Do you dream of experiencing the African continent while staying at home in Sweden? Or are you missing the perfect read for your trip to Africa? Take a trip to Africa in the world of books! We present 9 fiction books that will take you to 9 different African countries. Do you have any other suggestions for fiction books or memoirs set in Africa?
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Egypt: House of Yacoubian by Alaa Al-Aswany
'Yacoubian's House' takes you to the heart of Cairo where there is a European-style house built in the 1930s. Back then, millionaires and ministers lived here. Now it is a blissful mix of people.
In the fancy flats live the gay editor-in-chief and the corrupt rich man who bends the Koran to satisfy his desires. In the sheds on the roof live the poor woman who learns to get by in a society ruled by men's desires and the gatekeeper's son who wants to be a policeman but is denied entry and turns to religious fundamentalism. Sex, power and religion in a megadose!
Ethiopia: 438 days by Johan Perssons and Martin Schibbye
438 Days is Johan Persson's and Martin Shibbye's account of their imprisonment in an Ethiopian jail after entering the Ogaden to report on Lundin Oil. First and foremost, it is a thrilling account of Johan and Martin's harrowing adventures, which include long treks without food or water, gunshot wounds, mock executions and confinement in a cold and dirty prison.
At the same time, of course, it is a story about so much more. What can and should journalists do? The world should of course receive reports even from places where journalists are not really welcome, otherwise we turn a blind eye to many crimes and human deaths. But does that mean you can break the laws of other countries? And if so, what risks should a journalist be prepared to take?
Kenya: The White Masai by Corinne Hoffman
The White Masai is the self-experienced love story of Swiss businesswoman Corinne Hoffman, set in Kenya. She goes on holiday to Kenya with her boyfriend, but soon falls in love with the beautiful Maasai warrior Lketinga.
For four dramatic years, she lives with the Maasai in the African countryside, where she also becomes the mother of a young daughter. You can't help but think that Corinne is naïve in her blind love, but despite this, the book provides an interesting insight into the different life of the Maasai. Prepare for a culture clash!
Libya: No one in the world by Hisham Matar
In 'Nobody in the World', Hisham Matar takes the reader to a country where no other book has taken me before: Libya. Suleiman grows up in Tripoli in the 1970s, under the Gaddafi regime. It is a totalitarian state, where your neighbour can be an "antenna".
Revolutionary Committee cars pick up citizens suspected of defying the regime and they are interrogated, beaten (or executed) on prime time television. The story is told from the perspective of nine-year-old Suleiman, with language that is at times poetic. Worth reading!
Morocco: Prisoner in the desert by Malika Oufkir
"Prisoner of the Desert" initially takes you to a world of unimaginable luxury. Malika Oufkir grows up in the king's palace and, as a teenager, lives a jet-set life of parties with invited Hollywood stars. When her father participates in a coup d'état against the king and is killed, the luxurious life in the palace is replaced by 20 years of imprisonment underground.
Together with her mother and five siblings, Malika survives two decades of hunger, disease and total isolation. But eventually they start digging a tunnel with their own hands... One of the most fascinating stories I have ever read!
Nigeria: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
The book "Americanah" begins with Ifemelu and Obinze meeting as young people in Nigeria. Obinze constantly dreams of America, but it is Ifemelu who manages to get there and make a life for herself, before returning to Nigeria much later and meeting Obinze again.
This is not a romance novel, but a book about culture clashes, about race and about how white people look at black people. Sometimes I think the book is unnecessarily long, but many times it works as a real eye-opener. Interesting reading that I don't regret!
Somalia: A flower in the African desert by Waris Dirie
"A Flower in the Desert of Africa" is the unlikely story of a poor nomadic girl in Somalia who becomes a supermodel. Her parents live a simple and traditional life with Muslim values, and her daughter herds goats during the day.
