5.

...

Vietnam

List of the most popular authors from Vietnam, listed alphabetically with photos
when available. For centuries authors have been among the world's most
important people, helping chronicle history and keep us entertained with one of
the earliest forms of storytelling. Whether they're known for fiction, non-fiction,
poetry or even technical writing, the famous Vietnamese authors on this list have
kept that tradition alive by writing renowned works that have been praised around
the world. You can find useful information below about these notable Vietnamese
writers, such as when they were born and where their place of birth was.

List authors include Monique Truong, Đặng Thân and many additional authors as
well.

This list answers the questions, "Which famous authors are from Vietnam?" and
"Who are the best Vietnamese authors?"

For further information on these historic Vietnamese authors, click on their

names. If you're a bookworm then use this list of celebrated Vietnamese authors
to discover some new books that you will enjoy reading.
list ordered by
original order
 authors
search list

DID YOU KNOW?

Ho Chi Minh is also ranked #65 of 411 on The Most Important Military Leaders in
World History
1
Ho Chi Minh is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh
The prison diary of Ho Chi Minh, Down with colonialism!, Selected works
Hồ Chí Minh (; Vietnamese: [hò cǐ mīŋ̟] (listen), Saigon: [hò cǐ mɨ̄ n] (listen); Chữ
nôm: 胡志明; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), born Nguyễn Sinh Cung, also
known as ...more
#552
OF 931
People We Wish Were Still Alive
#122
OF 379
The Most Important Leaders In World History
#289
OF 2,831
The Most Influential People of All Time

2
Nam Cao is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Nam Cao
Chi Pheo, Chi Pheo and other stories
Trần Hữu Tri (1915—1951), commonly known by his pseudonym Nam Cao, was
a Vietnamese short story writer and novelist. His works generally received high
acclaim from critics for their thoughtful ...more
3
Andrew Lam is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Andrew Lam
Perfume dreams
Andrew Lam (born 1964) is a Vietnamese American author and journalist who
has written about the Overseas Vietnamese experience.
4
Dương Thu Hương is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list Famous Authors from
Vietnam
Dương Thu Hương
 No Man's Land, Quãng đời đánh má̂ ́ t, Ban mai yé̂n ả
Dương Thu Hương (born 1947) is a Vietnamese author and political dissident.
Formerly a member of Vietnam's Communist party, she was expelled from the
party in 1989, and has been denied the right ...more
5
Nguyen Ngoc Ngan is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list Famous Authors from
Vietnam
Nguyen Ngoc Ngan
The Ballad of Mulan, The will of heaven, The Blind Man and the Cripple -
Orchard Village
Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn (born 9 March 1945 in Sơn Tây in Hanoi) is a Vietnamese-
Canadian writer and essayist. He was born in Sơn Tây, Vietnam, but his family
moved to South Vietnam when the ...more
6
To Huu is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
To Huu
Blood and flowers, Poems
Tố Hữu (4 October 1920 – 9 December 2002) was Vietnam's most famous
revolutionary poet.He published seven collections of poems, the first of which
was the 1946 collection entitled Từ ấy ...more
7
Monique Truong is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Monique Truong
The Book of Salt, My Cherry Amour, American Like Me
Monique T.D. Truong (born 13 May 1968 in Saigon in South Vietnam) is a
Vietnamese American writer living in Brooklyn, New York.
8
Le Duan is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Le Duan
This nation and socialism are one, The Path to Revolution in the South, The
Road to the South
Lê Duẩn (Vietnamese: [lē zʷə́̂n]; 7 April 1907 – 10 July 1986) was a Vietnamese
communist politician. He rose in the party hierarchy in the late 1950s and
became General Secretary of the ...more
9
Aimee Phan is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Aimee Phan
We should never meet, The Reeducation of Cherry Truong
 Aimee Phan is a Vietnamese-American author. She was born and raised in
Orange County, California. She received her BA in English from UCLA and her
MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she ...more
10
Trinh T. Minh-ha is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Trinh T. Minh-ha
When the moon waxes red, Woman, native
Trinh T. Minh-ha (born 1952 in Hanoi) is a Vietnamese filmmaker, writer, literary
theorist, composer, and professor. She has been making films for over thirty
years and may be best known for her ...more
11
Nguyen Nhat Anh is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list Famous Authors from
Vietnam
Nguyen Nhat Anh
Cho tôi xin một vé đi tuổi thơ, Cú nhảy kinh hoàng, Kaleidoscope
Nguyễn Nhật Ánh (born May 7, 1955) is a Vietnamese author who writes for
teenagers and adults. He also works as a teacher, poet and correspondent. His
works include approximately 24 short ...more
12
Nguyễn Đình Chiểu... is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list Famous Authors from
Vietnam
Nguyễn Đình Chiểu
Lục Vân Tiên, Ngu Tieu y thuat van dap, Van Te Nghia Si Can Giuoc
Nguyễn Đình Chiểu (阮廷沼; 1 July 1822 – 3 July 1888) was a Vietnamese poet
who was known for his nationalist and anti-colonial writings against the French
colonization of Cochinchina, the ...more
13
Linh Dinh is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Linh Dinh
Fake house, Blood and soap, Night
Linh Dinh (Vietnamese Đinh Linh, born 1963, Saigon, Vietnam) is a Vietnamese-
American poet, fiction writer, translator, and photographer. He was a 1993 Pew
Fellow. He writes for Unz.com.
Vietnam
Also Ranks:
more

