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IS 2014 THE YEAR OF THE AFRICAN WRITER?

Updated: Jan 11, 2021

Looks like it’s hip to be an African writer in 2014, particularly in the diaspora. Publishers are snapping up their books like hotcakes. The Africa Report has an article called Words to live by in 2014 pointing us to how many books are expected in 2014 from the likes of Zakes Mda (Rachel’s Blue); Sarah Lotz (The Three); Teju Cole (Every Day is For the Thief).


MUKOMA WA NGUGI (Photo africulture.com)


Poet and novelist Mukoma wa Ngugi  (Black Star Nairobi, Nairobi Heat)–who by the way is the son of the distinguished Ngugi wa Thiong’o–says in the Africa Report article:

“Two trends are challenging African literature: science and crime fiction. The novelist Helon Habila is spearheading an African crime imprint, Cordite. I am looking forward to Okey Ndibe’s Foreign Gods, Inc., as well another Inspector Dawson novel, Murder at Cape Three Points by Kwei Quartey. The Fall of Saints by Wanjiku wa Ngugi, my sister, will be published in 2014. Wanjiku’s novel is very politically aware while being entertaining. There is also my brother Nducu’s novel, City Murders, so by next year we should have four published authors in the family.” 

Okey Ndibe, whose novel comes out mid-January 2014, about 2 months ahead of mine, is my fellow author at Soho Press. His Foreign Gods, Inc., has been very well received and is probably already a bestseller, in my estimation. Many of these exciting writers–Helon Habila, Okey Ndibe, and Mukoma as examples–are university professors at places like Cornell, Brown and George Mason. High-powered minds indeed.

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