The Greatest Literature of Africa

The Greatest Literature of Africa is based, first of all, on the same research and surveys carried out over the past two decades for the Greatest Literature of All Time and all our other book lists (Greatest Novels, Greatest Stories, Greatest Historical Fiction, and so on).

But, to be frank, the literature of Africa's huge swath of humankind (comprising more than United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and continental Europe combined) has been largely overlooked by many of the critics, scholars and even readers upon which we've previously depended in creating our "greatest" lists.

To do justice to the great writers of Africa, we've had to extend our research widely to find new sources. More than eighty countries and cultures—ancient, pre-colonial, colonial and contemorary—had to be considered.

The resulting list is far from perfect but it's a start, as our research into classic and modern African writing continues. It may serve as a jumping off point for anyone beginning to explore the fascinating literary history of this continent.

Watch for updates as The Greatest Literature of Africa list grows.

Latest update: January 25, 2024

The 88 greatest works of African literature

In chronological order

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See also:

Article
Creating the Greatest Literature of All Time list

Greatest Literature of All Time

Greatest Novels of All Time

Greatest Stories of All Time

Greatest Plays of All Time

Greatest Poetry of All Time

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A novel of the Canadian counterculture