The first traumatic event is when she is circumcised, and then when she is married off at the age of 12 to a man in his 60s, she flees to the capital Mogadishu. The unlikely journey to London and a life as a supermodel continues.
Sudan: Slav by Mende Nazer
"Slave" is Mende Nazer's story of his tough upbringing. Mende grows up in Sudan and at the age of 12 is sold as a slave to a wealthy Arab family in Khartoum. The story could have ended here, as it might for many other girls in Mende's situation, but instead she is sold as a slave to the Sudanese ambassador in London.
Life in London is no better by any means, and repression is perhaps more severe than ever. But eventually Mende makes contact with other Sudanese who help her break out of years of captivity...
South Africa: Agate by Marlene van Niekerk
Agaat is set in South Africa, just after the fall of the Apartheid system. The white farmer's wife Milla de Wet is paralysed and completely at the mercy of the black Agaat. We quickly realise that there is a charge between the two women, and the whole thing is gradually explained.
At the age of five, Agaat was rescued by the de Wet family and was almost taken in as the family's own child, but when Milla finally had a son of her own, things changed completely. A story that takes place in the small, but at the same time deals with the whole situation in South Africa.
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Maria says:
I have both read and seen The White Massai (the first book) as a film, and have also read the book Slave. Both are so good and I have read them more than once. I have only seen A Flower in the Desert of Africa as a film.
answer: Aha, ok 🙂 I have heard that some programmes/titles have different names in Sweden and in Finland, so I did not dare to assume that this programme has the same title in Sweden... 😉.
Essays are in my ears (and in many other Finns' ears too, I guess) slightly shorter texts that may be related to an individual course. How long an essay may be, however, I have not really clear... 😛 We also write a dissertation at the bachelor's level 🙂 Therefore, I think it sounds a bit strange to say that you write an essay that can be up to about 100 pages at the master's level... 😉 Interesting with these differences 🙂 However, I do not know how long your theses usually are, here it is about 25-35 pages for bachelor and about 70-90 pages for master's that is the usual. Varies a bit between different subjects.
07 February 2016 - 11:53
Steve says:
A way of approaching a foreign continent. I have seen "The White Masai" as a film.
07 February 2016 - 11:42
admin says:
Steve, yes or no? I think fiction can be a fantastic way of travelling in both time and space.
Maria, glad you liked these books too! SV: It's probably just a linguistic difference. I think the length of degree projects in Sweden differs greatly between different subjects, i.e. between natural sciences, social sciences, medicine, etc. There are slightly different traditions there. It used to be called a C-thesis at bachelor's level and a D-thesis at master's level, but now it's usually called a thesis. As far as I know, it's only called a dissertation when you get a doctorate. But it's probably just linguistic differences (and maybe there are some differences between subjects here too). I am most familiar with medicine and subjects in the field of health).
07 February 2016 - 12:55
Ditte says:
Thanks for the great tips! And travelling in the world of books is also a good trip many times.
Some of the books I have read; "The House of Yacoubian", "438 days," "A Flower in the Desert of Africa" and "Prisoner in the Desert" and some I have not read but feel that I would like to read more of them and to start with "Slave", "Agaat" and "No one in the world".
Africa is quite unexplored for me except North Africa and I hope to go on a trip to South Africa and a tour there.
It remains to be seen and planned...
07 February 2016 - 12:56
Geddfish says:
Thanks for the great tips!
I have read "A Flower in the Desert of Africa", "Prisoner of the Desert", "The White Masai" and the subsequent book, a long time ago. And now I might get the urge to read more of the ones you mentioned.
07 February 2016 - 13:17
admin says:
Ditte, Africa is a whole continent with many countries that you (I!) have little knowledge of. Books are an interesting way to travel, but I would also like to see more places, such as Namibia. The countries we have visited in Africa are Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Tanzania including Zanzibar.
Geddfish, several of these books are a few years old! Some of them may therefore also be a little difficult to get hold of, but several are still available at e.g. Adlibris.
