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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Fred Harter

Africa has no shortage of celebrated writers – so why is it so hard for African readers to get hold of their books?

A composite showing Tsitsi Dangarembga from Zimbabwe, Nigeria’s Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Mubanga Kalimamukwento from Zambi
From left: Tsitsi Dangarembga from Zimbabwe, Nigeria’s Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Mubanga Kalimamukwento from Zambia are globally renowned, but their works can be hard to find in their home countries. Illustration: Joe Plimmer/Guardian pictures/AFP/Getty Images

Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions, a novel about growing up in colonial Zimbabwe, is one of the most important works of 20th-century African literature and features on university curricula across the UK. British students can order a used copy for less than £3.

But there is one place readers struggle to find it: Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe and Dangeremba’s home town, even though it is published in paperback across the border in South Africa. “It’s very, very difficult to find my books anywhere in Zimbabwe,” says Dangarembga.

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