In a year that has lent itself to living in the internal world of books, African authors offered up a host of worlds to escape to.
Combining the keepers of the literary old guard and exciting new voices, the titles in our list featuring some of the best books by African writers published in 2020 excavate a forgotten history, reflect on life today and manoeuvre through an uncertain future.
The selection below is a mix of fiction and non-fiction, essays and poetry, all representing an exciting year in African literature.
Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth – Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka [File: Themba Hadebe/AP Photo]For the first time in nearly half a century, Wole Soyinka published a book in a year that turned out to be exceptional for many reasons.