELiz_M: Thanks for the link for Sao Tome and Principe books. It looks like most of the books in English are about or set in the country rather than written by authors from there, but it did give me a couple more names to look up.

ETA: Found one! Gervásio Kaiser is Sao Tomean with titles available in English. He only has three short stories available, but that's more than I've been able to turn up for anyone else.

29PaulCranswick
Nov 21, 2022, 11:43 pm

>24 amanda4242: I didn't start my own research in earnest yet, Amanda, but certainly Mozambique and Angola will be more fertile ground.

>25 richardderus: Thank you RD. I do recall your praises for Moroccan writing previously.

>26 cindydavid4: Americanah is certainly considered fiction, and you will have an obvious chance to use it in March.

>27 ELiz_M: Fascinatingly colourful colours, Liz. I was unaware of your favourite Litsy challenges but that is smileworthy - perhaps I should check out what they have planned in 2023 so I can try to pass it off on the group in 2024?!

Your lists are much appreciated. The obvious one for Angola would be Jose Eduardo Agualusa who is internationally pretty hot just now. North Africa there are very many more including Yasmina Khadra, Hisham Matar, Alaa al Aswany, Boualem Sansal, Andre Aciman, Tayeb Salih, Albert Camus and even Penelope Lively were all North African born.

>28 amanda4242: Well done, Amanda!

30PaulCranswick
Nov 22, 2022, 12:54 am

MARCH

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE



What can I say? My Quarterly Author Pick is the beautiful and wonderful Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

born in Nigeria in 1977, her second novel Half of a Yellow Sun remains my favourite novel of this Century so far.

For those who have read all her fiction then I will also allow Buchi Emecheta also from Nigeria for March

31PaulCranswick
Nov 22, 2022, 4:10 am

APRIL

THE HORN OF AFRICA



The greater Horn of Africa can in this sense include Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti and I will include Uganda here too.

32labfs39
Nov 22, 2022, 7:50 am

>3 PaulCranswick: For Egypt, I also highly recommend Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy. As Richard says, I couldn't stop at just one, although I did like the first the most. I am queuing up two of Mahfouz's other books that I have on the shelves: Akhenaten, dweller in truth and Autumn Quail. I also will attempt Out of Egypt: A Memoir by André Aciman. It's about his childhood in 1950's Alexandria. Finally, I have The Yacoubian Building by Alaa al-Aswani on my wishlist. We'll see how far I get, and that's just Egypt!

For Libya, I've read In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar, but have no recollection of it. I may attempt a reread, depending on time.

For Tunisia, I have an ebook copy of The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai.

For Algeria, I would highly recommend The German Mujahid by Boualem Sansal and The Last Summer of Reason by Tahar Djaout. I read The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra (the pseudonym for a military dude) last year. In the queue will be my first book by a woman (gasp!): So Vast the Prison by Assia Djebar.

For Morocco, I would highly recommend Abdellatif Laâbi. I loved both his memoir Rue du retour and autobiographical fiction of his childhood, The bottom of the jar.

I will be looking for recommendations, especially of woman authors.

33PaulCranswick
Nov 22, 2022, 8:53 am

>32 labfs39: Nice suggestions Lisa, I have read Palace Walk before and was blown away by it. Mahfouz is a favourite author.

One lady I will be reading all being well is the Tunisian born Algerian, Ahlem Mosteghanemi and I have heard good things about her.

34Caroline_McElwee
Modificato: Nov 22, 2022, 10:47 am

>3 PaulCranswick: Well I've had Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy (also known as the Sugar Street trilogy I think) for some years, a gift from an LT friend. So I will at least read the first book in January. Your comment in >25 richardderus: is noted RD.

35Sakerfalcon
Nov 22, 2022, 10:55 am

I was wondering what you would come up with to replace the Asian Reading Challenge, Paul! I will keep an eye on this and join in when I can (I don't want to buy too many new books!)

36PaulCranswick
Nov 22, 2022, 11:05 am

>34 Caroline_McElwee: Don't be surprised if you don't get a chance for a second bite of the cherry next year with Mahfouz, Caroline.

>35 Sakerfalcon: Lovely to see you Claire. I cannot promise that I won't buy one or two books next year!

37labfs39
Nov 22, 2022, 11:48 am

>11 PaulCranswick: Darryl/kidzdoc curated a theme read in Reading Globally on Lusophone Lit that is a treasure trove of info and recommendations.

