Photo Collage from Original Book Covers by Ijapa O / THE REPUBLIC.
the REPUBLIC INTERVIEWS / FIRST DRAFT
Photo Collage from Original Book Covers by Ijapa O / THE REPUBLIC
the REPUBLIC INTERVIEWS / FIRST DRAFT
Writing a book that remains relevant through generations and centuries is no easy feat. Whether for their subject matters or innovation in craft, the great classics of world literature are so because they resonate with readers across cultures and generations. In this way, these books truly pass the test of time, which is the aspiration of every writer. Of course, no contemporary reader can know for sure what contemporary books will attain the classic status in the future; in the end, only future generations can make that call. But how exciting and illuminating it is to play the guessing game!
That’s why in our First Draft column at The Republic, we make it a point to ask leading African writers about the books they believe will become classics in the future. After all, who is better equipped to make educated guesses than writers themselves, who are among the most dedicated and insightful readers? We have discovered not only the books that have profoundly influenced African writers, but also the high regard they have for the works of their contemporaries. From the Nigerian writer who believes all novels by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie are certain contenders to the Kenyan writers who have had visceral reactions to Mohamad Mbougar Sarr’s The Most Secret Memory of Men, these writers demonstrate a passion for contemporary African literature.
Here are six writers and the books they think will become classics in the future.
CAREY BARAKA
Mohamed Mbougar Sarr’s The Most Secret Memory of Men. I don’t understand what Sarr has done here, but the novel has a fire in it that means that we all have to read it as a matter of urgency. Quit your job. Abandon food. Ignore everything. This book can drive its reader to madness. What a phenomenal talent Sarr is. Read Baraka’s full interview here.
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CHIMEZIE CHIKA
There are very good African titles that have strong stakes. All of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novels, but especially Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun, which I suppose are already classics. Chigozie Obioma’s The Fishermen and Damon Galgut’s The Promise. Teju Cole’s Open City is strategic here. A novel has to achieve the highest levels of storytelling and prose to be considered a classic. It has to appear to do something new, even if there is really nothing new. Harold Bloom says it has to have a quality of strangeness. And this is not limited to novels. There is Noo Saro-Wiwa’s Looking for Transwonderland. A book like Hisham Matar’s The Return is an envious achievement. Read Chika’s full interview here.
CHUKWUEBUKA IBEH
Definitely ’Pemi Aguda’s Ghostroots and Arinze Ifeakandu’s God’s Children Are Little Broken Things. Ifeakandu’s book is a sublime, pioneering masterpiece. Read Ibeh’s full interview here.
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DENNIS MUGAA
The first and most obvious book is Mohamed Mbougar Sarr’s The Most Secret Memory of Men. When I first read it, I thought it was a masterpiece. I felt a rush of electricity with each page that I read, and when I completed it, I had to reread it, because so rarely do I come across a perfect book. It is the sort of book that can ruin a reader, because it possesses you to read it over and over. And after you have read it multiple times, you emerge from its world wondering if any other book will ever be as good.
Safia Elhillo’s poetry book The January Children is also wonderful. The poems are magical, and they leave you with the feeling that you have experienced the entire world in just a few pages.
Finally, I’d say A Stranger’s Pose, Emmanuel Iduma’s book on his travels. There is a way the sentences move across that book so that it feels like a well-arranged song, a song that one could listen to over and over again. Read Mugaa’s full interview here.
OTOSIRIEZE OBI-YOUNG
Arinze Ifeakandu’s God’s Children Are Little Broken Things will be a short story classic. If we do what we should, which is to seek out those who went before us and connect their work to the present, then Chike Frankie Edozien’s Lives of Great Men will remain significant for more than only LGBTQ+ readers, for whom it is already a classic. I say that as a general note because there is so much that has gone before us that we no longer pay attention to. It doesn’t apply to Edozien’s book but it applies to so many others, like Binyavanga Wainaina’s How to Write About Africa. Read Obi-Young’s full interview here.
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OSIONE OSENI-ELAMAH
Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives is a strong contender for future classic status. Its vibrant characters and exploration of polygamy in Nigerian society are compelling, but the universal themes of love, betrayal, and resilience will likely resonate for generations to come. Read Oseni-Elamah’s full interview here⎈