Celebrating Female Nigerian Authors

Happy International Women’s Day! Women have done many amazing things across all kinds of fields, but their accomplishments don’t always get the attention they deserve, especially compared to their male peers. So today, we’re shining a light on some incredible Nigerian female authors, both the legendary icons and the rising stars ,who’ve made (and are still making) waves in the literary world and putting Nigerian literature on the global map.

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Buchi Emecheta

Author of The Joys of Motherhood, Second Class Citizen, In The Ditch, and a host of other great books, Buchi Emecheta was a prolific writer who explored Nigerian culture, motherhood, misogyny, oppression and immigrant life in her novels.

Joys of Motherhood was the first novel I read written by her, and though I was a little too young to fully grasp all the themes explored in it, the story really stuck with me over the years. It’s one of those books I think everyone should read, and I’m definitely due for a re-read now that I’m older.

Buchi Emecheta passed away on the 25^th of January 2017 at the age of 72, but her works live on, and her life story and books keep inspiring future generations. Here’s a beautiful article written by her son in remembrance of her life and achievements.

Nnedi Okorafor

If you have been following my blog, you will know that I am a big fan of Nnedi Okorafor. I read her book Binti in 2017, and it totally changed the way I view science fiction. Her stories are an amazing fusion of fantasy, science fiction and African culture. If you’re looking for books that explore Africanfuturism, you should definitely check out her books.

She has written numerous books, including the Binti trilogy, Who Fears Death, Zahrah The Windseeker, Lagoon, and Akata Witch (also known as What Sunny Saw In The Flames). She has won several awards for her books, including the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature for her debut novel Zahrah The Windseeker (another favorite of mine) and the Hugo & Nebula Award for Best Novella for her book Binti.

Ayobami Adebayo

Her debut novel, Stay With Me, has been making waves in the literary world. Set in Nigeria, this novel explores the lives of a childless couple under pressure from cultural expectations and family interference and the lengths people go to in the name of hope and survival.

Her novel has been shortlisted for several awards and was named a Notable Book for the Year by The New York Times and Best Book of the Year by the Guardian and many others. She wrote such a strong debut novel, and I’m excited to see what other books she writes in future.

Flora Nwapa

This list wouldn’t be complete without talking about Flora Nwapa, a woman who is hailed as the mother of modern African Literature. She was the first African woman writer to be published in English in Britain and also one of the first African female publishers, founding a publishing house called Tana Press in the seventies. Her works were lauded by Chinua Achebe and a host of other Nigerian authors.

Her book, Efuru, had a massive impact on the African literary world, and she went on to speak about and work on closing the gender disparity gap in the writing and publishing circles where female authors were often overlooked or treated with condescension. This was one of the reasons she founded Tana Press.

Here’s a great article by Brittle Paper that goes over her life and impact. She wrote many books, including Wives at War, Idu, One is Enough, and Women are Different. She sadly passed away on the 16^th of October 1993 at the age of 62. Her works live on and have inspired generations of writers, including Chimamanda Adichie.

Chimamanda Adichie

One of the most prominent African Authors and Feminists, Chimamanda has written several award-winning books, most of which explore life in Nigeria, culture, religion, gender, and identity.

From her novel Half of a Yellow Sun, which explores the Briafrian war, to Purple Hibiscus, which explores religious fanatism and coming of age, to Americanah, which explores race, love and immigrant life, and Dear Ijeawele or a feminist manifesto which explores feminism, Chimamanda has made her mark on the literary world.

She is also known for her poignant speeches and talks. Here is one of her TED talks titled the danger of a single story, which I recommend you all watch.

These are some of the great female authors we have in Nigeria. There are a lot more Nigerian female authors out there making waves, and I am celebrating them all. They are all inspirations to Nigerian girls like me who love reading and writing.

Who are your favourite female authors from your country? I would love to know. Happy International Women’s Day once again. Cheers to all women from all races and all parts of the world. Have a great day.

P.S. This post contains affiliate links, and I do not own any of the pictures used in this post.

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