38amanda4242
Nov 22, 2022, 12:18 pm

>30 PaulCranswick: That's a bit of a surprise. With so many Nigerian authors out there I would have thought we'd be going beyond the bestseller list. At least I'll have no trouble getting Adichie's books from the library.

39PaulCranswick
Nov 22, 2022, 12:40 pm

>37 labfs39: I have seen Darryl's enthusiasm for Lusophone lit and I stopped by his thread over at Club Read to let him know what I had planned.

>38 amanda4242: I have to admit to some bias here, Amanda, in putting personal preference first as she is simply one of my absolute favourite writers. I did put Buchi Emecheta as an alternative if you want to wander slightly away from her well trodden path.

40markon
Nov 22, 2022, 4:10 pm

>30 PaulCranswick: I also love Adichie.

>32 labfs39: Here is a link to 50 books by African women

41cindydavid4
Nov 22, 2022, 4:39 pm

thanks for that! that list is very interesting, but does it matter if the author does not live in the country of her birth?

42PaulCranswick
Nov 22, 2022, 5:39 pm

>40 markon: Thanks for that Ardene.

>41 cindydavid4: Doesn't matter, Cindy.

43ArlieS
Nov 22, 2022, 5:44 pm

I'll be keeping an eye on this challenge, and may pick up a book or two, depending on what people say about them, but probably not more than that.

44PaulCranswick
Nov 22, 2022, 6:02 pm

>43 ArlieS: More than happy for you to dip in and out Arlie. xx

45amanda4242
Nov 22, 2022, 7:48 pm

I've created lists with works by authors from São Tomé and Príncipe, Cabo Verde/Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau. Feel free to add to them as long as the authors are from the countries or have a claim to nationality.

https://www.librarything.com/list/44100/all/S%C3%A3o-Tom%C3%A9-and-Pr%C3%ADncipe
https://www.librarything.com/list/44102/all/Cabo-Verde#
https://www.librarything.com/list/44101/all/Guinea-Bissau

46cbl_tn
Nov 22, 2022, 7:50 pm

Count me in!

47PaulCranswick
Nov 22, 2022, 8:07 pm

>45 amanda4242: That is quite a lot of work, Amanda, thank you. One of the books in your Cabo Verde list is already on order from Book Depo for me. I ordered it three days ago.

>46 cbl_tn: Great, Carrie!

48PaulCranswick
Nov 22, 2022, 8:30 pm

MAY

AFRICAN NOBEL WINNERS



49amanda4242
Nov 22, 2022, 8:55 pm

>47 PaulCranswick: It was no trouble since I was doing the research for myself anyway!

50labfs39
Nov 22, 2022, 8:57 pm

>48 PaulCranswick: Does Doris Lessing fit the criteria since she was not born in Africa and her parents were British?

51labfs39
Nov 22, 2022, 9:01 pm

>40 markon: Very helpful, thank you Ardene.

52amanda4242
Modificato: Nov 22, 2022, 9:09 pm

>50 labfs39: She did grow up in Rhodesia and lived there until she was about thirty. It's not up to me, but I think she has as good a claim to being an African writer as a writer who was born in Africa but hasn't lived there since infancy.

53PaulCranswick
Nov 23, 2022, 12:11 am

>49 amanda4242: But appreciated anyway.

>50 labfs39: I have erred on the side of generosity Lisa and chose both Le Clezio and Lessing because of citizenship issues. Lessing retained her Rhodesian / Zimbabwean citizenship all through to the end of her life (she held dual nationality) so I think it only fair she gets consideration. Of course if you take a stricter view on it then you can also choose to pass her by. Le Clezio also maintains Mauritius nationality and that is technically and geographically just about African over Asian as far as islands go!

>52 amanda4242: She did consider herself an African writer by all accounts, Amanda.

54labfs39
Nov 23, 2022, 6:57 am

No worries, more is better, I was just going by the criteria you mentioned in >53 PaulCranswick: I am looking for authors born in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria or Morocco. At a push I will accept a parent born there.

55AlexandraGrimm
Nov 23, 2022, 7:07 am

Questo utente è stato eliminato perché considerato spam.

56PaulCranswick
Nov 23, 2022, 7:23 am

>54 labfs39: Fair comment, Lisa, but I was responding to Marianne putting in an American author who was not born there, whose parents were not born there and who is not and had never been a citizen of there (there being Africa of course).

