Set in Nigeria, resident patriarch Baba Segi has three wives and a litter of children, a symbol of his “manliness”. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (2010) – Lola Shoneyin Remarkably Kintu barely focuses on colonialism, which was a deliberate choice by Makumbi who has explained: “Europe remains at the centre of African creative production there is something not right about that for me.” She has also said that agents told her the novel was “too African” and that it is almost completely dismissed by Western publishers a huge failure on their parts to recognise an incredible book. Filled with wit, mystery and comedy, the book unveils the traditions, practices and culture of the people of Buganda while raising questions around belief systems associated with curses, magic and madness. Set between 17 in what was pre-colonial Buganda and became Uganda, Kintu narrates the story of Kintu Kidda, upon whom a curse has been placed, and his descendants.

Kintu (2014) – Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi Nonetheless, here is our attempt to list some of the best novels by African writers in the decade that was the 2010s. The sheer abundance of talent makes the task of picking the best massively challenging.

The last ten years have seen writers from Africa take the literary world by storm with countless ground-breaking works that have made their way onto our bookshelves and into our hearts.

The Ultimate Tragedy by Abdulai Sila