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The Old Drift
Namwali Serpell
Novel, 2019
A multigenerational novel of Zambia from colonial Livingstone near the Victoria Falls to near-future Lusaka, taking in independence, politics and family.
Books set in Zambia
Five books by writers from Zambia, set there, that give a real sense of the place, starting with The Old Drift and Patchwork.
About the literature of Zambia
Namwali Serpell's novel The Old Drift, which runs from colonial Livingstone to near-future Lusaka, is one of the best-known books by a Zambian writer. Zambia became independent from Britain in 1964, having been the colony of Northern Rhodesia, and writers have often returned to that change. English is the official language, and Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga and Lozi are among the languages spoken across the country. Kenneth Kaunda, who led Zambia from independence until 1991, told of the nationalist struggle in his autobiography Zambia Shall Be Free.
Ellen Banda-Aaku's Patchwork shows class and family secrets through a girl growing up in 1970s Lusaka. Binwell Sinyangwe's A Cowrie of Hope follows a widowed village mother's struggle to keep her daughter in school through the hardship of the 1990s.
By writers from Zambia
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Patchwork
Ellen Banda-Aaku
Novel, 2011
A girl grows up in 1970s Lusaka, and the novel shows class, family secrets and urban life in post-independence Zambia.
A Cowrie of Hope
Binwell Sinyangwe
Novel, 2000
A widowed village mother struggles to keep her daughter in school through the economic hardship of the 1990s, with close attention to community and tradition.
Quills of Desire
Binwell Sinyangwe
Novel, 1993
A satirical novel of Zambian village and town life, dealing with the clash of tradition, desire and social pressure.
Zambia Shall Be Free
Kenneth Kaunda
Memoir, 1962
The independence leader's autobiography tells of Northern Rhodesia under colonial rule and the nationalist struggle that produced Zambia.
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