BONA Reads: African folktales and short stories to check out this summer

African folktales and short stories are beautiful ensembles of words that can capture your mind and send you into worlds you’ve never known and will never know. 

For a light read that is still impactful, enlightening, and riveting, here is a list of five short stories to read this summer and a few collection suggestions. 

Also see: 5 Books to help you get back into reading

1. Who Will Greet You at Home

This short story by Lesley Nneka Arimah is a dark, surrealist tale that comments on the consequences of the harsh expectations society puts on women to be mothers, caregivers, and nurturers.

The story follows a young woman struggling to have a baby. In this fictional world, the babies are made from natural materials such as mud, porcelain, and river reeds.  

2. The Thing Around Your Neck

Written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the story follows the life of a young woman who moved to the United States and the crippling anxiety and depression she faces while struggling to settle in her new country.

3. The Deep River

The tale follows a tribe that once lived in peace and harmony until the death of its chief sparked a crisis that threatened its unity. As a result, the tribe is forced to migrate and eventually splits apart. Through this narrative, Bessie Head explores the tensions between traditional conformity and individual free will.

Also see: National Book Week: Advantages of reading fiction novels

4. The Museum

This story follows a postgraduate Sudanese girl studying abroad. Leila Aboulela writes a riveting story that explores themes of migration and alienation.

5. The Collector of Treasures

Another Bessie Head story, The Collector of Treasures follows Dikeledi Mokopi, who navigates life after her husband abandoned her and her children. She is forced to build a life of quiet endurance through manual labour, basket-weaving, and craftwork. 

Short Story Collections

Here is a list of some short story collections to try if you want to read more than one short story.

1. The Thing Around Your Neck

This short story collection is a compilation of 12 short stories written by Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie that were published in various magazines. The suggested short story that shares the title of the book can also be found there.

2. The Collector of Treasures and Other Botswana Village Tales

This short story is a compilation of short stories written by Bessie Head, including the two aforementioned short stories.

Featured image: iStock/Yulia

Also see: How to help your child fall in love with reading