New Releases

The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Abani - January 2014

Suspenseful through the last page, The Secret History of Las Vegas is Chris Abani’s most accomplished work to date, with his trademark visionary prose and a striking compassion for the inner lives of outsiders. Before he can retire, Las Vegas detective Salazar is determined to solve a recent spate of murders. When he encounters a pair of conjoined twins with a container of blood near their car, he’s sure he has apprehended the killers, and enlists the help of Dr. Sunil Singh, a South African transplant who specializes in the study of psychopaths. As Sunil tries to crack the twins, the implications of his research grow darker. 


Foreign Gods Inc by Okey Ndibe - January 2014

Okey Ndibe's novel tells the story of Ike, a New York-based Nigerian cab driver who sets out to steal the statue of an ancient war deity from his home village and sell it to a New York gallery. Despite a degree in economics from a major American college, his strong accent has barred him from the corporate world. Forced to eke out a living as a cab driver, he is unable to manage the emotional and material needs of a temperamental African American bride and a widowed mother demanding financial support. When he turns to gambling, his mounting losses compound his woes. 


Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor - January 2014

Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor novel is about a splintered family in Kenya—a story of power and deceit, unrequited love, survival and sacrifice. Odidi Oganda, running for his life, is gunned down in the streets of Nairobi. His grief-stricken sister, Ajany, just returned from Brazil, and their father bring his body back to their crumbling home in the Kenyan drylands, seeking some comfort and peace. But the murder has stirred memories long left untouched and unleashed a series of unexpected events



Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi - February 2014

Sparkling with wit and vibrancy, Boy, Snow, Bird, Helen Oyeyemi's fifth novel, is a deeply moving novel about three women and an unbreakable bond. BOY Novak turns twenty and decides to try for a brand-new life. SNOW is mild-mannered, radiant and deeply cherished - exactly the sort of little girl Boy never was, and Boy is utterly beguiled by her. SNOW is mild-mannered, radiant and deeply cherished - exactly the sort of little girl Boy never was, and Boy is utterly beguiled by her. 



All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu - March 2014

From acclaimed author Dinaw Mengestu, a recipient of the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 award, The New Yorker’s 20 Under 40 award, and a 2012 MacArthur Foundation genius grant, comes an unforgettable love story about a searing affair between an American woman and an African man in 1970s America and an unflinching novel about the fragmentation of lives that straddle countries and histories. All Our Names is the story of two young men who come of age during an African revolution, drawn from the safe confines of the university campus into the intensifying clamor of the streets outside. 
Every Day is for The Thief by Teju Cole - March 2014

In Teju Cole's novella, a young man decides to visit Nigeria after years of absence. Ahead lies the difficult journey back to the family house and all its memories; meetings with childhood friends and above all, facing up to the paradox of Nigeria, whose present is as burdened by the past as it is facing a new future. Along the way, our narrator encounters life in Lagos. He is captivated by a woman reading on a danfo; attempts to check his email are frustrated by Yahoo boys; he is charmingly duped buying fuel. He admires the grace of an aunty, bereaved by armed robbers and is inspired by the new malls and cultural venues. 



Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor - April 2014

In NnediOkorafor's new novel, three strangers, each isolated by his or her own problems: Adaora, the marine biologist. Anthony, the rapper famous throughout Africa. Agu, the troubled soldier. Wandering Bar Beach in Lagos, Nigeria's legendary mega-city, they're more alone that they've ever been before. But when something like a meteorite plunges into the ocean and a tidal wave overcomes them, these three people will find themselves bound together in ways never imagined. 



London Cape Town Joburg by Zukiswa Wanner - April 2014


1994. The world is about to change. The first truly democratic election in South Africa’s history is about to unite Nelson Mandela’s rainbow nation at the ballot box. And, across the world, those in exile, those who could not return home, those who would not return home, wait. Watch and wait . . .
London. Martin O’Malley isn’t one of those watching and waiting. He is too busy trying to figure out if Germaine Spencer really is the girl for him and why his best friend is intent on ruining every relationship he gets involved in. And then . . . And then Germaine is pregnant and suddenly the world really has changed for Martin O’Malley.


The Three by Sarah Lotz - May 2014

Black Thursday. The day that will never be forgotten. The day that four passenger planes crash, at almost exactly the same moment, at four different points around the globe. There are only four survivors. Three are children, who emerge from the wreckage seemingly unhurt. But they are not unchanged. And the fourth is Pamela May Donald, who lives just long enough to record a voice message on her phone. 

A message that will change the world. The message is a warning.


Chewing Gum by Mansour Bushnaf  - May 2014

Mansour Bushnaf is a playwright, novelist and essayist born in Libya 1954. With its satirical and semi-journalistic style, Chewing Gum is an existential quest to understand how a society exists beneath a repressive dictatorship. At times downright funny and at times poignantly sad, Chewing Gum depicts the academics, politicians and businessmen of Libya who all claim a monopoly on the truth of the country but who all, inevitably, fail the individual.


