New Year, New Books!

To start off the New Year the African Library has selected some great new books. Common thread: these books and writers offer new perspectives on Africa, from an African point-of-view. Check out the following library picks from recent months.

An African History of Africa / Zeinab Badawi
This book, written by Zeinab Badawi, is an attempt to offer an alternative narrative on the history of the African continent, emphasizing Africa’s rich past. The result is an easy-to-read overview taking the reader from the dawn of humanity, to the age of African independence.

The African Gaze / Amy Sall
This comprehensive volume by Amy Sall based on Sall’s courses on ‘postcolonial visual culture’, spotlights influential African photographers and filmmakers, from the mid-20^th century until today. It features contributions from academics, interviews with living artists, and more than 300, sometimes unique, images.

Ces soleils ardent / Nincemon Fallé
This novel is the winner of the Prix Voix d’Afriques 2024, a prize for young French-language authors from the African continent. The story follows a group of students at the Houphouët-Boigny University in Abidjan, in their struggles with ambition, generation conflicts, friendship, and love.

A mouth full of salt / Reem Gaafar
The manuscript of this novel is the winner of the Island Prize for African Novels 2023, an award for unpublished African authors. The book tells the story of the challenges two powerful female characters, from North and South Sudan, face navigating between tradition and social change.

These books give just a glimpse of all new acquisitions available at the African Library. Take the opportunity to come find them and more, and at the same time discover our beautiful new library and study spaces.

A selection of new acquisitions are on display in the library. To find all new acquisitions, visit our New Titles page. Or subscribe to our alert service to receive updates on new titles according to your personal preferences.