Women writers

Critical bibliography
Creative works

African women writers

The Voices of African Writers pages (first loaded here in 1996) include biographical blurbs and bibliographical information for five well-known women. Experience in providing reference assistance since then, however, tells me that there is enough scholarly interest to justify the addition of more material on African women authors. The emphasis here is on sub-Saharan authors, though some of the works cited in the critical bibliography include material from the Maghreb (North Africa), African-American Diaspora, and elsewhere. The list of authors included is not intended to be comprehensive (the emphasis is on English language works or those with English translations available), but should assist readers and researchers to identify and further their interest in some of the continent's less well-known women authors. 

This page takes as a starting point Tuzyline Jita Allan's "We will be heard!" in Black Issues Book Review v. 3, n. 2: 53-55 (March-April 2001). [Intended primarily for librarians to keep up with new publications, this journal has been rated among the ten best new magazines of 1999]. Readers should consult the article itself for the author's analysis, but I have noted the books, critical sources and authors from this useful article to provide a starting point for those who wish to pursue research on African women writers. I have supplemented items considered in this article with additional titles and bibliographical information. For a much more complete and detailed survey, see the very useful: "Female literary authors index" pp. 426-430 In Limb, Peter and Jean-Marie Volet (eds.). 1996. Bibliography of African Literatures. Lanham, MD and London: Scarecrow Press. Scarecrow Area Bibliographies, no. 10. This index refers to about 320 women writers, leading the reader back into the very usefully organized (by language and region, along with several useful introductory essays) body of this excellent reference book. The authors (p. xix) note the value of several further sources on African women writers, to wit: Berrian, Brenda F. Bibliography of African Women Writers and Journalists (Ancient Egypt-1984). Washington, DC: Three Continents, 1985; Ormerod, Beverley and Jean-Marie Volet. Romancières africaines d'expression française: le sud du Sahara. Paris: L'Harmattan, 1994; and House, Amelia. Black Women Writers from South Africa: A Preliminary Checklist. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Program on Women, 1980.

Further suggestions regarding more general critical, biographical, and academic journal resources for African literature research are available on the Voices and the Literature bibliography pages. I also recommend in particular the GaleNet Literature Resource Center (requires UF or other licensed affiliation), the freely available Voice of the Shuttle, and the Emory University Postcolonial Studies web pages.

Please note that in many cases, these items may be difficult to find outside of a large academic library that has specialized access to published literature from the African continent. You may need to use your own library's Interlibrary Loan office for your research. This is a work in progress. I am happy to consider suggestions for additional material to include.

Contents

Recent anthologies, autobiographies, and critical monographs

Primary sources

Aidoo, Ama Ata (b. 1942, Ghana)

Magona, Sindiwe (b. 1943, South Africa)

Alkali, Zaynab (b. 1950, Nigeria)

Mbaye, Marietou B. (b. 1948, Senegal)

Ba, Mariama (1929-1981, Senegal)

Mugo, Micere (b. 1942, Kenya)

Bugul, Ken (see Mbaye, Marietou)

Ngcobo, Lauretta (b. 1931, South Africa)

Emecheta, Buchi (b. 1944, Nigeria)

Njau, Rebeka (b. 1932, Kenya)

Fall, Aminata Sow (b. 1941, Senegal)

Nwapa, Flora (1931-1993, Nigeria)

Gordimer, Nadine (b. 1923, South Africa)

Odaga, Asenath Bole (b. 1937, Kenya)

Head, Bessie (1937-1986, South Africa)

Ogot, Grace (b. 1930, Kenya)

Kuzwayo, Ellen (b. 1914, South Africa)

Sutherland, Efua Theodora (1924-1996, Ghana)

Liking, Werewere (b. 1950, Cameroon)

Tlali, Miriam (b. 1933, South Africa)

Macgoye, Marjorie Oludhe (b. 1928, England; naturalized Kenyan 1964)

Vera, Yvonne (b. 1964, Zimbabwe)
 

 

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© Copyright 1995-2005. Dan Reboussin, Africana Collection, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida . Last modified: December 18, 2003 . All hyperlinks verified as of May 28, 2004.