So The Path Does Not Die by Pede Hollist - July 2014

So the Path Does Not Die, at times funny, at times sad, is a modern, must-read debut novel from the exceptionally talented, Caine Prize shortlisted writer Pede Hollist.So the Path Does Not Die is a touching coming of age story that follows Finaba Marah through her childhood and adolescence into adulthood, from her native Sierra Leone to the new and exciting land of opportunity, the USA. 





Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes - July 2014


A terrifying new thriller from Lauren Beukes, award-winning author of The Shining GirlsDetroit is the decaying corpse of the American Dream. Motor-city. Murder-city. And home to a killer opening doors into the dark heart of humanity.A killer who wants to make you whole again…




The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami - September 2014

The Moor's Account by Moroccan author, Laila Lalami, has been described as 'a stunning piece of historical fiction: the imagined memoirs of the New World's first explorer of African descent, a Moroccan slave known as Estebanico. The Moor’s Account brilliantly captures Estebanico’s voice and vision, giving us an alternate narrative for this famed expedition. As this dramatic chronicle unfolds, we come to understand that, contrary to popular belief, black men played a significant part in New World exploration, and that Native American men and women were not merely silent witnesses to it.

Satans & Shaitans by Obinna Undenwe - September 2014

Set against the backdrop of Nigeria’s ongoing terrorism tensions, Satans and Shaitans tells the story of two powerful men, Chief Donald Amechi and world acclaimed televangelist, Chris Chuba, both members of the internationally renowned Sacred Order of the Universal Forces. The story takes the reader into the state of Islam and Christianity in Nigeria, suicide bombings, family secrets, betrayals, political assassinations, and treachery. It is a novel of morality, choices and consequences, political and religious powers, terrorism and jihad.



Peace and Conflict by Irene Sabatini - November 2014

This is the story of a young boy's adventures as he takes it upon himself to solve the mystery of an 'evil' old neighbour in Geneva, and a missing auntie in Zimbabwe. Charming, funny and resonant, this is a novel about how one boy comes to understand what conflict can do to a person, a family, a whole country - and what it means to fight for peace.




2013 Releases


Blue White Red by Alain Mabanckou - January 2013

Alain Mabanckou's first novel Bleu-Blanc-Rouge, which was published in 1998 and won him the Grand prix litteraire d'Afrique noire in 1999 has been translated into English. Blue White Red is a novel of postcolonial Africa where young people born into poverty dream of making it big in the cities of their former colonial masters. Alain Mabanckou's searing commentary on the lives of Africans in France is cut with the parody of African villages who boast of a son in the country of Digol.





The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna - March 2013

In Aminatta Forna's new novel, Gost is surrounded by mountains and fields of wild flowers. The summer sun burns. The Croatian winter brings freezing winds. Beyond the boundaries of the town an old house which has lain empty for years is showing signs of life. One of the windows, glass darkened with dirt, today stands open, and the lively chatter of English voices carries across the fallow fields. Laura and her teenage children have arrived.





Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi - March 2013

Ghana Must Go is Taiye Selasi's debut novel published by Viking. It shares the truths hidden, lies told and crimes committed in the name of love. It is at once a portrait of family and an exploration of the importance of where we come from and our obligations to one another. In one sweeping narrative that  takes us from West Africa to New England to London, Ghana Must Go teaches that the stories we share with one another can build a new future. 





Published by McSweeney's and edited by Nyuol Lueth Tong, There Is a Country collects eight engrossing pieces by South Sudanese authors—the first collection of its kind, from the youngest country in the world. There Is a Country's stories explore youth and love, life and death: a first glimpse of what South Sudanese literature has to offer.




The Cutting Room by Mary Watson - April 2013

The Cutting Room is Mary Watson, 2006 Caine Prize winner, debut novel. When her husband Amir abruptly leaves home, film editor Lucinda is left angry and puzzled. Where has Amir gone, and why? In the months before he left, Amir seemed troubled and preoccupied and their marriage had become strained and tense. Now Lucinda worries that his departure could be her fault. Soon afterwards, Lucinda is brutally assaulted in a knife attack, which throws her even more off balance.




The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes - April 2013 (Australia, SA and UK)/June 2013 (US)

The Time Traveler's Wife meets The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in this story of a time-traveling serial killer who is impossible to trace ... until one of his victims survives. The Shining Girls, Lauren Beukes new novel is a masterful twist on the classic serial killer tale: a violent quantum leap featuring a memorable and appealing girl in pursuit of a deadly criminal.

Way Back Home by Niq Mhlongo - April 2013
Way Back Home, is South African author Niq Mhlongo's third novel. Kimathi Tito has it all. As a child of the revolution, born in exile in Tanzania, he has steadily accumulated wealth and influence since arriving in South Africa in 1991. But even though everything appears just peachy from outside the walls of his mansion in Bassonia, things are far from perfect for Comrade Kimathi. 







Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - May 2013

From the award-winning author of Half of a Yellow Sun, comes a dazzling new novel: a story of love and race centered around a young man and woman from Nigeria who face difficult choices and challenges in the countries they come to call home. Americanah is a richly told story set in today’s globalized world.







Love is Power, or Something Like That by A. Igoni Barrett - May 2013 (US)/June 2013 (UK)


In Love is Power or Something Like That A. Igoni Barrett roams the streets of Lagos with people from all stations of life. In these wide-ranging stories, Barett shows that when it comes to love, things are not always what they seem.With humour and tenderness, Barett introduces us to an utterly modern Nigeria, where desire is a means to an end, and love is a power as real as money.





We Need New Names, the debut novel from 2011 Caine Prize winner NoViolet Bulawyo tells the story of 10 year old Darling who must navigate a fragile and violent world. But Darling has a chance to escape: she has an aunt in America. She travels to this new land in search of America's famous abundance only to find that her options as an immigrant are perilously few. 




Tomorrow I Will Be Twenty Years Old by Alain Mabanckou - May 2013

Tomorrow I Will Be Twenty Years Old is a humorous and poignant account of an African childhood, drawn from Alain Mabanckou's life.  Michel is ten years old, living in Pointe Noire, Congo, in the 1970s. His mother sells peanuts at the market, his father works at the Victory Palace Hotel, and brings home books left behind by the white guests. 








Black Star Nairobi by Mukoma Wa Ngugi - June 2013

Black Star Nairobi by Mukoma Wa Ngugi is book two in the action-packed crime series set in Nairobi featuring an American cop teamed up with a Kenyan Partner. When a bomb explodes in a downtown Nairobi hotel, private detectives Ishmael and Odhiambo quickly make the connection to a murder case they're investigating. It's the first big break for their new detective agency, Black Star, formed after they were teamed together as policemen and they tracked down a Rwandan war criminal through the violent Kenyan underworld. 

A Memory This Size and Other Stories: The Caine Prize for African Writing - July 2013

Each year an anthology is published containing the shortlisted stories alongside stories written at Caine Prize workshops. The Caine Prize Anthologies are published by New Internationalist in the UK and publishers in seven African countries: Jacana Media (South Africa), Cassava Republic (Nigeria), Kwani? (Kenya), Sub-Saharan Publishers (Ghana), FEMRITE (Uganda), Bookworld Publishers (Zambia) and 'amaBooks (Zimbabwe). 




Happiness, Like Water by Chinelo Okparanta - August 2013

Happiness, Like WaterChinelo Okparanta's debut collection of short stories offers a portrait of Nigeria that is surprising, shocking, heartrending, loving, bringing us life across social strata, dealing in every kind of change. These are startling, challenging stories filled with language to make your eyes pause and your throat catch.






The Orchard of Lost Souls by Nadifa Mohamed - August 2013

It is 1988 and Hargeisa waits. Whispers of revolution travel on the dry winds but still the dictatorship remains secure. Soon, and through the eyes of three women, we will see Somalia fall. Nine-year-old Deqo; Kawsar, a solitary widow; and Filsan, a young female soldier. And as the country is unravelled by a civil war that will shock the world, the fates of the three women are twisted irrevocably together. Intimate, frank, brimming with beauty and fierce love, The Orchard of Lost Souls is an unforgettable account of ordinary lives lived in extraordinary times.



Maid in SA: 30 Ways to Leave Your Madam by Zukiswa Wanner - August 2013

Maid in SA: 30 Ways to Leave Your Madam is a laugh-out-loud take on a woman's home, but is as serious as the security guards in gated communities. It is a quirky, lighter look at one of South Africa's most important, yet most overlooked, relationships: that between a domestic worker and her madam. In this book you'll find the women in your life - your mothers, your sisters, your cousins, your friends and yourself.




Fairytales for Lost Children by Diriye Osman - September 2013

Published by Team Angelica, Fairytales for Lost Children is Diriye Osman's debut collection of short stories. It is narrated by people constantly on the verge of self-revelation. These characters - young, gay and lesbian Somalis - must navigate the complexities of family, identity and the immigrant experience as they tumble towards freedom. Set in Kenya, Somalia and South London, these stories are imbued with pathos, passion and linguistic playfulness, marking the arrival of a singular new voice in contemporary fiction.



Kabu-Kabu by Nnedi Okorafor - October 2013

Kabu Kabu - unregistered, illegal Nigerian taxis - generally get you where you need to go, but Nnedi Okorafor's Kabu Kabu takes the reader to exciting, fantastic, magical, occasionally dangerous, and always imaginative locations. This debut short story collection by award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor includes notable previously-published short work, a new novella co-written with New York Times bestselling author Alan Dean Foster, and a brief forward by Whoopi Goldberg.