Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart (1958)
A landmark novel exploring Igbo society, cultural conflict and the arrival of colonial rule.
Nadine Gordimer
Burger's Daughter (1979)
A young woman confronts the legacy of her family's political resistance to apartheid.
Magema M. Fuze
Abantu Abamnyama Lapo Bavela Ngakona (1922)
An early historical account written in isiZulu, reflecting on African origins and histories.
Zakes Mda
Ways of Dying (1995)
A story of mourning, resilience and human connection during political transition.
Brian Willan
Sol Plaatje: A Life (2019)
A biography examining the extraordinary public life of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje.
Nelson Mandela
Long Walk to Freedom (1994)
Mandela's account of his childhood, political awakening, imprisonment and freedom.
Catherine Higgs
The Ghost of Equality (1997)
An examination of D.D.T. Jabavu's public life and political thought.
Tim Couzens
The New African (1985)
A study of H.I.E. Dhlomo, the influential South African writer and cultural intellectual.