#94
OF 294The Prettiest Flags in the World
 #10
OF 29Real Landscapes That Look Like They're From Anothe...
14
Bao Ninh is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Bao Ninh
The sorrow of war, El Dolor de La Guerra
Hoàng Ấu Phương, also known by the pen name Bảo Ninh (born 18 October
1952 in Nghệ An), is a Vietnamese novelist, essayist and writer of short stories,
best known for his first novel, ...more
15
Hàn Mặc Tử is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Hàn Mặc Tử
Jinzhou Coast, Playing in the Moon Season, Suffering
Nguyễn Trọng Trí, penname Hàn Mặc Tử (September 22, 1912 - November 11,
1940) was a Vietnamese poet. He was the most celebrated Vietnamese Catholic
literary figure during the ...more
16
Lan Cao is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Lan Cao
Everything you need to know about Asian American history, Monkey Bridge
Lan Cao (born 1961) is the author of the novels Monkey Bridge (1997) and The
Lotus and the Storm (2014). She is also a professor of law at the Chapman
University School of Law, specializing in ...more
17
Xuan Dieu is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Xuan Dieu
Thơ Thơ, Phấn Thông Vàng, Gửi Hương Cho Gió
Ngô Xuân Diệu (February 2, 1916 – December 18, 1985) more commonly known
by the pen name Xuân Diệu, was a prominent Vietnamese poet. A colossal figure
in modern Vietnamese ...more
18
Bui Tin is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Bui Tin
From enemy to friend, Following Ho Chi Minh: The Memoirs of a North
Vietnamese Colonel, From Enemy To Friend: A North Vietnamese Perspective
on the War
Bùi Tín (December 29, 1927 – August 11, 2018) was a Vietnamese dissident and
People's Army of Vietnam colonel. He immigrated from Vietnam to Paris in 1990.
19
Lê Quý Đ&oc... is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
 Lê Quý Đôn
Đại Việt thông sử, Phủ biên tạp lục, Vân đài loại ngữ
Lê Quý Đôn (黎貴惇; 1726–1784) was an 18th-century Vietnamese poet,
encyclopedist, and government official. His pseudonym was Quế-Đường. He
was a native of Duyen Ha village in ...more
20
Văn Cao is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Văn Cao
Do you hear?, Leaves, Days with signs of a spring to come
Văn Cao (born Nguyễn Văn Cao, Vietnamese pronunciation: [ŋʷjə̌ˀn van kaːw];
15 November 1923 – 10 July 1995) was a Vietnamese composer whose works
include "Tiến Quân Ca", which ...more
21
Pham Duy Ton is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Pham Duy Ton
Phạm Duy Tốn, Tác phẩm chọn lọc
Phạm Duy Tốn was a Vietnamese writer. He was father of the songwriter Phạm
Duy and French language writer and ambassador Phạm Duy Khiêm. Tốn
graduated from the French School of ...more
22
Nguyen Du is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Nguyen Du
The Tale of Kieu
Nguyễn Du (阮攸; 3 January 1765 – 16 September 1820), pen names Tố Như (
素如) and Thanh Hiên (清軒), is a celebrated Vietnamese poet who wrote in chữ
nôm, the ancient writing script of ...more
23
Phan Chu Trinh is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Phan Chu Trinh
A complete account of the peasants' uprising in the central region
Phan Châu Trinh (Chinese: 潘周楨, 1871 - 1926), courtesy name Tử Cán (梓幹),
pen name Tây Hồ (西湖) or Hi Mã (希馬), was an early 20th-century Vietnamese
nationalist. He sought ...more
Vietnam
Also Ranks:
more

#94
OF 294The Prettiest Flags in the World
 #10
OF 29Real Landscapes That Look Like They're From Anothe...
24
Tan Da is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Tan Da
Farewell, The non nuoc
Nguyễn Khắc Hiếu, penname Tản Đà was a Vietnamese poet. He used both
traditional Sino-Vietnamese forms and European influences and was a
transitional figure between the turn of the 1890s ...more
25
Quang Nhuong Huynh is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list Famous Authors from
Vietnam
Quang Nhuong Huynh
The Land I Lost, Water Buffalo Days
Quang Nhuong Huynh (August 22, 1946—2001) was a Vietnamese-born
American author. He wrote two books, and has received several awards for his
autobiographical work The Land I Lost. Huynh is ...more
26
Nguyen Binh Khiem is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list Famous Authors from
Vietnam
Nguyen Binh Khiem
White Clouds Poetry Collection in the National Language, The Prophecies of
Trạng Trình
Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm (阮秉謙; 1491 – 1585) was a Vietnamese administrator,
educator, poet, sage and later a saint of the Cao Dai religion. He is referred to by
several names: tên huý Nguyễn Văn Đạt, Hanh Ph ...more
27
Nguyen Qui Duc is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Nguyen Qui Duc
The Time Tree
Nguyen Qui Duc (Nguyễn Quí Đức in Vietnamese) is a Vietnamese American
radio broadcaster, writer, editor and translator. Born in Da Lat, Vietnam, he came
to the United States in 1975, returning in the ...more
28

Thach Lam
Hà Nó̂ i băm sáu phó̂ ́ phường
29
Vu Trong Phung is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Vu Trong Phung
 Dumb Luck
Vũ Trọng Phụng (Hanoi, 20 October 1912 - Hanoi, 13 October 1939) was a
popular Vietnamese author and journalist, who is considered to be one of the
most influential figures of 20th century Vietnamese ...more
30

Nguyen Binh
Nguyễn Bính was a Vietnamese poet. A committed supporter of the August
Revolution he moved to the resistance base in Đồng Tháp Mười leading a
literature and arts unit. Later he was editor of the semi- ...more
31
Tran Bich San is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Tran Bich San
Trần Bích San (陳璧山, 1840–1877) was a famous Vietnamese scholar and
writer. The New Orleans-based Vietnamese writer Tran Bich San is his great-
grandson.
32

Nguyen Van Sieu

33
Le Thanh Tong is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Le Thanh Tong
Lê Thánh Tông (Hán tự: 黎聖宗, 25 August 1442 – 3 March 1497) was the 5th
emperor of Đại Việt during the Later Lê dynasty and is one of the greatest
emperors in Vietnamese feudal history . He reigned for ...more
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34

Kate Le
Gone With the Wine
35

Tran Te Xuong
Trần Tế Xương also known by the pen name Tú Xương was a Vietnamese poet
and satirist. His poems frequently targeted the "Frenchifying" Vietnamese middle
classes.
36

Nguyễn Quốc Chánh

Nguyễn Quốc Chánh (born 1958) is a Vietnamese poet. He was born in Bạc
Liêu, and now lives in Ho Chi Minh City. He is the author of four collections of
poems, Night of the Rising Sun (Đêm mặt trời mọc ...more
37

Trần Vũ
Trần Vũ is a Vietnamese-language writer living in France. Vũ arrived in Paris via
a boat people camp in the Philippines at the age of seventeen in 1979. His first
collection of six novelles was transl ...more
38
Đinh Xuân Tửu is listed (or ranked) 38 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Đinh Xuân Tửu
Đinh Xuân Tửu (2 February 1925 – 5 November 1996) was a Vietnamese writer
and poet (pen-names: Văn Lâm, Kỳ Phong, Thành Lễ, Tô Huyền An). He was
born in Hà Tĩnh Province, Vietnam. He was a poet loved ...more
39