57labfs39
Nov 23, 2022, 7:52 am

>56 PaulCranswick: Ah, got it. Sorry! Carry on...

58PaulCranswick
Nov 23, 2022, 3:03 pm

>56 PaulCranswick: I do wish to clarify that it is/was not my intention to single out Marianne or have any sort of dig at her which may have been construed from >56 PaulCranswick: Regulars to my challenges will know that I am not a stickler for rules and reading back my earlier comment, the tone is a bit on the haughty side. Apologies to her for any unintended slight.

59PaulCranswick
Nov 24, 2022, 3:20 am

JUNE

EASTERN AFRICA



Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Plenty of choices there!

60booksaplenty1949
Modificato: Nov 24, 2022, 8:09 am

>30 PaulCranswick: I felt Americanah, only Adichie novel I have read, could have benefitted from more aggressive editing. Touched on themes of interest large and small but lacked focus. Narrative dead ends. Have seen it described as “sprawling,” as if this were a compliment. Not in my vocabulary.

61PaulCranswick
Nov 24, 2022, 8:28 am

>60 booksaplenty1949: Interesting info. I must admit it doesn't call to me as much as Purple Hibiscus does.

62arubabookwoman
Nov 24, 2022, 9:00 am

This looks fabulous--So many great reads from Africa. I'd love to join in, but I'm great at joining and poor in following through. Nevertheless I will try.
Thanks Paul for all you do to ,are LT such an engaging place!

63PaulCranswick
Nov 24, 2022, 9:25 am

Thanks Deborah and lovely to see you. Feel free to dip in with whatever takes your fancy. x

64booksaplenty1949
Nov 24, 2022, 10:53 am

>61 PaulCranswick: Refreshed my memory of central plot by looking at “Descriptions” and was surprised at how little of it I recalled. Crowded out by endless digressions on African hair care.

65cindydavid4
Nov 24, 2022, 11:09 am

I liked it, mainly because it opened my eyes to the lives of African who now live in America. I agree it needed edits, but I thought it was a good read. and I agree Purple Hibiscus was better.

66amanda4242
Nov 24, 2022, 12:23 pm

>59 PaulCranswick: You have Uganda listed for April and June.

67booksaplenty1949
Nov 24, 2022, 1:53 pm

>61 PaulCranswick: I guess I’m surprised that someone whose written four? novels and a short story collection gets the same amount of time as all North African novelists and all Nobel Prize winners.

68cindydavid4
Nov 24, 2022, 2:56 pm

Guardian list of books about Tangiers by local writers (Paul Bowles is in there however so not sure how accurate it all is)
https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2018/mar/28/top-10-books-based-in-ta...

69Caroline_McElwee
Nov 24, 2022, 3:47 pm

>60 booksaplenty1949: I tend to agree. I felt a bit more editing would have improved it. >61 PaulCranswick: I loved Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun, I shall probably read the latter for the third time. Looking forward to her next novel.

70booksaplenty1949
Nov 24, 2022, 3:51 pm

>68 cindydavid4: Paul Bowles settled in Tangier when he was 36 and lived there for the next 52 years, so I think he would count as local.

71PaulCranswick
Nov 24, 2022, 7:05 pm

>67 booksaplenty1949: Actually when the American Author Challenge and the British Author Challenge (and Canada and Anzac Challenges too) were put up it was invariably just one author per month (in the British one I chose one man and one woman) but with Asia this year and Africa next I wanted to try to take us on a journey continent wide whilst still retaining some recognizable features of the other challenges.

That is why each quarter I will choose two authors to feature. I paired Adichie with Emecheta to provide some option.

>66 amanda4242: I guess I am pointing out the vagaries of national borders on the continent, Amanda. Take your pick which one you include it in. Actually, I hadn't realized I had named it twice!

>68 cindydavid4: / >70 booksaplenty1949: 36 years in one place certainly does make you part of its fabric. My 28 years in Kuala Lumpur does in certain ways qualify me as a local here surely?

72PaulCranswick
Modificato: Nov 25, 2022, 1:23 am

JULY

CHINUA ACHEBE



Possibly Africa's most influential author? I think unjustly overlooked for the Nobel Prize.

In case you are in need of an option then try Ben Okri.

73booksaplenty1949
Nov 24, 2022, 10:00 pm

>72 PaulCranswick: Pretty much everyone of substance has been overlooked for the Nobel Prize. So they could give it to Pearl Buck. A joke.

