Nigerian Literature
I’ve started a database of Nigerian Literature Reviews – add yours, or view the database.
One thing that I love doing is experiencing new places through literary travel. I love reading books set in different places, and just like I wouldn’t want to visit somewhere for one day and see only one site, I like to spend more time reading books set in a location to get more of a feel for the place and the culture.
Here at Amy Reads I am spending 2011 highlighting Nigerian literature. Each Friday during the year I will post a review of a book that is written by a Nigerian either still in Nigeria or an immigrant, or set in Nigeria. My goal of course is to find those books by Nigerians who are still living in Nigeria but this can be a challenge as they are the least accessible to me as a Canadian reader.
I will use this page to link the reviews of all of the books that I’ve read (in alphabetical order by author name). In time I may also link to reviews that others have written for the same books. If you have reviewed any Nigerian literature please leave a link in the comment!
To start, here is a link to a post that I wrote entitled Why I Read Nigerian Literature. Just in case you were curious 
For more information about Nigeria check out the Wikipedia entry here.
- Abani, Chris – The Virgin of Flames (fiction)
- Achebe, Chinua – Arrow of God (fiction)
- Achebe, Chinua – A Man of the People (fiction)
- Achebe, Chinua – The Trouble With Nigeria (non-fiction)
- Achebe, Chinua – Home and Exile (non-fiction, essays)
- Achebe, Chinua – The Education of a British-Protected Child (non-fiction, biography, essays)
- Achebe, Chinua – Chike and the River (fiction, children’s lit)
- Adeniran, Sade – Imagine This (fiction, young adult)
- Adichie, Chimananda Ngozi – Purple Hibiscus (fiction)
- Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi - Half of a Yellow Sun (fiction)
- Adimora-Ezeigbo, Akachi – Roses and Bullets (fiction)
- Agary, Kaine – Yellow-Yellow (fiction)
- Aidoo, Ama Ata – African Love Stories (fiction, short-stories, contains Nigerian authors)
- Amadi, Elechi – The Concubine (fiction)
- Atta, Sefi – Everything Good Will Come (fiction)
- Ayim, Umari – Twilight at Terracotta Indigo (fiction)
- Bandele, Biyi – The King’s Rifle (fiction)
- Begho, Philip – Aunty Felicia Goes to School (4th in series) (fiction, middle grade)
- Cole, Teju – Open City (fiction)
- Daly, Niki – Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky (fiction, children’s picture book)
- Dibia, Jude – Blackbird (fiction)
- Echewa, T – Obinakaram – The Magic Tree (fiction, children’s picture book)
- Ede, Amatoritsero – Globetrotter & Hitler’s Children (poetry)
- Emecheta, Buchi – Kehinde (fiction)
- Enahoro, Peter – How to Be A Nigerian (non-fiction)
- Gerson, Mary-Joan – Why the Sky is Far Away (fiction, children’s picture book)
- Habila, Helon – Waiting for an Angel (fiction, short stories)
- Habila, Helon – Measuring Time (fiction)
- Habila, Helon – Oil on Water (fiction)
- Hartmann, Ivor – African Roar 2011 (fiction, short-stories, contains Nigerian authors)
- Ibe, Adimchinma – Treachery in the Yard (fiction, mystery)
- Iweala, Uzodinma – Beasts of No Nation (fiction)
- Laurence, Margaret - Long Drums and Cannons (non-fiction, literary criticism of early Nigerian writing)
- Manyika, Sarah Ladipo – In Dependence (fiction)
- McElroy, Wendy – The World’s Political Hot Spots: Nigeria and West Africa (non-fiction)
- Moore, Carlos – Fela!: This Bitch of a Life (non-fiction, biography)
- Naidoo, Beverley – The Other Side of Truth (fiction, young adult)
- Nwapa, Flora – Efuru (fiction, classic – first work by a female author to be published out of Nigeria)
- Nwaubani, Adaobi Tricia – I Do Not Come to You By Chance (fiction)
- Okorafor, Nnedi – Akata Witch (fiction, young adult, fantasy)
- Okorafor, Nnedi – Who Fears Death (fiction, fantasy)
- Okri, Ben – Incidents at the Shrine (fiction, short stories)
- Okri, Ben – Astonishing the Gods (fiction, fantasy)
- Olofintuade, Ayodele – Eno’s Story (fiction, children’s book)
- Omotoso, Kole – The Combat (fiction, classic)
- Osofisan, Femi – Who’s Afraid of Solarin? (drama)
- Osofisan, Femi – Women of Owu (drama)
- Osondu, E. C. – Voice of America (fiction, short-stories)
- Oyeyemi, Helen – White is for Witching (fiction)
- Paden, John N – Faith and Politics in Nigeria (non-fiction)
- Peel, Michael – A Swamp Full of Dollars (non-fiction)
- Renne, Elisha P – The Politics of Polio in Northern Nigeria (non-fiction)
- Shoneyin, Lola – The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (fiction)