Thanh Hai
Phạm Bá Ngoãn, pen name Thanh Hải (1930–1980) was a modern Vietnamese
poet. His pen name "Thanh Hải" literally means "Blue Sea" in classical Sino-
Vietnamese.
40
Nguyễn Quảng Tuân is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list Famous Authors from
Vietnam
Nguyễn Quảng Tuân
Nguyễn Quảng Tuân (Chữ Nôm:阮廣詢) (June 11, 1925 – May 20, 2019) was a
writer, poet and researcher in South Vietnam. He was born in the village of Yên
Mẫn, the district Võ Giàng (now district of Quế Võ) ...more
41
Đặng Thân is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Đặng Thân
Đặng Thân is a bilingual poet, fiction writer and essayist, based in Vietnam.
There he is regarded "the typical figure of Post-Doi Moi Literature", and
considered "the best humourist ever" and even an ...more
 Sinnathamby Rajaratnam
The Prophetic & the Political: Selected Speeches & Writings of S. Rajaratnam, S.
Rajaratnam, 2002-2003 MAT
...more
11
Goh Sin Tub is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list Famous Authors from Singapore
Goh Sin Tub
Ghosts of Singapore!, One Singapore, 30 stories
Goh Sin Tub (simplified Chinese: 吴信达; traditional Chinese: 吳信達; pinyin: Wú
Xìn Dá; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Gôo-Sìn-ta̍t) was a well-known pioneer of Singaporean
literature. ...more
12
Arthur Yap is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list Famous Authors from Singapore
Arthur Yap
A brief critical survey of prose writings in Singapore and Malaysia, Thematic
Structure in Poetic Discourse, Man
Arthur Yap Chioh Hiong (simplified Chinese: 叶纬雄; traditional Chinese: 葉緯雄;
pinyin: Yè Wěi Xióng; 1943 – 19 June 2006) was a Singaporean poet, writer and
painter.
13
Chay Yew is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list Famous Authors from Singapore
Chay Yew
The hyphenated American, Porcelain, Red
Chay Yew (simplified Chinese: 谢耀; traditional Chinese: 謝耀; pinyin: Xiè Yào) is
a playwright and stage director who was born in Singapore. In July 2011, he
became Artistic Director ...more
Singapore
Also Ranks:
more

#43
OF 115The Top Travel Destinations in the World

#49
OF 169The Most Beautiful Countries in the World
14
Rani Moorthy is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list Famous Authors from Singapore
Rani Moorthy
Rani Moorthy is a Malaysian-born playwright, actress, and artistic director of
Rasa Productions. Following the race riots of 1969 her family tried to emigrate to
Singapore, but were unsuccessful ...more
15
Chua Lam is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list Famous Authors from Singapore
Chua Lam
Chua Lam (also known as Mandarin: Tsai Lan, Cantonese: Choi Lan, Teochew:
Chùa Lāng) (simplified Chinese: 蔡澜, traditional Chinese: 蔡瀾, born 1941 in
Singapore) is a columnist, food critic ...more
16
Rex Shelley is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list Famous Authors from Singapore
Rex Shelley
Culture Shock! Japan, Sounds and sins of Singlish, and other nonsense
Rex Anthony Shelley (27 October 1930 – 21 August 2009) was a Eurasian
Singaporean author. A graduate of the University of Malaya in Singapore and
Cambridge trained in engineering and economics, ...more
17
 Kelvin Tan Wei Lian is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list Famous Authors from
Singapore
Kelvin Tan Wei Lian
All Broken Up and Dancing
Kelvin Tan Wei Lian (陈伟联) is a Singaporean former Mandopop singer who
earned a living as a busker before he won the first edition of Project SuperStar in
2005. He has released three albums, All ...more
18
Tommy Koh is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list Famous Authors from Singapore
Tommy Koh
The United States and East Asia, Asia and Europe, Tan jiu shi jie zhi xu
Tommy Koh Thong Bee (born 12 November 1937) is a Singaporean international
lawyer, professor and diplomat. He was also Singapore's former Permanent
Representative to the United Nations.
19
Han Lao Da is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Famous Authors from Singapore
Han Lao Da
Han Lao Da (Chinese: 韩劳达; pinyin: Hán Láodá) is a Singaporean playwright,
as well as founder and principal of Han Language Centre. Han received the
Cultural Medallion for ...more
20
Philip Jeyaretnam is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list Famous Authors from
Singapore
Philip Jeyaretnam
Raffles place ragtime, Abraham's promise, Tigers in paradise
Philip Antony Jeyaretnam (born 1964) is the Singapore chief executive officer
and global vice-chair at Dentons. He is a Senior Counsel and a former President
of the Law Society of Singapore. He ...more
21
Chee Soon Juan is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list Famous Authors from
Singapore
Chee Soon Juan
Dare to change
Chee Soon Juan (Chinese: 徐顺全; pinyin: Xú Shùnquán, born 20 July 1962) is a
Singaporean politician and the current leader of the Singapore Democratic Party
(SDP). Holding a ...more
22
Goh Poh Seng is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list Famous Authors from
Singapore
Goh Poh Seng
 The Immolation, If We Dream Too Long
Goh Poh Seng (simplified Chinese: 吴宝星; traditional Chinese: 吳寶星; pinyin:
Wú Bǎo Xīng; July 1936 – 10 January 2010), Singaporean dramatist, novelist,
doctor and poet, was born in Kuala ...more
23
Gopal Baratham is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list Famous Authors from
Singapore
Gopal Baratham
Figments of Experience, A candle or the sun, The city of forgetting
Gopal Baratham (9 September 1935 – 23 April 2002) was a Singaporean author
and neurosurgeon. He was known for his frank style and his ability to write about
topics that were often considered ...more
 Vietnam

