18+ Translated Books by Female African Authors (Women In Translation)

Thirteen Months of Sunrise by Rania Mamoun (Sudan)

Translated from Arabic

A collection of 10 short stories set in Sudan, Thirteen Months of Sunrise offers glimpses into Sudanese life as the characters deal with loss, grief, love, mental illness and identity against a backdrop of political and economic hardship. Rania also has a translated poetry collection titled Something Evergreen Called Life.

Aya: Life in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet (Côte d’Ivoire)

Translated from French

In this graphic novel, we follow the lives of hardworking and studious Aya, and her easygoing friends Adjoua and Bintou who live in the busy neighborhood of Yopougon (nicknamed Yop City) in Abidjan. From youthful misadventures, to meddling neighbors, gender expectations and everyday city life, Aya and her friends work towards achieving their dreams in 1970s Côte d’Ivoire. There is also an animated film based on this book that released in 2013, so check that out as well.

Sin is a Puppy that Follows You Home by Balaraba Ramat Yakubu (Nigeria)

Translated from Hausa

The first full-length novel translated from Hausa to English, this book follows Rabi, a dedicated wife, who puts up with her philandering husband’s antics until he takes a second wife and kicks her out of their house. Rabi tries her best to take care of her nine children alone as she comes to terms with her current situation. This book tackles themes of polygamy, gender inequality, religion, and female empowerment.

So Long A Letter by Mariama Bâ (Senegal)

Translated from French

Told through a series of letters from recently widowed Ramatoulaye to her lifelong friend Aissatou. In these letters, she reflects on her life. From her happy marriage to her husband marrying a second wife and abandoning her, her struggles raising her children alone and to grieving her now dead husband. This book explores female friendship, the effects of polygamy, women’s rights, and motherhood. Scarlet Song is another one of Mariama Bâ translated works.

No Gods Live Here by Conceição Lima (São Tomé and Príncipe)

Translated from Portuguese

A poetry collection that looks at life, history, and identity through the lens of the author’s home country, São Tomé and Príncipe. The poems explore the lasting impacts of colonialism, slavery, and injustice, while also honoring the strength and resilience of her people.

The Djinn’s Apple by Djamila Morani (Algeria)

Translated from Arabic

Nardeen’s life falls apart when her father is falsely accused and her whole family is murdered. She vows to carry out her revenge on those responsible for her family’s fate. Set in medieval Baghdad, this novel blends magic, medicine, mystery and politics together as we follow Nardeen’s journey to finding out the truth.

Our Lady of The Nile by Scholastique Mukasonga (Rwanda)

Translated from French

Set in an elite Catholic school for girls in late 1970s Rwanda, Our Lady of The Nile follows the lives of teenage girls in a school with a quota that permits only two Tutsi students for every twenty pupils. As the teenagers lives are colored by prejudice, curiosity and fear, and Tutsi students are targeted, what began as schoolyard rivalries escalates into brutal acts as the country slowly falls apart.

The Strange Bride by Grace Ogot (Kenya)

Translated from Dholuo, a language spoken by the Luo people of Kenya

A retelling of a Luo myth, it tells the story of the people of Got Owaga who experienced prosperity and peace being favored by their god, Were Nyakalaga. Things begin to change when the mysterious and beautiful Nyawir arrives.

Several of Grace’s books have also been translated including Land Without Thunder and The Promised Land.

Edo’s Souls by Stella Gaitano (South Sudan)

Translated from Arabic

This novel follows characters trying to survive in a nation gripped by the terrors of civil war. Maria-Edo mourns the death of her children while loosing faith in God due to the horrors she’s survived. Her only surviving child, Lucy-Eghino has to flee from town to town with her husband in fear of violence. In Khartoum, they meet Peter, a soldier who is unsure of where his loyalties lie.

