Daughters of Pen: Discover African Women Writers
Celebrating 14 remarkable women writers of African literature
Story Telling session by Maimouna Jalow at the 2017 edition of Ake Arts & Book Festival (2017) by Ake FestivalBook Buzz Foundation
A Literary Heritage; Women of Words
Africa is home to exceptional female writers who have contributed greatly to the global literary landscape. Their works address complex themes, such as identity, race, culture, colonialism, feminism, family and social change.
1. Ama Ata Aidoo (Ghana)
The Late Ama Ata Aidoo is an inspiration to many African female writers and poets. She was a prolific writer who contributed a lot to the African literary landscape with her works such as Changes: A Love Story and Our Sister Killjoy. She explored themes like feminism, colonialism etc.
2. Veronique Tadjo (Côte d'Ivoire)
Veronique Tadjo is a novelist and a poet. Her style of writing is termed poetic prose. She has lived and worked in many African countries and this reflects in the subject matter, settings and imagery of her works. She has received many prizes for her notable works.
3. Tsitsi Dangaremgba (Zimbabwe)
She is a novelist whose works center around African experiences with a focus on Zimbabwe. Her debut novel, Nervous Conditions (1988), made her the first black woman from Zimbabwe to have her novel published in English. She has since then written many novels and won many prizes.
4. NoViolet Bulawayo (Zimbabwe)
She is one of the strong voices of African Literature. She was named one of the Top 100 most influential Africans. Her first novel, We Need Names and second, Glory got her shortlisted for a Booker Prize. She is the first black African woman to appear on the Booker list twice.
5. Nnedi Okorafor (Nigeria)
Nnedi is an international award-winning New York Times bestselling writer of sci-fi and fantasy for adults, young adults and children. Her style is best described as Africafuturism or Africajujuism. With masterpieces like Binti and Who Fears Death, she is a proven queen of fiction.
6. Zukiswa Wanner (South Africa)
Zukiswa is a Zambian born novelist. Since 2006, when she published her first book titled The Madams, her novels have been shortlisted for awards. Not only does her writing address the societal issues in Africa, she also uses her pen to write beautiful children stories.
7. Maaza Mengiste (Ethiopia)
Maaza is an Ethiopian novelist that explores female power as seen in her novel The Shadow King and sets her story in a time and place that has never really being explored by other authors which is evident in her debut novel titled Beneath the Lion's Gaze.
8. Jennifer Makumbi (Uganda)
Makumbi's writing is characterized by its lyrical prose and deep exploration of history and cultural complexities of the Ugandan and diaspora experiences. One of her well-known works, Kintu, weaves together different narratives that explore the history and culture of Uganda.
9. Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah (Ghana)
Nana confronts the society's forbidden topic in her works which often explore themes related to sexuality. Her book, The Sex Lives of African Women, shows her courage to insightfully tell the stories of African women’s experiences around sex, sexuality and pleasure.
10. Mohale Mashigo (South Africa)
Mohale Mashigo is a South African author, she wrote the widely acclaimed and best selling novel titled The Yearning which is primarily about healing. She is also a comic book writer. Her collection of short stories, Intruders, is an illustration of Africa's post colonial era.
11. Bisi Adjapon (Ghana-Nigeria)
Bisi Adjapon is the author of The Tellers of Secret and Daughter in Exile. With females as the lead characters in her novels, her works show a theme of self discovery, love, family and feminism. She's rapidly becoming a strong voice of African literature.
12. Ayobami Adebayo (Nigeria)
She is a Nigerian author described by the New York Times as "an exceptional storyteller" after the release of her debut novel, Stay With Me. She has since then written A Spell of Good Things which is now listed for the 2023 Booker Prize award.
13. Aiwanose Odafen (Nigeria)
She is a new author, with her debut novel, Tomorrow I Become A Woman, she has proven to be an intriguing writer. Her novel is well received for its unique storytelling and how it paints the harshness of gender inequality and the unfair treatment of girls in our society.
14. Francesca Ekwuyasi (Nigeria)
Her masterful debut novel, Butter Honey Pig Bread, explores the theme of food, love, family, choices and consequences, healing, queerness, and forgiveness and it is set in over three continents. She is one of the few authors that introduces food as a theme. She identifies as queer.
Book Chat session with Fakhrriyyah Hashim and Mona Elthawy at the 2019 edtion of Ake Festival (2019) by Ake FestivalBook Buzz Foundation
African female writers continue to have a significant impact on the global promotion of African literature and culture and we are very proud to have hosted them at Ake Arts and Book Festival. Learn more here (link a story about African writers and literature).