List of the most popular authors from Vietnam, listed alphabetically with photos when
available. For centuries authors have been among the world's most important people,
helping chronicle history and keep us entertained with one of the earliest forms of
storytelling. Whether they're known for fiction, non-fiction, poetry or even technical
writing, the famous Vietnamese authors on this list have kept that tradition alive by
writing renowned works that have been praised around the world. You can find useful
information below about these notable Vietnamese writers, such as when they were
born and where their place of birth was.
List authors include Monique Truong, Đặng Thân and many additional authors as
well.

This list answers the questions, "Which famous authors are from Vietnam?" and
"Who are the best Vietnamese authors?"

For further information on these historic Vietnamese authors, click on their

names. If you're a bookworm then use this list of celebrated Vietnamese authors
to discover some new books that you will enjoy reading.
list ordered by
original order
authors
search list

WINNERS & LOSERS

#28. Anne Enright moved down on The Best Irish Authors
#47. Ahlam Mosteghanemi moved up on The Best Female Poets of All Time
#42. Adam McKay moved down on The Greatest Hollywood Screenwriters Of All-
Time, Ranked
1
Ho Chi Minh is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh
The prison diary of Ho Chi Minh, Down with colonialism!, Selected works
Hồ Chí Minh (; Vietnamese: [hò cǐ mīŋ̟] (listen), Saigon: [hò cǐ mɨ̄ n] (listen); Chữ
nôm: 胡志明; 19 May 1890 – 2 September 1969), born Nguyễn Sinh Cung, also
known as ...more
#552
OF 931
People We Wish Were Still Alive
#122
OF 379
The Most Important Leaders In World History
#289
OF 2,831
The Most Influential People of All Time

2
Nam Cao is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Nam Cao
 Chi Pheo, Chi Pheo and other stories
Trần Hữu Tri (1915—1951), commonly known by his pseudonym Nam Cao, was
a Vietnamese short story writer and novelist. His works generally received high
acclaim from critics for their thoughtful ...more
3
Andrew Lam is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list Famous Authors from Vietnam
Andrew Lam
Perfume dreams
Andrew Lam (born 1964) is a Vietnamese American author and journalist who
has written about the Overseas Vietnamese experience.

4
Dương Thu Hương is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list Famous Authors from
Vietnam
Dương Thu Hương
No Man's Land, Quãng đời đánh má̂ ́ t, Ban mai yé̂n ả
Dương Thu Hương (born 1947) is a Vietnamese author and political dissident.
Formerly a member of Vietnam's Comm
 Africa

Chinua Achebe

One of the world’s most widely recognized and praised writers, Chinua Achebe wrote
some of the most extraordinary works of the 20th century. His most famous novel,
Things Fall Apart (1958), is a devastating depiction of the clash between traditional
tribal values and the effects of colonial rule, as well as the tension between masculinity
and femininity in highly patriarchal societies. Achebe is also a noted literary critic,
particularly known for his passionate critique of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
(1899), in which he accuses the popular novel of rampant racism through its othering of
the African continent and its people.

Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe Image Courtesy of Penguin Modern Classics

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Born in Nigeria in 1977, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is part of a new generation of

African writers taking the literary world by storm. Adichie’s works are primarily
character-driven, interweaving the background of her native Nigeria and social and
political events into the narrative. Her novel Purple Hibiscus (2003) is a bildungsroman,
depicting the life experience of Kambili and her family during a military coup, while her
latest work Americanah (2013) is an insightful portrayal of Nigerian immigrant life and
race relations in America and the western world. Adichie’s works have been met with
overwhelming praise and have been nominated for and won numerous awards,
including the Orange Prize and Booker Prize.

