Africa Reading Challenge

I started reviewing African-authored books on this blog in June 2009, somewhere in 2010 I expanded the focus of the blog to 'Promoting African Literature'. However, for those who know and those who don't, Africa is the second largest and the second most populous continent. Consequently, it is made up of many countries, fifty-four to be specific.

However, in my bid to promote African Literature I have, inadvertently, covered some countries more than others. This has to change. To represent Africa is to represent all the countries. So in addition to my on-going reading challenge, which is to read a selected list of 100 books to be read in 5 years, I would want to read at least an author from each African country in 2011. And this is where I need your help. I would want my readers to suggest interesting authors they have read from other African countries other than those I have listed below. Please help me form this list.

Countries Covered since June 2009:

Ghana

1. Alex Agyei-Agyiri (1)
2. Ama Ata Aidoo (1)
3. Ama Darko (2)
4. Ayesha Harruna Attah (1)
5. Ayi Kwei Armah (4)
6. Camynta Baezie (1)
7. Kobina Sekyi (1)
8. Kojo Laing (1)
9. Mamle Kabu (1)
10. Martin Egblewogbe (1)
11. Marilyn Heward-Mills (1)
12. Nana Awere Damoah (1)
13. Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond (1)

Kenya 

1. Ngugi wa Thiong'o (1)

Lesotho

1. Morabo Morojele (1)

Nigeria

1. Ben Okri (1)
2. Buchi Emecheta (1)
3. Chimamanda Adichie (3)
4. Chinua Achebe (3)
5. Henry Ajumeze (1)
6. Myne Whitman (1, currently reading)
7. Ola Rotimi (1)
8. Uwem Akpan (1)
9. Wole Soyinka (2)

South Africa

1. Andre Brink (2)
2. J.M. Coetzee (2)
3. Nelson Mandela (1)
4. Walton Golightly (1)

Zimbabwe

1. Tendai Huchu (currently reading)

Countries covered: 6 out of the 54.

As you can see North Africa is not covered. I need your help in building this list.
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Update (August 3, 2011): Click here for my progress. A Country is assumed to be effectively covered when a minimum of three different authors are read in that country, though reading one author per country would also be as good enough. The idea with the three is that when I go beyond the three different authors, any other book I read by either one of the already-read authors or a even a new author would not be considered as part of this challenge. This would avoid spending more time on one country.


Update of the Rules(August 17, 2011):
Level One: Read one novel or novella or short-story anthology (but not a short single story or a short story which is a contribution to a multiple-authored anthology) of any author from an African country to take that country out of the challenge.
Level Two: Read two novels or novellas or short-story anthologies or any combination of these (but not two short single stories or two short stories which are contributions to a multiple-authored anthology) of any author from an African country to take that country out of the challenge.
Level Three: Read more than two novels or novellas or short-story anthologies or any combinations of these (but not more than two short single stories or short stories which are contributions to a multiple-authored anthology) of any author from an African country to take that country out of the challenge.


This is a life-long challenge and it is aimed at covering the length and breadth of this continent. It is also meant to prevent people from seeing Literature coming from only one country as representative of African Literature. With 54 countries, the latest being Southern Sudan, it is expected that a reader would have read at least 54 books by the end of this challenge. Books from some countries would be difficult to get so that covering half of the 54 is enough, though spreading it across the North, South, East, West and Central Africa would give the reader a good perspective of what African Literature is and how diverse it is.