Seven top novels by African writers about the legacy of colonialism on their homelands

Okezie Nwọka was born and raised in Washington, D.C. They are a graduate of Brown University, and attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop as a Dean Graduate Research Fellow. They are presently teaching and living in their hometown.

Nwọka's debut novel is God of Mercy.

At Electric Lit they tagged seven "books by African writers about the legacy of colonialism on their homelands." One title on the list:

House of Stone by Novuyo Tshuma

House of Stone is an exhilarating novel that explores modern life in Zimbabwe through the eyes of Abednego, Agnes, Bukhosi, and Zamani. Bukhosi goes missing and the other characters struggle to find him—though not without Zamani taking advantage of Agnes and Abednego. This is a story that explores the history of Zimbabwe from its historical beginnings as Rhodesia into the present day. It’s a novel that explores Africa’s history beyond its colonist past by interrogating the complex lives of its amazing characters.

Read about another entry on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue