List of African writers
This list contains personalities of the literary life of the continent of Africa , ranked by country. These include poets , novelists , children's book authors and scientists. In the case of authors who have stayed in several countries for a longer period of time, they are sorted according to the country of birth.
Egypt
Ethiopia
- Zär'a Yaqob (1599–1693)
- Haddis Alemayehu (1910-2003)
- Michael Daniel Ambatchew (* 1967)
- Abbé Gubennya (1933 / 34–1980)
- Nega Mezlekia
- Sahle Sellassie (* 1936)
- Hama Tuma (* 1949)
- Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin (1936-2006)
- Daniachew Worku (* 1936)
- Mammo Wudneh
Algeria
Angola
Equatorial Guinea
- María Nsué Angüe (1945-2017)
- Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel (* 1966)
- Leoncio Evita Enoy (1929–1996)
Benin
- Christine Adjahi Gnimagnon , even with the Senegal connected
- Stanislas Adotevi (* 1934)
- Berte-Evelyne Agbo , even with the Senegal connected
- Colette Senami Agossou Houeto (* 1939)
- Adelaide Fassinou (* 1955)
- Gisèle Hountondji (* 1954)
- Paulin J. Hountondji (* 1942)
- Béatrice Lalilon Gbado
- Hortense Mayaba
Botswana
- Unity Dow (born 1959)
- Bessie Head (1937–1986), born in South Africa
- Alexander McCall Smith (* 1948), born in Southern Rhodesia
- Barolong Seboni (* 1957)
Burkina Faso
Burundi
- Esther Kamatari (* 1951)
- Colette Samoya Kiruya (* 1952)
Djibouti
- Mouna-Hodan Ahmed (* 1972)
- Abdourahman Waberi (* 1965)
Ivory Coast
Eritrea
Gabon
- Nadele Noele Ango Obiang
- Peggy Lucie Auleley
- Bessora , born in Belgium (* 1968)
- Rene Maran , born in Martinique (1887–1960)
- Chantal Magalie Mbazoo cash desk
- Justine Mintsa (* 1967)
- Nadège Noëlle Ango Obiang
- Angèle Ntyugwetondo Rawiri
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
- Sirah Balde de Labe
- Nadine Bari (* 1940), born in France
- Aïssatou Barry (* 1959)
- Kesso Barry (* 1948)
- Mariama Barry , also Senegal
- Laye Camara
- Josiane Cointet , born in France
- Koumanthio Zeinab Diallo (* 1956)
- Mariana Kesso Diallo
- Libar M. Fofana (* 1959)
- Tierno Monénembo (* 1947), also Senegal, France
- Djibril Tamsir Niane (* 1932), also Senegal
- Williams Sassine (1944-1997)
- Marie Bernadette Tiendrébéogo (* 1958)
Guinea-Bissau
- Amílcar Cabral , also Cape Verde
- Nadine Nyangoma , born in Belgium
Cameroon
See the list of Cameroonian writers
Cape Verde
- Germano Almeida (* 1945)
- Orlanda Amarílis (1924-2014)
- Leopoldina Barreto
- Amílcar Cabral (1924–1973), also Guinea-Bissau
- Alile Wahnon Ferro (* 1940)
- Sergio Frusoni (1901–1975)
- Ovídio Martins (1928–1999)
- Luís Romano de Madeira Melo (1922-2010)
- Yolanda Morazzo (* 1928)
- Dina Salústio (* 1941)
- Ana Julia Monteiro Sança (* 1949)
- Rosa de Saron
- Baltasar Lopes da Silva (1907-1989)
- Eugénio Tavares (1867–1930), is considered the national poet of Cape Verde
- Arménio Vieira (* 1941)
Kenya
- Abdilatif Abdalla (* 1946)
- Carolyne Abdalla