74booksaplenty1949
Nov 24, 2022, 10:01 pm

>71 PaulCranswick: 52 years, not 36.

75PaulCranswick
Nov 24, 2022, 10:08 pm

>73 booksaplenty1949: I would have thought that Elfriede Jelinek was perhaps the most egregious folly, but there has been a goodly number of deserving souls overlooked.

>74 booksaplenty1949: Thank you. That was a bit careless of me.

76cbl_tn
Nov 24, 2022, 10:48 pm

>59 PaulCranswick: >72 PaulCranswick: Do we get two Junes in 2023? I like June, so I'd be happy to have two of them!

77PaulCranswick
Nov 25, 2022, 1:23 am

>76 cbl_tn: Hahaha thanks for being the only one still awake, Carrie.

78cbl_tn
Nov 25, 2022, 12:45 pm

>77 PaulCranswick: Now I'm disappointed! I really liked the idea of two Junes next year. I love June, and it always seems to go by too fast.

79PaulCranswick
Nov 25, 2022, 12:54 pm

>78 cbl_tn: I am so sorry, Carrie, I applied upstairs but the big fellow vetoed my attempt to lengthen the good parts of the year!

80Caroline_McElwee
Nov 26, 2022, 4:26 am

>79 PaulCranswick: Snicker. I used to hate February, so I called May and had two May's! It didn't get me an extra set of birthday celebrations tho.

81richardderus
Nov 26, 2022, 5:32 am

>59 PaulCranswick: I know of one Burundian novelist translated into English: Roland Rugero, whose Baho! came out in 2016. It's a good novella, well-translated from French and quite easy to slot in among other reads as it's 96pp. English version is only in tree-book format.

84amanda4242
Nov 26, 2022, 12:30 pm

>81 richardderus: There is another Burundian novel available in English: Weep Not, Refugee by Marie-Therese Toyi. It's...not great, but it's available on kindle.

85PaulCranswick
Nov 27, 2022, 8:12 am

AUGUST

FRANCOPHONE AFRICA



France's reach across Africa was extensive and the above map also does not include the many French voices from North Africa.

Many authors to choose from and I will list a selection of them nearer to the time.

86PaulCranswick
Nov 27, 2022, 8:19 am

SEPTEMBER

SOUTHERN AFRICA



So many writers from South Africa plus we have Botswana, Zambia, Namibia to boot.

87raton-liseur
Nov 28, 2022, 9:13 am

Another yearly challenge! It is tempting, and again, it will be good for my “around the world with books” personal challenge!
I think I'll join once again, and intend to keep the same rule as last year: reading from my shelves. I probably own less books from Africa than what I had to choose from for Asia, but there should be enough to keep me busy. I will probably only join for the “geographical months”, and maybe for the Nobel Prize month as I might bend my self-imposed rule and read from the Nobel Prize winners I do not know yet.
Another great reading year is about to start, thanks Paul for organising this once again!

88raton-liseur
Nov 28, 2022, 9:15 am

>27 ELiz_M: What an interesting compilation! Stereotyps...

89PaulCranswick
Nov 28, 2022, 9:30 am

>87 raton-liseur: You are very welcome. x

90cindydavid4
Modificato: Nov 28, 2022, 12:28 pm

saw this on kiddocs page Sleepwalking Land from mozambique. any one read it? does that count as eastern afrca?

91kidzdoc
Dic 5, 2022, 11:15 am

Thanks for letting me know about this challenge, Paul. As you probably know I read a lot of African literature (I'm currently reading Transcendent Kingdom by the Ghanaian-American author Yaa Gyasi), so I'll definitely participate.

My tentative reading plans for the first quarter of 2023:

January:
Children of the New World: A Novel of the Algerian War by Assia Djebar (Algeria)
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami (Morocco)

February:
Creole by José Eduardo Agualusa (Angola)
Transparent City by Ondjaki (Angola)
The Gurugu Pledge by Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel (Equatorial Guinea)

March:
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

>90 cindydavid4: Sleepwalking Land would count as Lusophone literature, Cindy.

92madhatta21
Dic 5, 2022, 11:19 am

Hi. My name is Lindy.

93cindydavid4
Dic 5, 2022, 7:15 pm

>91 kidzdoc: thanks for that! Ill look for it. Also have hope and other pursuits, might use it here.