Ayi Kwei Armah

 Ayi Kwei Armah’s novels are known for their intense, powerful depictions of political
devastation and social frustration in Armah’s native Ghana, told from the point of view of
the individual. His works were greatly influenced by French existential philosophers,
such as Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, and as such hold themes of despair,
disillusionment and irrationality. His most famous work, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet
Born (1968) centers around an unnamed protagonist who attempts to understand his
self and his country in the wake of post-independence.

The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born Image Courtesy of Heinemann

Mariama Bâ

One of Africa’s most influential women authors, Mariama Bâ is known for her powerful
feminist texts, which address the issues of gender inequality in her native Senegal and
wider Africa. Bâ herself experienced many of the prejudices facing women: she
struggled for an education against her traditional grandparents, and was left to look after
her nine children after divorcing a prominent politician. Her anger and frustration at the
patriarchal structures which defined her life spill over into her literature: her novel So
Long A Letter (1981) depicts, simultaneously, its protagonist’s strength and
powerlessness within marriage and wider society.

Nuruddin Farah

Born in Somalia in 1945, Nuruddin Farah has written numerous plays, novels and short
stories, all of which revolve around his experiences of his native country. The title of his
first novel From a Crooked Rib (1970) stems from a Somalian proverb “God created
woman from a crooked rib, and anyone who trieth to straighten it, breaketh it”, and is a
commentary on the sufferings of women in Somalian society through the narrative of a
young woman trapped in an unhappy marriage. His subsequent works feature similar
social criticism, dealing with themes of war and post-colonial identity.

Aminatta Forna

Born in Glasgow but raised in Sierra Leone, Aminatta Forna first drew attention for her
memoir The Devil That Danced on Water (2003), an extraordinarily brave account of her
family’s experiences living in war-torn Sierra Leone, and in particular her father’s tragic
fate as a political dissident. Forna has gone on to write several novels, each of them
critically acclaimed: her work The Memory of Love (2010) juxtaposes personal stories of
love and loss within the wider context of the devastation of the Sierre Leone civil war,
and was nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction.

The Memory of Love, Aminatta Forna Image Courtesy of Grove Press

Nadine Gordimer

One of the apartheid era’s most prolific writers, Nadine Gordimer’s works powerfully
explore social, moral, and racial issues in a South Africa under apartheid rule. Despite
winning a Nobel Prize in Literature for her prodigious skills in portraying a society
interwoven with racial tensions, Gordimer’s most famous and controversial works were
banned from South Africa for daring to speak out against the oppressive governmental
structures of the time. Her novel Burger’s Daughter follows the struggles of a group of
anti-apartheid activists, and was read in secret by Nelson Mandela during his time on
Robben Island.

Burger's Daughter Image Courtesy of Penguin Books

Alain Mabanckou

Originating from the Republic of Congo, Alain Mabanckou’s works are written primarily
in French, and are well known for their biting wit, sharp satire and insightful social
commentary into both Africa and African immigrants in France. His novels are strikingly
character-focused, often featuring ensemble casts of figures, such as his book Broken
Glass, which focuses on a former Congolese teacher and his interactions with the locals
in the bar he frequents, or his novel Black Bazar, which details the experiences of
various African immigrants in an Afro-Cuban bar in Paris.

Alain Mabanckou ©ActuaLitté/Flickr

Ben Okri
 Ben Okri’s childhood was divided between England and time in his native Nigeria. His
young experience greatly informed his future writing: his first, highly acclaimed novels
Flowers and Shadows (1980) and The Landscapes Within (1981) were reflections on
the devastation of the Nigerian civil war which Okri himself observed firsthand. His later
novels met with equal praise: The Famished Road (1991), which tells the story of Azaro,
a spirit child, is a fascinating blend of realism and depictions of the spirit world, and won
the Booker Prize.

Infinite Riches Image Courtesy of Vintage Publishing House

Ngugi wa Thiong’o

Ngugi wa Thiong’o is one of Africa’s most important and influential postcolonial writers.
He began his writing career with novels written in English, which nevertheless revolved
around postcolonial themes of the individual and the community in Africa versus colonial
powers and cultures. Wa Thiong’o was imprisoned without trial for over a year by the
government for the staging of a politically controversial play; after his release, he
committed to writing works only in his native Gikuyi an