- Karen Blixen aka Tania Blixen (1885–1962), Danish writer, had a farm in Kenya for several years
- Jennifer Bobito
- Rocha Chimera
- Jane Tapsubei Creider
- Valerie Cuthbert
- Kuki Gallmann
- Monicah Genya
- Corney Gichuki
- Jomo Kenyatta (1893-1978)
- Mary Kize
- Muthoni Likimani
- Lily Mabura
- Marjorie Oludhe MacGoye
- Omondi Mak'Oloo
- Hazel Mugo
- Micere Githae Mugo (* 1942)
- Meja Mwangi (* 1948)
- Lydiah Mumbi Nguya
- Rebeka Njau (* 1930)
- Stella Kahaki Njuguna
- Asenath Bole Odaga
- Margaret Ogola
- Grace Ogot (1930-2015)
- Moyez C. Vassanje
- Jameela Saddiqi
- Charity Waciuma
- Ngugi wa Mirii (* 1951)
- Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (* 1938)
- Miriam Were
- Binyavanga Wainaina (1971-2019)
Republic of the Congo
- Jeannette Balou Tchichelle (* 1947)
- Noëlle Bizi Bazouma (* 1959)
- Sylvain Bemba (1934-1995)
- Silvie Bokoko (* 1960)
- Adèle Caby-Livannah (* 1957)
- Cucile-Ivelyse Diamoneka (* 1940)
- Emmanuel Dongala (* 1941)
- Mambou Aimée Gnali
- Floe Hazoume (born 1959)
- Francine Laurans (born 1962)
- Sony Labou Tansi (1947-1995)
- Binéka Daniele Lissouba , born in France
- Henri Lopès (* 1937)
- Alain Mabanckou (* 1966)
- Jusitne M'Poyo Kassa-Vubu (* 1951)
- Betty (Elisabeth) Mweya Tol'Ande (* 1947)
- Diur N'Thumb
- Ghislaine Sathoud (* 1969)
- Tchicaya U Tam'si (1931–1988)
- Jean-Baptiste Tati Loutard (1938-2009)
- Aleth Felix Tchicaya (* 1955)
- Marie-Leontine Tsibinda
- Brigitte Yengo
Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire)
- Léone Abo (* 1945)
- Amba Bongo
- Lila-Baleka Bosek? Ilolo
- Maguy Kabamba (* 1960)
- Christine Kalonji
- VY Mudimbe (* 1941)
- Kavidi Wivine N'Landu
- Clémentine Nzuji (* 1944)
- Kabika Tshilolo
Lesotho
- Moroesi Akhionbare (* 1945)
- 'Masechele Caroline Ntšeliseng Khaketla (1918–2012)
- Thomas Mofolo (1876–1948)
- Mzamane Nhlapo (* 1960)
Libya
- Muammar al-Gaddafi (1942–2011)
- Ibrahim al-Koni (* 1948)
- Hisham Matar (* 1970)
Madagascar
- Elie-Charles Abraham (* 1919)
- Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo (1901–1937)
- Jacques Rabemananjara
- Charlotte Arrissoa Rafenomanjato
- Michèle Rakotoson
Malawi
- Aubrey Kachingwe (* 1926)
- James David Rubadiri (* 1930)
- Jack Mapanje (* 1944)
- Frank M. Chipasula (* 1949)
- Dede Kamkondo (1954-2006)
- Anthony Nazombe (1955-2004)
- Samson Kambalu (* 1975)
Mali
- Adame Ba Konare
- Aïcha Fofana (1957-2003)
- Aïda Mady Diallo
- Aïssatou Guido (* 1941)
- Aly Diallo
- Amadou Hampâté Bâ
- Aoua Kéita (1912-1980)
- Bernadette Sanou Dao (* 1952), lived in Burkina Faso since 1963
- Daramani Tarawele
- Fanta-Taga Tembely (* 1946)
- Fatouma Keïta (* 1977)
- Gaoussou Diawara
- Ismaila Samba Traoré
- M'Bamakan Soucko Bathily
- Modibo Sounkalo Keita
- Oumou Diarra (* 1967), born in Yugoslavia
- Yambo Ouologuem (1940-2017)
Morocco
Mauritius
- Nathacha Appanah (* 1973)
- Lilian Berthelot
- Marcel Cabon (1912–1972)
- Raymond Chasle
- Malcolm de Chazal (1902-1981)
- Carl de Souza (* 1949)
- Ananda Devi
- Jean Fanchette
