The former American President, Barack Obama has listed two books by Nigerian authors among his recommended books for summer reading.
Obama posted the list, which includes six books, on his Facebook page Friday — writing that he curated the list in anticipation of his upcoming trip to Africa, during which he will visit Kenya and South Africa.
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah are named among other illustrious African books that include A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela and The Return written by Hisham Matar.
Americanah is a contemporary novel analyzing the African diaspora around the world.
In his post, Obama calls Adichie “one of the world’s great contemporary writers.”
“Over the years…I’ve often drawn inspiration from Africa’s extraordinary literary tradition,” he said of the list.
Obama, born to a Kenyan father, is visiting Africa for the first time since he left office in January 2017.
“This week, I’m traveling to Africa for the first time since I left office – a continent of wonderful diversity, thriving culture, and remarkable stories. As I prepare for this trip, I wanted to share a list of books that I’d recommend for summer reading: https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/posts/10156007456406749
“I visited for the first time when I was in my twenties and I was profoundly influenced by my experiences,” Obama wrote in the Facebook post, which he also shared on Twitter.
He is expected to visit his father’s birthplace and South Africa, where his foundation will convene 200 young African leaders.
“I was proud to visit sub-Saharan Africa more times than any other sitting President, and I’ll return this week to visit Kenya and South Africa,” Obama said in a Facebook post.
“In South Africa, the Obama Foundation will convene 200 extraordinary young leaders from across the continent and I’ll deliver a speech to mark the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth. Kenya, of course, is the Obama ancestral home.”
He recently topped a Pew Research public’s list of the best American president in their lifetime.
Additional sources: The Guardian, Time
