Tourists know it as the City of Joy. For Ouled Nail dancers, Bousaada is a city of horrors.

It is 1931 when two sisters arrive in Bousaada bursting with dreams of becoming successful dancers. But the city, occupied by the ruthless French colonial army, changes their lives forever.
When they kill a soldier in self-defence, Fahima and Salima must outsmart the French Colonel who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. The sisters are driven further into a cycle of violence with every attempt to hide their crime. Risking their lives and the lives of their loved ones, the dancers find themselves at the heart of a civilizational clash.

RUNNER-UP FOR THE 2022 ISLAND PRIZE FOR DEBUT AFRICAN NOVELS

SAND ROSES is a tale of resistance, sisterhood and the shameful past of two colliding nations. This extraordinarily immersive narrative thrusts its reader into the Algerian city of Bousaada during the 1930s and the story of the Nailiya dancers.

Drawing on the prolific writings of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, Biyi Bándélé has created a many-voiced, kaleidoscopic portrait of an extraordinary man. From the heart-stopping drama of Àjàyí’s last day of freedom to the farcical intrigue of the Òsogùn court; from a meeting with Queen Victoria; to his consecration as the first African Bishop of the Anglican Church, his journey, like all great odysseys, circles back to where he began. By turns witty, moving and quietly political, Biyi Bándélé’s reimagining of Crowther’s life is a brilliant tour de force.

As their lives intertwine—in bustling markets and underground clubs, churches and hotel rooms—vagabonds are seized and challenged by spirits who command the city’s dark energy. Whether running from danger, meeting with secret lovers, finding their identities, or vanquishing their shadowselves, Osunde’s characters confront and support one another, before converging for the once-in-a-lifetime gathering that gives the book its unexpectedly joyous conclusion.

Two couples. One steamy affair. And ninety-nine other problems.

On a rainy Johannesburg evening, Owami meets Akani and they both fall hopelessly in love. An intense relationship begins between the two and whatever they have found together, no marriage can put asunder. As they shoulder the weighty secrets and emotional baggage of their pasts, they must also weather the storms that threaten to separate them.

Zukiswa Wanner’s fifth novel is a thrilling tale of scorned love, resilience, healing love, retribution, losing yet finding oneself in love, and consequences.

Lagos 1834

The royals maintain a stranglehold on the city’s lucrative slave trade, and battle foes with vested interests in its affairs—until now . . .

Prince Kosoko’s life as a spare who would never sit on the throne as the Oba of Lagos comes with undeniable perks. Like boat loads of slaves docking on the busiest trading coast on the West African shoreline and the baskets laden with cowries, gold, trinkets and the finest of fabrics. Like the thrill of seducing a beautiful, forbidden woman betrothed to a powerful man.

In 1840, the lives of former lovers’ Ẹfúnṣetán and Efunporonye take divergent paths amid personal and social turmoil. Ẹfúnṣetán faces trial for murder in Ibadan, while Efunporonye copes with loss and business struggles in Abeokuta, seeking solace in a new lover.

This is the moment Lara’s been waiting for: put her sleuthing knowledge to work and solve a real-life mystery. As Lara investigates, what she doesn’t expect to uncover is a web of secrets, malicious crimes, and near death encounters which promise to tear the family apart for good …

With sinister secrets, bitchy bridesmaids, annoying exes, and a gossip-loving amateur detective, this gripping mystery thriller from a standout debut author and award-nominated BookTokker will have readers hooked.

An exposition of the raw side of human emotions as explored through one man’s tormented life’s experiences.

Ebinimi, star mechanic of Kalakala Street, is a man with a hapless knack for getting in and out of trouble. Some of his troubles are self-inflicted: like his recurring entanglements in love triangles; and his unauthorised joyriding of a customer’s car which sets off a chain of dire events involving drugs, crooked politicians, and assassins. Other troubles are caused by the panorama of characters in his life, like: his sister and her dysfunctional domestic situation;

Sade Sodipo is ready to meet ‘the one’ and finally fulfil the Nigerian Dream. So far God hasn’t performed that little miracle quite yet, but it’ll happen this year for sure. Especially if her mother, two best friends, younger sister and all those in the unofficial Marriage Monitoring Aunties Association, have anything to say about it. She might love her job, have great friends and even own her own home, but according to the meddling aunties, this is why she’s still single at Fifty.

What if her prayers for the perfect man have got lost? Or maybe Sade’s happy-ever-after is right on time…

This Thing Called Love is brimming with even more sweet, messy, and heartwarming moments that define what it means to love. From the first shy glances to the bittersweet choices, each story is heartfelt, and full of emotion, capturing all the ways we fall, stumble, and rise in love.

Perfect for anyone who enjoys sweet and deeply relatable love stories; this collection will take you through the highs, lows, and everything in between—one delightful moment at a time.

As enemies close in and the body count rises, Tomiwa must untangle a web of deceit, political corruption, and personal vendettas before time runs out.
But as the chase intensifies, Tomiwa finds himself battling not only the criminal mastermind but also his own past demons which threaten to unravel him and the investigation.
A gripping, high-stakes thriller of family, betrayal, and a man’s quest for redemption, where the only way to survive is to confront the past or be consumed by it.

Always an outsider, Somadina now faces blatant—and dangerous—hostility. And things go from bad to worse when her brother—the one person she trusted—vanishes. Somadina knows that no matter the dangers, she must track him down. Even if it means entering the Sacred Forest. Even if it means gruelling, otherworldly travel she may not survive. Even if it means finding the hidden places where those closest to the spirit world don’t dare to go. Does Somadina have the strength—within both her body and her soul—for the trying journey ahead?

When Dan is kidnapped a week to his wedding, Stella’s efforts to get him released lands her in captivity and they learn, too late, that their captors were part of an international organ-trafficking syndicate. Faced with death in an unknown location and surrounded by armed angry youths, every single breath becomes a battle for survival.

A startling and propulsive tale of forbidden love, This Kind of Trouble traces the intertwined legacies of one family’s history, exploring the complex relationship between tradition, modernity, and the ways we seek healing in a changing world. With this debut novel, Tochi Eze announces herself as a dazzling new voice in world literature.