Storytelling plays a central part in cultures across the continent and the diaspora. It’s one of the best ways that we connect, as African women. Through our stories, we uplift one another, sympathize, validate, and educate one another. We also get to show the rest of the world all of the magic that Africa has to offer.
It seems like the rest of the world is finally starting to pay more attention as over the last few years, we’ve seen a wealth of new African, female talent in the publishing world.
We want to celebrate that talent by introducing you to some of the women writers who give voice and meaning to African womanhood and inspire the rest of us to pick up our pens (or keyboards) and create.
At just 14 years old, the South African writer Stacey Fru is one of Africa’s youngest published authors. She completed her first children’s book, Smelly Cats at the age of 8 and is proof that age is no barrier to creativity.
Ayobami is the award-winning Nigerian author of Stay with Me; her debut novel which won both the 9Mobile Prize for Literature and the Prix Les Afriques. Her incredible talent shows young women on the continent that it’s not just Africans in the diaspora that can go on to be decorated novelists.
Tomi is the Nigerian-American author of The Children of Blood and Bone novel series. At 28 she is one of the younger names on the list and writes brilliant YA fiction novels that show the power of young Black girls.
Abi is the Nigerian author of The Girl With the Louding Voice, a much-needed novel which celebrates unapologetic boldness in Black girls.
Zakiya is a 29-year-old American woman who wrote The Other Black Girl, a novel speaks to an experience many of us can relate to across the diaspora.
Elizabeth is a Dominican-American poet and novelist. She is also a Carnegie Award winner and has written many books for Black girls including With the Fire on High, an award-winning novel following the 17 year-old pregnant protagonist, Emoni.
Jennifer is a Ugandan author who wrote The First Woman which just won the Jhalak prize. Her forthcoming book, A Girl is a Body of Water, promises to be an African coming-of-age epic.
Nnendi is a Nigerian-American science fiction writer. She has written books and graphic novels for children of all ages and works on the Marvel comic series Shuri, which follows the adventures of the Wakandan princess.
Nadia is a Ghanaian-American writer who has had an interesting upbringing across several countries in Africa, Europe and North America. Informed by those experiences, she brings a wealth of cultural knowledge to her writing hence why she’s the sole memoirist on our list.
Bolu is a British- Nigerian writer and cultural commentator. Her collection of short stories, Love in Color, allows young Black women to see themselves as the worthy objects of romance in a way that’s really refreshing and her first YA fiction novel, Honey & Spice, is about to come out next year.
Memuna
(Memunatu Editorial Fellow)
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