94PaulCranswick
Dic 5, 2022, 7:57 pm

>91 kidzdoc: Nice to see you Darryl. I am planning to read something by Djebar and something by Agualusa in the first quarter but probably also by Couto too.

If possible I will aim to read four books in the challenge per month.

95PaulCranswick
Modificato: Dic 5, 2022, 8:48 pm

OCTOBER

SCHOLASTIQUE MUKASONGA & NGUGI WA THIONG'O



Two eminent East African writers. Mukasonga and her writings are becoming a phenomenon especially throughout the French speaking world and Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's stories shine a light on the dark shadow of colonialism. He originally started writing in English but reverted to writing and publishing first in his native Gikuyu language.

Whilst I welcomed the award two years ago to Abdulrazak Gurnah, I did feel that it would have been more deserving had it gone to Ngugi wa Thiong'o instead given the longevity and breadth of his oeuvre.

96PaulCranswick
Dic 5, 2022, 8:42 pm

NOVEMBER

AFRICAN ADVENTURE, CRIME & THRILLER WRITERS

Be it Botswana & Unity Dow or even McCall Smith's books. Be it South Africa and writers like Deon Meyer and Richard Kunzmann. Be it West African and Femi Kayode or Kwei Quartey. Be it more traditional thrillers and adventure writers like Wilbur Smith and Geoffrey Jenkins...........African thrillers are definitely still on the rise.

97booksaplenty1949
Modificato: Ott 24, 2023, 7:59 am

>86 PaulCranswick: Read William Plomer’s Turbott Wolfe recently. Had literally never heard of it until I saw the name on Cyril Connolly’s list of 100 Key Books of the Modern Movement. Set in South Africa before apartheid was codified. Absolutely dazzling.

98cindydavid4
Dic 13, 2022, 3:09 pm

Just discoveredthe bottom of the jarand will read it for next month.

99Kristelh
Dic 13, 2022, 4:05 pm

I recently read So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ, Senegal, but not sure which division it fits. I think it is West Africa. It is a great book, short besides, and a 1001 book for those reading that list. I recommend it.

100PaulCranswick
Dic 13, 2022, 5:53 pm

>99 Kristelh: She would fit December as well as August, Kristel.

101Kristelh
Modificato: Dic 13, 2022, 9:24 pm

>100 PaulCranswick:, Paul, thanks, it’s definitely a Francophone book, it was written in French originally.

102SandDune
Dic 18, 2022, 2:44 am

Paul, I’ve just found this thread. Are Nigerian writers included anywhere as a category? I couldn’t see them. I ask because I did a personal challenge to include more African writers in my reading a few years ago and there were definitely more easily available books from Nigeria than anywhere else.

103PaulCranswick
Dic 18, 2022, 3:18 am

>102 SandDune: December includes Nigerian authors, Rhian, which I notice I quite lazily haven't individually announced yet!

104PaulCranswick
Dic 18, 2022, 3:25 am

DECEMBER

WEST AFRICA



comprising the countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali (non Saharan), Mauritania (non Saharan), Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

105SandDune
Modificato: Dic 18, 2022, 10:22 am

I'm so glad I've found this thread. I've been doing a bit of digging around my bookshelves to plan ahead.

These are African books that I have read already:

Algeria:
The Plague Albert Camus

Ghana:
The Hundred Wells of Salaga Ayesha Harruna Attah

Nigeria:
Americanah Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Thing Around your Neck Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
My Sister, the Serial Killer Oyinkan Braithwaite
Welcome to Lagos Chibundu Onuzo
Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe
Anthills of the Savannah Chinua Achebe
The Famished Road Ben Okri

Sierra Leone:
The Hired Man Aminatta Forna

Somalia:
The Fortune Men Nadifa Mohamed

South Africa:
The Other Side of Truth Beverley Naidoo
The Promise Damon Galgut
Cry, the Beloved Country Alan Paton
July’s People Nadine Gordimer
Disgrace J.M.Coetzee

Zimbabwe:
Nervous Conditions Tsitsi Dangarembga
The Fifth Child Doris Lessing
This was the Old Chief’s Country Doris Lessing

And these are ones that I've found around the house that I haven't yet read.