- Soyinka, Wole – The Lion and the Jewel (drama)
- Soyinka, Wole – The Burden of Memory, The Muse of Forgiveness (non-fiction)
- Soyinka, Wole – Climate of Fear (non-fiction)
- Taye, Kiru – His Treasure (novella, fiction, romance)
- Tutuola, Amos – The Palm-Wine Drinkard and My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (fiction)
- Unigwe, Chika – On Black Sisters Street (fiction)
- Vera, Yvonne – Opening Spaces (short stories, one by a Nigerian author)
- Whitman, Myne – A Heart to Mend (fiction, romance)
- Whitman, Myne – A Love Rekindled (fiction, romance)
Trackbacks
- Welcome to Amy Reads « Amy Reads
- May 2011 Reading Wrap-Up « Amy Reads
- Who is Telling the Story? Another Question of Diversity in Publishing « Amy Reads
- A Thank You and a Project « Amy Reads
- My Favourite Book Blogging Community Builders – Farm Lane Books Blog
- Nigerian Independence Day Reading / Reviewing Project « Amy Reads
- Tentative Plans for 2012 « Amy Reads
- A Year of Nigerian Reading « Amy Reads
- Smugglivus 2011 Guest Blogger: Amy of Amy Reads | The Book Smugglers
Hello, Amy! I’m a Nigerian author and would love for you to review my novella. An excerpt is available on my website: http://tundeadepoju.com/. If you feel you want to read further, I would be glad to provide you with an e-copy (it’s all I have right now).
Regards,
Tunde
Hello Tunde. Thank you so much for the comment – I’ll certainly take a read through the novella.
Have been following your blog for years now. As a Nigerian, I can tell you how it feels to get your perspective and reviews on most of the novels I read growing up. Keep up the good work.
Peace & Light
Thank you so much for the comment Eche Okoye and for the kind words. I’m jealous that you got to read all of these great books growing up! Any particular suggestions on other books to add to my list? Also, do you have a blog or website?
Hi, I think you should read “A squatter’s tale by Ike Oguine”. It will be interesting to read your review.
Thank you for the review Natural Nigerian, I’ve added it to my wish list and will keep my eye out for it.
Brilliant challenge! I really think Nigerian (and African, in general) literature is under-read and under-valued..
Here are a few titles to add to this impressive list
Segun Afolabi – Goodbye Lucille + A Life Elsewhere
Helen Oyeyemi – Icarus Girl + The Opposite House + White is for Witching + Mr Fox
Ben Okri – The Famished Road trilogy
Yay I am glad you like the idea Char!! You are right, it is under-read and under-valued and I hope that through this project I can convince at least a few people to try a books or two. I figure once you read a couple you’ll be hooked!
LOVE the suggestions. I’ve read and enjoyed Icarus Girl and have White is for Witching on my Kindle. I’ve also read one Ben Okri book and keep meaning to pick up more. Thanks!
This is really a great project-I will try to post on a Nigerian short story on an occasional Friday in support of your event-
Thank you Mel! Do link to it here if you remember
I’d love to highlight it.
Great idea Amy! If you haven’t already, I’d recommend reading more of Chimamanda Adichie’s work. Her 2004 novel Purple Hibiscus is a remarkable read (and won the Commonwealth Prize for African fiction) and her collection of short stories, The Thing Around Your Neck, gives readers insight into a whole spectrum of Nigerian experiences in the modern era.
Yes, I’m a huge fan of Adichie AliBird and have no read all of her works. I read The Thing Around Your Neck in my pre-blogging days sadly!
Here’s a link to my review of Treachery in the Yard: http://www.kittlingbooks.com/2011/09/treachery-in-yard-by-adimchinma-ibe.html. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
Thanks Cathy, I am as well
Amy, you click or type http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/data/author/omohan-ebhodaghe or Amazon.co.uk or http://www.africaworldpressbooks.com/servlet/Detail?no=59 and check out Omohan Ebhodaghe’s books HIGHTOWER and IN THE MIDST OF LOAFERS, a 945 page, 46 lines per a page much-awaited and expected GREAT Nigerian novel that professor Maik Nwosu, USA, talked about and that easily combines together the five novels of the first generation Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe namely: THINGS FALL APART, 166 pages, NO LONGER AT EASE, ARROW OF GOD, A MAN OF THE PEOPE and ANTHILLS OF THE SAVANNAH. Omohan Ebhodaghe is a London, UK-based third generation Nigerian poet & novelist, courtesy of a British Council, Lagos office assistance. To contact him, he is a member of the Society of Authors, London, UK. Good luck and happy reading.
