Despite the damaging effects of colonialism on indigenous systems of beliefs in Nigeria, Nigerians are still largely shaped by their indigenous myths. One need not look further than the Nigerian society to see proof of this tenacious belief in the world of spirits and how this belief influences the lives of ordinary Nigerians. Nigerian writers are not exempt. Even if they do not necessarily strictly believe in these myths, Nigerian writers have always been known to critically engage with them in their works, from the spirit-populated fiction of Amos Tutuola to the mythopoetry of Wole Soyinka.
In our latest book recommendation, we have compiled a list of seven books that will transport you to the Nigerian spirit realm. From an inventive coming-of-age story which uses Igbo mythology to explain the realities of a fractured self to a debut novel-in-stories told, curated, and commented upon by a restless spirit, the books on this list will expose you to the inner workings of the Nigerian spirit world.
Read our recommendations below.
FRESH WATER AUTHOR: AKWAEKE EMEZI GENRE: FICTION
In this debut, Akwaeke Emezi explores Igbo mythology to bring readers into an understanding of the inner workings of a fractured self.
Freshwater is the story of Ada and her multiple selves. Ada is born an ogbanje, a child who is believed in Igbo mythology to repeatedly die and be reborn to the same parents. With ‘one foot on the other side’ and inhabited by multiple selves, her body becomes a battleground for these identities, which are heightened by experiences of sexual violence, migration, and mental illness.
In this lyrical coming-of-age story, Emezi blurs the boundaries between reality and the spiritual, offering a narrative told from the perspectives of these inner entities. The result is a fragmented storytelling structure that challenges western ideas of selfhood and psychological diagnosis, offering instead a deeply spiritual and culturally grounded framework for understanding multiplicity.
AN ORCHESTRA OF MINORITIES AUTHOR: CHIGOZIE OBIOMA GENRE: FICTION
In the follow-up to his widely acclaimed debut, The Fishermen, Chigozie Obioma blends Igbo mythology and contemporary reality to create a profoundly moving story. Narrated by a Chi, an Igbo guardian spirit, the story follows Chinonso, a humble Nigerian poultry farmer whose life is transformed by love and betrayal. When he meets Ndali, a woman from a wealthy family, Chinonso becomes determined to elevate his social standing by pursuing education abroad. However, his dreams unravel through a series of devastating deceptions.
Drawing heavily from Igbo spiritual belief systems, the novel transcends the physical world. The Chi serves not only as a narrator but also as a spiritual witness, providing moral commentary and cosmic perspective while exploring existential questions about fate, free will, and the consequences of human choices.
LABYRINTHS AUTHOR: CHRISTOPHER OKIGBO GENRE: POETRY
Published posthumously in 1971, Labyrinth is a poetry collection that gathers the major works of one of Nigeria’s most important twentieth-century poets, Christopher Okigbo. With deep roots in Igbo cosmology and myth, the poems in this collection explore themes of identity, spirituality, exile, and destiny.
In this book, Okigbo crafts a modernist style influenced by western literary traditions—particularly T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound—while remaining grounded in African oral traditions and indigenous symbolism. This fusion creates a unique voice that is both universal and distinctly Nigerian.
THE FAMISHED ROAD AUTHOR: BEN OKRI GENRE: FICTION
Booker Prize-winning novel The Famished Road is Ben Okri’s poignant exploration of the ‘tension between the land of the living, with its violence and political struggles, and the temptations of the carefree kingdom of the spirits.’ Set in an unnamed African country, it blurs the boundaries between reality and the Nigerian spirit world.
The story follows Azaro, a spirit child or abiku, who repeatedly chooses to stay in the living world despite the pull of the spirit realm. His decision to stay with his parents anchors the narrative, but his experiences in the human world are infused with surreal visions, spirits, and symbolic encounters.
Through Azaro’s eyes, we experience the reality of life in a postcolonial African state—the poverty, the corruption, the political instability— as both literal and metaphysical battles.
VAGABONDS! AUTHOR: ELOGHOSA OSUNDE GENRE: FICTION
Although Eloghosa Osunde’s debut short story collection, Vagabonds!, is populated by misfits (or vagabonds) navigating ‘danger, demons and love in a quest to lead true lives’, their stories are told, curated, and put into perspective by Tatafo, a restless, gossipy spirit, who works for Èkó, the spirit of Lagos.
In the 15 stories that make up this book, we are drawn into the lives of several outlawed characters ‘who inhabit transient spaces.’ From a mysterious fashion designer whose life takes a new turn when she gives birth to a grown daughter to a lesbian couple whose relationship is marked by past trauma, the characters in these stories lead lives deeply influenced by the spirit world.
Throughout the book, we are constantly invited into the rambling thoughts of Tatafo as he comments on the lives of these characters and fills us in on his relationship with his boss, the grand spirit Èkó.
A DANCE OF THE FORESTS AUTHOR: WOLE SOYINKA GENRE: DRAMA
Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s 1960 A Dance of the Forests is more than merely a cautionary tale for independence Nigerian elites or an anti-Negritude takedown. It is also an animation of Yoruba mythology. In it, we meet several prominent figures of the Yoruba spirit world, such as Ogun and Aroni, but also imagined ones like Eshuoro.
In this play, often considered Soyinka’s first major play, a town preparing to celebrate its Gathering of the Tribes festival invites ancestral spirits to grace their festival. But instead of the illustrious spirits they expected, they are met with Dead Man and Dead Woman, the spirits of two innocent people who suffered grave injustice several centuries ago.
These ancestors are connected to four present-day characters, Rola, Adenebi, Demoke and Agboreko, who are modern reincarnation of past members of the ancient court of Mata Kharibu. Eight centuries ago, Dead Man was a general in Mata Kharibu’s army who refused to lead his soldiers to a war he believed was unjust. This caused him to be castrated and enslaved, a judgement which the four aforementioned characters actively participated in.
In present time, these four characters have not abandoned their cunning ways, and Aroni, the Forest Head, has orchestrated the coming of the Dead Man and Dead Woman to teach the four characters an important lesson.
SHIGIDI AND THE BRASS HEAD OF OBALUFON AUTHOR: WOLE TALABI GENRE: FICTION
In Shigidi and the Brasshead of Obalufon, speculative fiction author, Wole Talabi, presents a richly imagined modern world of spirits and gods in a heist story that spans continents. At the heart of the story is Nigerian—and especially Yoruba—mythology. We meet Shigidi, the Yoruba spirit often associated with mischief and nightmares, who, in the novel, works for the Orisha Spirit Company. In present-day Nigeria, his influence has waned, and with only a few remaining believers, he has grown disgruntled and demotivated, always looking forward to the next drink. But his life changes when he falls in love with Nneoma, a succubus-like spirit whose life and secrets intrigue him. With Nneoma’s help, he tries to help him break free from the menacing hold of the elder gods at the Orisha Spirit Company.
But the big gods have a different plan for Shigidi, and it is not one he will particularly like. Together with Nneoma, Shigidi travels through continents, from Lagos to London to Singapore, in the ultimate battle for his freedom⎈
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