10 Eye-Opening Books About Migration You Need To Read
Recently, I wrote the following introduction to a book in the best Italian books: For centuries, people have moved across continents, rivers, oceans, and barren
We often use the words ‘overrated’ and ‘underrated’ for almost everything we dislike or like. And, that is a bit problematic as it gives us an excuse to not talk about any topic that we don’t know or are not interested to know.
But if in all honesty, we discuss the merits of these words, we can find many topics that warrant our attention. And, I’m particularly interested in talking about ‘underrated’. So, any particular underrated topic that comes to your mind?
I have a topic in mind, and that is, criminally underrated.’
Any guesses?
Well, the topic is Nigerian books and Nigerian authors. I was surprised to find that there’s so little talk about Nigerian novels. Whereas, Nigeria has given the world many many great writers.
Although I talked about some great Nigerian authors which you should read. Today, I will talk about some of the best Nigerian books. So, let’s start!
Ben Okri is one of the finest Nigerian-born British writers of post-colonial times. In the magical realism genre, critics have compared his works with Gabriel García Márquez and Salman Rushdie.
Like these writers, he masterfully blends magical realism with political and social commentary. So far, he has written 11 novels and several other works, and this one remains one of his best Nigerian novels.
Azaro is an abiku (spirit child) who in the traditional Yoruba religion of Nigeria exists between life and death. Although he knows he will die and be reborn repeatedly, he chooses to stay in the human world. So, his choice unfolds in a chaotic and mesmerizing Nigerian setting, where he sees political corruption, poverty, and mystical encounters.
As Azaro lives in a poor community, he experiences human resilience and suffering. His parents, particularly his ambitious father, dream of a better future, while supernatural beings constantly try to lure him back to the spirit world.
The Famished Road won the Booker Prize in 1991, making Okri the youngest winner at the time. If you like magical realism, you should also read If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler, one of the best Italian books.
You can also read A Hundred Years of Solitude, which I covered in the best books of 2024.
The Joys of Motherhood is one of the best Nigerian novels by a Nigerian writer, Buchi Emecheta. Buchi was a strong proponent of women’s rights, and her work revolves around portrayals of gender and cultural issues in postcolonial Nigeria.
Nnu Ego is a devoted mother whose identity is just like what the societal ideal of motherhood expects. And, that societal ideal of motherhood is personal sacrifices and economic hardships.
As she deals with the complexities of family life and societal demands, there’s a lot of sacrifice, duty, and the other painful costs of traditional roles. It is a Nigerian novel about how motherhood and domestic fulfillment can be a celebration and burden due to cultural and economic realities.
Almost all of Buchi Emecheta’s fiction and nonfiction works are about women’s empowerment, freedom and resilience. And, for this very work, she is one of the best writers for African feminist literature.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of my favourite Nigerian writers. I have already covered her novel Half of a Yellow Sun, which I included among the 10 best novels out of 250 I read in the past decade.
Americanah is one of her another best Nigeria novels. It is about a young Nigerian woman and her experiences of identity, race, immigration, and love.
The story follows Ifemelu who is a bright and outspoken Nigerian woman. She moves to the United States for college. There, she faces racism, cultural differences, and the complexities of being a Black immigrant.
After some time, she starts a successful blog discussing race in America from a non-American perspective. Meanwhile, her childhood love, Obinze, dreams of joining her but faces obstacles that lead him to an undocumented life in London.
Years later, Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, where she and Obinze must confront their past and decide if they still have a future together.
Americanah won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, and many others. There’s another somewhat similar movie, Past Lives, where two characters reunite after decades and talk about choices that make a life. I covered Past Lives in the best movies of 2023.
So far, I have discussed 3 Nigerian novels. It’s time to discuss a non-fiction work, which is an autobiography by a Nigerian writer Toyin Falola. This Nigerian book is about his early life in Ibadan, Nigeria. However, unlike conventional memoirs, this book uses folklore, historical events, and Yoruba cultural traditions for a compelling narrative.
Falola recounts his childhood from the 1950s and 1960s, talking about communal lifestyle, spiritual beliefs, and politics of postcolonial Nigeria. He shares his early education, traditional practices, and his family’s influence on his intellectual growth.
He also discusses the impact of colonialism, Western education, and modernization of Yoruba society. As Falola matures, he faces challenges such as family expectations, economic struggles, and Nigeria’s shifting political climate.
He also provides firsthand accounts of important historical moments, alongside the rise of nationalist movements and the role of Western missionaries. Overall, his journey from a curious village boy to an academic historian truly makes this one of the best Nigerian books.
When Heaven and Earth Changed Places is another great memoir, which I covered in best books about the Vietnam war. You should also check another memoir, The Favored Daughter, by Afghan female writer, Fawzia Koofi, which I covered in books about Afghanistan.
If you want satire, thriller, crime and suspense in one novel, look no further. My Sister, the Serial Killer is one of the best Nigerian novels by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Oyinkan perfectly uses satire and crime thrillers to explore family loyalty, gender dynamics, and morality.
Korede is a nurse in Lagos, who has to constantly clean up the mess of her younger sister, Ayoola. Why? Because Ayoola is beautiful, charming—and a serial killer. Whenever Ayoola murders a boyfriend, Korede helps her cover it up, all while dealing with her own sense of right and wrong.
