African Literature: 5 Nigerian new books you need to read in 2017

 

For those who are looking to curl up with something new, we’ve rounded up some really good Nigerian books coming out this year― that we think should be required reading.

For those who have no idea what to read, here are titles worth adding to your bookshelf.


1. Welcome To Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo  
When army officer Chike Ameobi is ordered to kill innocent civilians, he knows that it is time to leave. As he travels towards Lagos, he becomes the leader of a new platoon, a band of runaways who share his desire for a better life. But things are rarely simple, and the situation awaiting them in Lagos – political scandals, corrupt politicians, desperate journalists – is very complex indeed.
Out January 2017  

 2. Radio Sunrise by Anietie Isong  
Ifiok, a young journalist working for the government radio station in Lagos, Nigeria, aspires to always do the right thing but the odds seem to be stacked against him. Government pressures cause the funding to his radio drama to get cut off, his girlfriend leaves him when she discovers he is having an affair with an intern, and kidnappings and militancy are on the rise in the country. When Ifiok travels to his hometown to do a documentary on some ex-militants’ apparent redemption, a tragi-comic series of events will make him realise he is unable to swim against the tide.
Out January 19 2017

 3. Stay With Me by Ayobámi Adébáyo  
Yejide is hoping for a miracle, for a child. It is all her husband wants, all her mother-in-law wants, and she has tried everything – arduous pilgrimages, medical consultations, dances with prophets, appeals to God. But when her in-laws insist upon a new wife, it is too much for Yejide to bear. It will lead to jealousy, betrayal and despair.
Out March 2017  

4. What it Means When a Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah  
This debut story collection depicts family, friends and lovers in crisis: ghosts, floods and a child woven from hair all appear.
Out April 2017  

5. Blind Spot by Teju Cole  
An innovative photographic project that explores how we see the world. The shadow of a tree in upstate New York. A hotel room in Switzerland. A young stranger in the Congo. In Blind Spot, readers will follow Teju Cole’s artistic vision into the visual realm, as he continues to refine the voice and intellectual obsessions that earned him such acclaim for Open City.
Out June 2017  

Any other recommendations? Please share in the comment section below.

Culled from punkvibez.com