Algeria:
The Outsider Albert Camus

Burundi:
Small Country Gaël Faye

Egypt:
Bird Summons Leila Aboulela
Palace Walk Naguib Mahfouz
Woman at Point Zero Nawal el Saadawi

Ethiopia:
The Wife’s Tale: A Personal History Aida Edemariam

Libya:
In the Country of Men Hisham Matar

Nigeria:
Purple Hibiscus Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Half of a Yellow Sun Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Rosewater Tade Thompson
The Fishermen Chigozie Obioma
Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun Sarah Manyika

South Africa:
Rumours of Rain Andre Brink
In a Strange Room Damon Galgut
The Shining Girls Lauren Beukes

Zimbabwe:
The Book of Memory Petina Gappah

106Caroline_McElwee
Dic 18, 2022, 1:47 pm

>105 SandDune: Some good lists there Rhian, thanks.

107booksaplenty1949
Dic 18, 2022, 3:37 pm

Picked up about a dozen vols in the Heinemann African Writers Series years ago, but have only read Things Fall Apart, I have to confess. Now I plan to pick up the pace. Have Palace Walk ready to begin the New Year in North Africa.

108cindydavid4
Dic 18, 2022, 4:27 pm

The Hired Man Aminatta Forna

Ive still got ancestor stones read for this group. Isnt hired man about the balkans?

109cindydavid4
Modificato: Dic 18, 2022, 4:35 pm

>105 SandDune: The Hired Man Aminatta Forna

Ive still got ancestor stones read for this group for West Africa. Isnt hired man about the balkans?

Bird SummonsLeila Aboulela got this one too for Egypt. Think I have more of these on my shelves than I thought

Ive read Their Heads Are Green and Their Hands Are Blue But not sure his essays fit for Africa. Comments?

110SandDune
Dic 18, 2022, 4:59 pm

>109 cindydavid4: Isnt hired man about the balkans? Yes it is. I was going on the nationality / place of birth of the author rather than what the book was about.

111PaulCranswick
Dic 18, 2022, 5:09 pm

>105 SandDune: I won't list them all, Rhian, and without looking at my UK and US and French authors who have African links by birth, I have unread 178 books to choose from by African authors from 28 different African nations.

112esalt
Dic 18, 2022, 8:36 pm

The New York Times has begun a new series called "Read Your Way Through..." in which favorite writers are asked to recommend reading that helps readers to get to know their cities and tips on literary landmarks to check out. The August 3, 2022 feature was focused on Cairo and suggested:

Novels by Naguib Mahfouz
“In the Eye of the Sun” and “The Map of Love,” Ahdaf Soueif
“Slipping,” Mohamed Kheir
“The Colors of Infamy,” Albert Cossery
“Beer in the Snooker Club,” Waguih Ghali
“That Smell,” Sonallah Ibrahim

113PaulCranswick
Dic 19, 2022, 2:01 am

As to January and North Africa, I am hoping to read six books:

1. The King's Fool by Mahi Binebine (Morocco)
2. The Bridges of Constantine by Ahlem Mosteghanemi (Algeria)
3. The Golden Ass by Apuleius (Tunisia)
4. The Italian by Shukri Mabkhout (Tunisia)
5. In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar (Libya)
6. Brooklyn Heights by Miral al-Tahawy (Egypt)

114labfs39
Dic 19, 2022, 7:27 am

>112 esalt: Thank you for this. I'm going to look for the series.

>113 PaulCranswick: I remember The Golden Ass being very funny when I read it in college. I was surprised I didn't like In the Country of Men more when I read it a few years ago.

My options for January include four books I already own:

Akhenaten, Dweller in Truth and Autumn Quail by Naguib Mahfouz, as I've already read the Cairo Trilogy (Egypt)

The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai (Tunisia)

So Vast the Prison by Assia Djebar (Algeria)

I also have a memoir I've been looking forward to, but I'll hang on to it since this is an African Novels challenge.

115cindydavid4
Modificato: Dic 21, 2022, 9:12 am

yesterdays NYT Book Review continured their travel reading series with "Read Your Way Through Tangier" Several interesting books were included on Morocco (a place Ive always been fascinated whti)and other areas of the country. Here are some examples

dreams of trespass

Memories of Absence which I may be lookint to read

Black Morocco by Chouki El Hamel

Rebel Music Hisham D. Aidi

For Bread Alone translated by Paul Bowles

the Lemon” by Mohammed Mrabet also trans by Bowles

Mohamed Choukri wrote three short books about his relationships with Genet, Williams and Paul Bowles — the three expat authors he knew best. These books are collected in “In Tangier” and make for a fascinating, and at times disturbing, reflection on art, collaboration and power.

