Penguin Classics from Africa: The Fiction List of 14 books Part 1

Today going through the list of Penguin classics, as a place to start with African fiction. Giving a little info on each and hopefully some new novels for the TBR list.

Penguin Classics (orange logo, Black Spine)

Tawfiq Al-Hakim — Egypt (1898–1987) novelist and playwright. Known as the founder of modern Egyptian drama, Al-Hakim wrote some of Arabic literature’s most seminal works, so definitely worth checking out.

Return of the Spirit. Featuring romance, comedy and revolution, Return of the Spirit tells the story of a patriotic young man and his family, living in a cramped one-bedroom in Cairo and set against the backdrop of the 1919 revolution. Not just influencing the Arab literary world, Return of the Spirit influenced the nationalism of future president of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser. That’s pretty cool. Written in Paris and published in 1933, the same year Al-Hakim also published The People of the Cave and Diary of a Country Prosecutor.

Find out more about Tawfiq Al-Hakim at ArabLit here and a Return of the Spirit book review here.

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o— Kenya(1938–2025)

This fascinating figure dominated the literary landscape of East Africa. Born James Ngũgĩ in 1938 while Kenya still remained part of British colonial rule, Ngũgĩ’s life was fraught with struggle. From seeing his village destroyed by British colonialists, living in a detention camp as a teenager, later imprisonment, assault leading to his self-imposed exile from Kenya, which lasted over twenty years. His struggles and those of the Kenyan people informed his work. Studying first in Uganda then in England, his 1964 debut novel Weep Not, Child was the first novel in English published by an East African writer.

Devil on the Cross

Written on toilet paper while in prison, Devil on the Cross is the first novel wa Thiong’o wrote in his native tongue Kikuyu. A sharp satire on Western culture and critiquing Western capitalism, it’s the tragic story of Wariinga, a young woman who moves from the countryside to the city, only to be continually exploited by various men, her struggle to survive and transcend her circumstances. A classic of post-colonial African literature.

Penguin Modern Classics

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

The River Between. Published in 1965 and set during the time of the first white settlers, depicting the tension between the onslaught of Christianity and tribal customs in rural Kenya. The visionary Waiyaki standing between the two sides, the novel explores the differences in faith and the upheaval that follows.

A Grain of Wheat, published in 1967, set in 1963 in the days preceding Uhuru, the day Kenya broke free of colonial rule and gained independence. Lots of family drama, friendship, betrayal, love torn apart.

Chinua Achebe — Nigeria (1930–2013)

The father of modern African literature, although he refused the title. Fiercely critical of how the West portrayed Africa in literature, his novels changed the game. As well as being published by Heinemann, Achebe started and edited the Heinemann African Writer’s Series which championed lots more African writers, including the aforementioned Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, whom Achebe befriended. Achebe accomplished so many cool things, educating all over the place including America, starting magazines, a publishing house, supporting other writers. He firmly stood up against racism, criticising Heart of Darkness and Joseph Conrad’s racist perspective. Achebe was a monumental badass so check out his novels below and others.

Things Fall Apart, the most widely read, translated and studied African novel. The story of Okonkwo, a traditional Igbo chief struggling with the oncoming colonialism and christianity that white people brought. 224 pages long so a compact read.

No Longer At Ease — set decades after Things fall Apart. Obi Okonkwo leaves his Igbo village for an English education, eventually taking a bribe. The novel starts with Okonkwo on trial and then shows how he descended to that point, examines the struggle between Western materialism and traditional values.

Arrow of God. The story of Ezeulu, chief priest of several Igbo villages as he confronts the clash between traditional beliefs and the foreign Christianity imposed by white invaders.

Anthills of the Savannah. Ooh political intrigue after some posh white military knob takes power in a coup. The story centres around the people who oppose him.

A Man Of The People — a satirical novel about a teacher getting swept into politics and corruption, critiquing post colonial politics in Africa.

So yeah Chinua Achebe, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Tawfiq Al-Hakim, check them out.

I originally planned to put all 14 books in one article but it got really long and exciting so I’m splitting it into two.