- Colleen Lindsay , also South Africa
- Edouard Maunick
- Tanure Ojaide (* 1948)
- Dev Virasawmy
Mozambique
See list of Mozambican writers
Namibia
- Neshani Andreas (1964-2011)
- Helmut Kangulohi Angula
- Hans Beukes
- Naomi Beukes-Meyer (* 1965)
- Ernst Ludwig Cramer
- Joseph Diescho (* 1955)
- Dorian Haarhoff (* 1944), also South Africa
- Daisy Hackländer
- Ada Hardegen
- Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari
- Giselher W. Hoffmann (1958-2016)
- Zephaniah Kameeta
- Ingrid Kubisch
- Lisa Kuntze
- Hildegard Marie Lang Heinrich
- Use Liepsch
- Anne Maag
- Anouschka from Meck
- Fritz Metzger
- Peya Mushelenga
- Hans Daniel Namuhuja (1924–1998)
- Vinnia Ndadi
- Kosie Pretorius (1935-2017)
- Erwin Sandelowsky
- Erastus Shamena
- Helao Shityuwete (* 1934)
- Petra Skriver
- Marga Vaatz
- Joachim Voigts
- Ute choice
- Gerda Wilhelm
- John Ya Otto
- Konrad Zander (writer)
Niger
See the list of Nigerien writers
Nigeria
Rwanda
- Maggy Correa
- Jeannine Herrmann-Grisius
- Michel Kayoya († 1972)
- Thérèse Muamini
- Esther Mujawayo
- Yolande Mukagasana
- Joseph Ndwaniye (* 1962)
- Benjamin Seee (* 1959)
- Marie-Aimable Umurerwa
- Marie Béatrice Umutesi (* 1959)
Zambia
Sao Tome and Principe
- Sara Pinto Coelho (1913–1990)
- Caetano da Costa Alegre
- Conceição Lima (* 1961)
- Alda do Espírito Santo (1926-2010)
- Mario Domingues (* 1899)
- José Francisco Tenreiro (1921–1963)
- M. Manuela Margarido (1925-2007)
Senegal
See list of Senegalese writers
Seychelles
- Antoine Abel ( 1934 - 2004 )
Sierra Leone
- Abioseh Nicol ( 1924 - 1994 )
- Gladys Casely-Hayford ( 1904 - 1950 )
- Syl Cheney-Coker (born 1945 )
Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia)
See list of Zimbabwean writers
Somalia
South Africa
See list of South African writers
Sudan
- Leila Aboulela (* 1964)
- Tarek Eltayeb (* 1959)
- At-Tayyib Salih (1928-2009)
Tanzania
- Muhammed Said Abdulla (1918–1991)
- Chachage Seith Chachage
- Euphrase Kezilahali (1944-2020)
- Aniceti Kitereza (1896–1981)
- Amandina Lihamba
- Ismael R. Mbise (* 1944)
- Penina Mlama
- Elvis Musiba
- Julius Nyerere (1922–1999)
- Peter K. Palangyo (1939-1993)
- Hammie Rajab
- Shaaban Bin Robert (1909–1962)
- Edwin Semzaba
- Shafi Adam Shafi
Togo
Chad
- Marie-Christine Koundja (* 1957)
- Koulsy Lamko (born 1959)
Tunisia
- Tahar Haddad (1899-1935)
- Albert Memmi (1920-2020)
- Mahmoud Messaâdi (1911-2004)
- Gilbert Naccache (* 1939)
- Aroussia Nalouti (* 1950)
- Youssef Rzouga (* 1957)
- Habib Selmi (born 1951)
Uganda
- Taban lo Liyong (* 1938), born in Sudan
- Grace Akello
- Jane Jagger's Babaluba
- Doreen Bangana
- Violet Barungi
- Bananuka Jocelyn Ekochu
- Moses Isegawa
- Catherine Samali Kavuma
- China Keitetsi
- Hope Keshubi
- Susan N. Kiguli
- Barbara Kimenye
- Goretti Kyomuhendo
- Mahmood Mamdani
- Mary Karooro Okurut
- Okot p'Bitek (1931-1982)
- Lillian Rinndyebwa
- Ayeta Anne Wangusa
- Timothy Wangusa
- Timothy Bazarrabusa
Central African Republic
- Anurée Blouin (* 1921)