The Simple Past

Straight from the Horse’s Mouth Meryem Alaoui

The Travels of Ibn Battuta

Year of the Elephant” Leila Abouzeid

116booksaplenty1949
Modificato: Dic 21, 2022, 12:44 am

>115 cindydavid4: Your link here to “In Tangier” took me to a mystery story, “A Dead Man in Tangier,” by Michael Pearce so you might want to fix that.

117cindydavid4
Dic 21, 2022, 9:12 am

fixed, thanks!

118SqueakyChu
Dic 21, 2022, 10:26 am

Question: So I found two books at home by Moroccan authors. In both books, the characters are no longer living in Africa. Are both of these books disqualified from your challenge? My guess is yes because you want us to read *about* Africa. Right?

119booksaplenty1949
Dic 21, 2022, 1:06 pm

>117 cindydavid4: How does one link a book anyway? I type the name hoping it will light up in blue but no such luck.

120booksaplenty1949
Modificato: Dic 21, 2022, 1:09 pm

>118 SqueakyChu: Might be subject for a discussion along the lines of “You can take the writer out of Africa but can you take Africa out of the writer?”

121PaulCranswick
Dic 21, 2022, 1:46 pm

>118 SqueakyChu: I'm not particularly good at setting hard and fast rules, Madeline. I am not going to disqualify any books written by African authors as I am not able to police the subject matter. Obviously African writers will most often write about the African experience whether that experience is in Africa or it is elsewhere as I think is alluded to in >120 booksaplenty1949: also.

I haven't thought to include books by non African writers about Africa or a particularly African country so, for example, Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud whilst set largely in and about Morocco is not an African Novel neither would something like Beau Geste but I do think that Americanah which is largely set outside the continent but is resoundingly about the experiences of an African in that setting would be an African novel.

But I personally would prefer a sense of place to emerge so I will largely, but not exclusively, be looking at books written by Africans and set in Africa. But I will be including The Golden Ass written by someone born in what is now Tunisia but which was then part of the Roman Empire and is set in Greece.

I won't make rules, Madeline, choose the books you are comfortable with as African novels with the only proviso that the Author should have been born in Africa or his/her parent(s) should have been.

122amanda4242
Dic 21, 2022, 1:47 pm

>119 booksaplenty1949: Put brackets around the title to create a touchstone: one set for titles, two for authors, and three for series. Instructions are also in the add message box.

123cindydavid4
Modificato: Dic 21, 2022, 3:56 pm

>119 booksaplenty1949: hee, good try :) type the title of the book. On either side type one Click enter So it looks like this. In Tangier (do not include spaces) In Tangier . When you click on the title the summary of the book synopsis will come up

If you are looking for an author, click on each side of the authors name so atwood no spaces becomes atwood

124cindydavid4
Dic 21, 2022, 3:52 pm

>120 booksaplenty1949: I love that idea!!!!!!

125cindydavid4
Modificato: Dic 21, 2022, 3:55 pm

nvm

126markon
Modificato: Dic 21, 2022, 5:01 pm

>119 booksaplenty1949: The brackets suggested in >122 amanda4242: are the square ones to the right of P on my Qwerty keyboard. So you would type (square bracket)title(square bracket). If it's a common title check to see that the link is the correct one by clicking (others) and choosing the correct book.

127SqueakyChu
Modificato: Dic 21, 2022, 5:10 pm

>121 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I'll see what I can find. :)

I think I'm going to have to thin down my book collection in order to find anything at all! :D

128Tess_W
Dic 30, 2022, 5:04 am

I'm in, whenever I can! I try to read at least 5 books from each continent yearly, so off I go to my shelves!

129Caroline_McElwee
Dic 31, 2022, 10:14 am

Well I've shuffled the 1,300+ Cairo trilogy to the top of the pile, whether I will read the whole trilogy in January, or just the first book, we will see. I will probably start it next weekend.

130booksaplenty1949
Modificato: Gen 1, 2023, 9:57 am

Began Palace Walk recently and am enjoying it a lot despite fact that author won the Nobel Prize. Characters are engaging and pages turn quickly. PS Title turned blue! Thanks to my coaches. 👏

131amanda4242
Gen 1, 2023, 12:52 pm

132markon
Modificato: Gen 6, 2023, 7:13 am

Nervous conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe) is $2.99 on Kindle (US) today.