07 February 2016 - 13:55
Ama de casa says:
I immediately thought of the White Masai. Extremely fascinating to "choose" to live that way as a Westerner.
07 February 2016 - 18:29
Ama de casa says:
sv: Haha! How could you have missed the concept of how Schlagern is decided? 🙂
There are four rounds where two songs go directly to the final, and two to the "Second Chance". That competition gives two more (among those already voted out) a place in the final. Then comes the final on it. A total of 6 programmes before the Swedish contribution to Storschlagern is chosen. Anders suffers a lot during this time of the year... 😀.
07 February 2016 - 18:33
admin says:
Ama de casa, yes really fascinating! Yes, how could I have missed it...? Well, one can wonder about that.... But now I am all the wiser! Thank you 🙂 🙂
Travelmania, oh how wonderful to go to South Africa! Exciting and interesting! I'm glad you mentioned the Ladies' Detective Agency, I didn't realise it was set in Botswana!
BP, oh here comes another tip about the Ladies' Detective Agency! I haven't read it and had no idea it was set in Botswana! Nice to have a book that is perhaps more uplifting than depressing. Several of my book tips deal with rather heavy topics. There are of course a lot of positive and fun things from this continent as well, but many times books are written about things that are dramatic and revolutionary...
07 February 2016 - 19:31
Johnny Friskilä says:
Wow, how much you have read!!! 🙂
Before I went to Algeria a couple of years ago, I read "Lovers of Algeria" by Anouar Benmalek - an extremely good book that mixes the colonial issues of the 1940s with the civil war of the 1990s, and deals with both love on different levels and meetings between two cultures.
Worth reading, even if you don't have Algeria in your travel plans 🙂 .
07 February 2016 - 19:32
Travelmania says:
Hi, it's a wonderful way to approach a country through literature.
Maybe I should take your book tip on Agate as we are going to South Africa soon(=
I like to relax with the Ladies' Detective Agency, which is set in Botswana. As you say, there is much to explore on the African continent. At the top of my wish list right now is Mozambique.
07 February 2016 - 18:38
BP says:
I have read 438 days and thought it was really good. I have seen The White Masai as a film. A book series that I miss and can recommend is "The Ladies' Detective Agency" by Alexander McCall Smith, which takes place in Botswana. That series is more humorous and not so "depressing".
But clearly, books are a great introduction to countries you've never visited and are unlikely to visit.
07 February 2016 - 18:58
Kors och Tvärs says:
After reading some of the above books, I can't say that I am keen to return to Africa. What I have seen and done there so far is enough. There are so many other places to visit....
07 February 2016 - 20:01
admin says:
Johnny Friskilä, thanks for the tip! Sounds very interesting!
Wow, do you have bad experiences from any of the places you have visited in Africa? Where have you been? I agree that some of the books contain very tough stories. It's not the whole picture of Africa, of course, but often people choose to write about strong and upsetting events in books.
07 February 2016 - 20:29
Marianne - Glimt av verden says:
Many exciting book tips! I have a special relationship with Sierra Leone, having lived there for almost 1 1/2 months, and would therefore recommend the book "A better day tomorrow" by Ishmael Beah. It looks like it is called "Lång väg hem" in Swedish. The book is about how Ishmael became a child soldier, and about his way back to a normal life. Although it is a gloomy book in many ways, it also shows that you should never give up hope that things can change.
08 February 2016 - 1:26
Fantasiresor says:
What a great idea! I have a vague plan to pack my bag full of books and go to Gotland to just read for a couple of days. This list is perfect for that. Thank you very much 🙂 .
10 February 2016 - 10:42
admin says:
Marianne, oh that sounds super interesting! Thanks for the book tips!
Fantasy travel, glad you like the idea! I love to read (when I have time and peace for it) and your Gotland plan sounds cosy! 🙂
10 February 2016 - 12:20