Loose Ties by Yara Nakahanda Monteiro (Angola)

Translated from Portugese

Vitória barely has any memories of her mother, all she knows is that she was an Angolan revolutionary. A few months before her wedding, Vitória flees to Angola to search for her mother. In the city of Luanda, she meets a general, a widow, and a man who fought the civil war with her mother. As she learns more about her mother and her birth country, she is forced to confront her past and decide what she truly wants for herself.

Straight From The Horses Mouth by Meryem Alaoui (Morocco)

Translated from French

Thirty four year old Jmiaa is a prostitute who struggles to to support her family. Chadlia is an aspiring young director who seeks Jmiaa’s help with her film, initially just to make sure the plot and dialogue are authentic. But when she struggles to find a lead actress for the film, she offers the role to Jmiaa, presenting her with a life changing opportunity.

Co-Wives, Co-Widows by Adrienne Yabouza (Central African Republic)

Translated from French

Ndogo Passy & Grekpoubou are both married to the same man and they get along pretty well. When their husband suddenly dies and his relatives scheme to seize their inheritance, the two of them must band together to get justice for themselves and their children.

Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi (Egypt)

Translated from Arabic

Based on the author’s meeting with a female prisoner in Qanatir Prison, Woman at Point Zero tells the story of Firdaus, a woman sentenced to death for killing a pimp in Cairo. From her somewhat happy childhood, to being forced into a marriage to an older man, her efforts to change her fate to her life as a prostitute. Firdaus is a woman who welcomes her death as she will finally be free from a world where she had been neglected and abused.

Neighbours: The Story of a Murder by Lília Momplé (Mozambique)

Translated from Portugese

Narguiss is a woman preoccupied with preparing her family for Eid and and doesn’t bother herself with politics or the current news. Leia and Januário, a couple, have finally acquired a new apartment for their family, a big milestone for them. Elsewhere, Mena overhears her husband and his associates plotting cold blooded murder. The lives of these three neighboring households is thrown into chaos over the events of one day in this novel that explores post-independence Mozambique history.

The Impatient by Djaïli Amadou Amal (Cameroon)

Translated from French

In this book, we follow three women who are united in the sorrow and injustice they experience and how the different ways they fight for their freedom. Ramla is stopped from being with her true love and married off to an older man. Safira, her co-wife deals with her mixed emotions about Ramla, the new wife, and the betrayal from her husband. Hindou, Ramla’s younger sister, is also married off to a man she doesn’t want who ends up being abusive.

Traces of Enayat by Iman Mersal (Egypt)

Translated from Arabic

Iman discovers a novel written by Enayat al-Zayyat, a young lady who died by suicide four years before her book was published. Intrigued by the book and surprised by how the author and the book have been largely forgotten by the public, Iman sets out to find out more about the life of Enayat, meeting her old friends, searching for more of Enayat’s writing and tracing any mention of Enayat. Part memoir, part biography, this book follows the author’s journey to finding out more about the life and death of Enayat.

In The Company of Men by Véronique Tadjo (Côte d’Ivoire)

Translated from French

Two boys hunt, roast and eat bats in a nearby forest. A month later, they’re dead, having suffered from a disease that neither the local healer or medical team could cure. The disease called Ebola spreads through the village and further like wildfire, and along with it comes prejudice and events that leave the characters in this book forever changed. This book explores just how devastating the Ebola outbreak was in parts of West Africa.

The Madwoman of Serrano by Dina Salústio (Cape Verde)

Translated from Portuguese

Set in Serrano, a small village where mysterious things happen and a mad woman wanders around saying things people don’t understand. When a woman falls from the sky, a man called Jeronimo falls in love with her and raises her child when she disappears. The child, Filipa, is eventually taken away and grows up in the city. Years later, the mad woman’s warnings come to pass and Jeronimo sets out for the city in the hopes of reuniting with Filipa.

Something Strange The Hunger by Malika Moustadraf (Morrocco)

Translated from Arabic

A collection of short stories that explore life in Morocco, with a focus on the experiences of women and those who live on the fringes of Moroccan society.