Thank you for the recommendation Emmanuel, I will check it out!
Here is Omohan Ebhodaghe’s contact at the Society of Authors, London, UK, http://www.societyofauthors.org/node/48199.
very nice blog!
are you only reading books in the english language??
Sadly I can’t speak / read any of the Nigerian languages Xandi, so English only for now. I manage decently with the Pidgin English in some of the books but definitely need to learn more. One day hopefully I’ll figure out a way to learn more of the languages.
very nice blog!
are you only reading books in the english language??
Ha, I’m not reading many english books-eccept in school-but these’ve all been boring…
But some of these are making me intersted…
So far only English yes, but have a few people attempting to teach me other options xandimusic, so maybe some day. As to English books from Europe, the UK, and North America, I tend to prefer the African lit to them as well
I read and reviewed Chris Abani’s Becoming Abigail and can recommend it highly: http://freshinkbooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/becoming-abigail-by-chris-abani-review.html
I haven’t read more of him yet but I certainly intend to. I like this idea of Nigerian Literature Fridays too.
Thank you for the link to your review Sandra, I’m off to check it out. I hope you do read a few more
Dear Amy, I read a lot of African literature and I absolutely love your Nigerian Literature Fridays. I just finished reading Chuma Nwokolo Jr.’s ‘Diaries of a Dead African’ – it was amazing. Here’s a link to the review I wrote: http://bookshybooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/book-review-chuma-nwokolo-jrs-diaries.html
May I also add Happy Christmas.
Excellent, I’m really happy to hear that bookshy and am off to check out your reviews. Do please add any Nigerian reviews to the database linked above
I hope you enjoyed the holidays.
Great work.Keep the good work.Am working on my first novel.i will lwt you get acess to it when its done in a couple of months.thumbs up bravo!
Good luck with it Bridget!
Hello Amy,
Thanks for what you do here making it worthwhile for writers. I am Nigerian, would you please look at my book? This is the link to a preview chapter: https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1097916
I hope you’d like to read further after that and I would be glad to send you the full copy by e-mail.
Thanks,
Fifi
Thanks Efioanwan, I will email you.
Okay, Amy, thanks a lot!
Amy I just stumbled on your blog while searching for information on the Novel The secret Lives of Baba Segi’s wives. To be candid, I’m so impressed with your work here and your love for Nigerian literature. In fact, i will take it as a challenge to read some of the novels you have made mentioned on your blog. Thanks.
Thank you very much for the kind words Safian. I wish you all the best with your reading!
hallo amymckie, impressive is what you have going on and you just added 100% of the ZEAL oozing out of you in motivating me and ensuring me i’m on the right path. i made a decision to be more Nigerian/African literature conscious and here i am, just stumbled out of the blues at your blog. would add it to my “every friday hang-out spot”*wink*..btw, i am currently in nigeria and at loss at where these books can be purchased or if they can be accessed online (are there free ebook downloads?) thanks a mill….
Thank you so much for your lovely comment O’kitty, and I hope that you are really enjoying the books you’ve been reading! I’ve been reading much less this year than last year (when I did the every Friday thing), but still so many amazing books out there.
Hi Amy,
On behalf of the Nigerian writers, i say: Thank you for this honour you’ve done to us. Thank you.
Please, i would love you to also review my debut novel, Eyes of a goddess.. It is available on Paperback on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The excerpt is availabe here:
http://newbooksnigeria.wordpress.com/excerpt-eye-of-a-goddess/
Thank you.
Ukamaka Olisakwe
Thank you for the email Ukamaka. Unfortunately I’ve been reading much less lately, because work has been keeping me busy. I will keep your novel in mind though! Congratulations on publishing
Do you read Christian fiction as well? I remember reading some funny books by Osondu Anyalechi many, many years back. He has books called “My mother-in-law” and “Unequal Yoke”. They may not be award-winning books but they do give you some insight into the life of the Nigerian Christian
Hmmm I do occasionally Esther, though I tend to avoid it usually. Thanks for the recommendations!
You may want to read and add Always Yours by Somi Ekhasomhi. Its a romance novel set in Lagos and its published on Amazon.
She also publishes short stories on her website http://www.lagosromanceseries.com
Thanks for the recommendation Martins.