Tensions flare when Ayoola sets her sights on Tade, a doctor at Korede’s hospital, who Korede secretly loves. Now, Korede must decide between protecting her sister or to finally put an end to her deadly habits.
This Nigerian novel was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and longlisted for the Booker Prize. With over 36,000+ Goodreads reviews, this is one of the best works by Nigerian authors.
The Palm-Wine Drinkard is a classic novel by Nigerian writer Amos Tutuola. It was also one of the first African novels written in English. Tutuola used Yoruba oral traditions, and fantasy, and mythology folktales in his Nigerian books.
The novel is about an unnamed protagonist, the Palm-Wine Drinkard, who drinks palm wine on his large inherited estate. When his skilled tapster dies, leaving him without his favourite drink, he goes on a long journey to the land of the dead to bring him back.
His journey takes him through supernatural landscapes, where he comes across ghosts, shape-shifters, cannibalistic creatures, and other spirits that test his endurance and morality. During his journey, he acquires magical objects and meets a powerful woman who becomes his wife.
It was one of the first African novels which was published by a major Western press, Faber & Faber. The novel was also an inspiration for many writers of Nigeria, including Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka.
Forest of a Thousand Daemons is the first Nigerian novel written in the Yoruba language, which was published in 1938. It is a groundbreaking work in African fantasy literature taking inspiration from the Yoruba oral traditions, folklore, and mythology.
Unlike many early African novels that talk about colonialism and Western influences, Fagunwa’s work only focuses on indigenous narrative. He reflects and employs belief systems, cosmology, and oral storytelling of the Yoruba people.
Akara-Ogun is a skilled hunter, who goes to the Forest of a Thousand Daemons. It is a terrifying jungle with supernatural beings, talking animals and monstrous creatures. Along the way, he also encounters shape-shifters, warrior spirits, and terrifying demons.
But relying on Yoruba traditions and his wisdom, he must find a way between the spiritual and physical world.
Vagabonds! is a 2022 novel by Nigerian writer and multidisciplinary artist Eloghosa Osunde. The book is a collection of interconnected stories in Lagos. The stories are about the lives of individuals who exist on the fringes of society, known as “vagabonds.”
These characters include the queer, the displaced, and rogue spirits. Basically, these are the people whose existence society marginalizes and considers them outlaws. Osunde talks about such people’s identity, resistance, and the quest for authenticity in a society that suppresses nonconformity.
There are different characters: a driver for a powerful businessman with life-and-death authority. A famous fashion designer who mysteriously gives birth to an adult daughter. A lesbian couple whose relationship with underground sex work. And, a wife and a mother whose participation in a spiritual gathering transforms her perspective.
These stories happen in bustling markets, hidden clubs, churches, and hotel rooms. However, it’s Osunde’s storytelling that blends realism with myth and fantasy, making it one of the best NIgerian books.
Who Fears Death is one of the modern Nigerian books that blends Afrofuturism, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic fiction. It is set in a dystopian future Sudan, where genocide and oppression shape the brutal reality of its characters.
The story follows Onyesonwu, whose name means “Who Fears Death” in Igbo. She is the daughter of a Nuru man who raped her Okeke mother during a genocidal war. As a result of this violent union, Onyesonwu is born with supernatural abilities and becomes Ewu, a being to whom society fears.
She discovers her powers of shape-shifting, resurrection, and powerful magical abilities. After some training, she goes on to confront her father, a ruthless sorcerer who wants to destroy her and continue the cycle of oppression.
Who Fears Death won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 2011. This Nigerian book has also been optioned by HBO for a television adaptation, with George R.R. Martin as an executive producer.
Whenever you read a tense book, your next book should always be a lighter one. Here, you can also say that why I am discussing the legendary Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, in the end? Well, I have discussed about him in a Nigerian authors post in detail. Here I want to end the Nigerian books list on a lighter note.
This Nigeria novel is a political satire and critique of postcolonial African governance. Odili Samalu is an idealistic school teacher, who hates the corrupt political system when he meets Chief Nanga, a corrupt politician.
Nanga, once a teacher like Odili, has risen to power and now ingreed, nepotism, and exploitation of the masses is his mantra. Odili initially admires Nanga but later decides to challenge him politically after Nanga seduces his girlfriend. The rivalry between them escalates into a personal and political battle.
As the story unfolds, we see a society participating in political manipulation, bribery, and the erosion of democratic values. For his prophetic work, this novel remains one of Achebe’s best Nigerian books.
There are many other great Nigerian authors like Akwaeke Emezi, Wole Soyinka, Chigozie Obioma, and many others. You should especially check out The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma.
Apart from that, there are many other Nigerian authors that I must have missed. And, you can share if you have any favourites as well. The idea of covering Nigeria is its great diversity.
The fact that it has 250 ethnic groups that speak 500 distinct languages, makes Nigeria an astonishing country. And, not to forget its natural landmarks and wildlife reserves to make you in awe of this beautiful country.
And, no wonder that Nigerian literature is also quite diverse and unique. So, I hope my list of best Nigerian books justifies its diversity. And, don’t forget to share your favourite Nigerian novels!
Recently, I wrote the following introduction to a book in the best Italian books: For centuries, people have moved across continents, rivers, oceans, and barren
When I wrote about Russian literature books, I opined that Russian literature and its vast geography are perfect analogies for their sprawling canvases. What about
The regular readers of CulturalReads very well know that I share lists of my favourite books and movies every year. There’s not only a personal
