Heinemann African Writers Series

Heinemann African Writers Series

African Writers Series colophon, which was intended to look like an Africanised version of Heinemann's windmill logo, as well as incorporating the letters A.W.
Parent company	Heinemann
Founded	1962 (1962)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Key people	Alan Hill Chinua Achebe Van Milne Keith Sambrook Aigboje Higo Henry Chakava James Currey

The African Writers Series (AWS) is a collection of books written by African novelists, poets and politicians. Published by Heinemann, 359 books appeared in the series between 1962 and 2003.

The series has provided an international audience for many African writers, including Chinua Achebe, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Steve Biko, Ama Ata Aidoo, Nadine Gordimer, Buchi Emecheta, and Okot p'Bitek.

History

1958 – William Heinemann publishes Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. 2,000 hardcover copies were printed and sold at a price of 15 shillings. The book receives widespread acclaim.

1959 – Alan Hill, head of Heinemann's educational department, visits West Africa. He finds that Achebe remains largely unknown in his home country of Nigeria due to the small print run and high price of his first novel.

1960 – Heinemann Educational Books (HEB) is set up as a separate company run by Alan Hill with Tony Beal as his deputy, and begins to publicise Achebe in Africa. They start to receive manuscripts from other African authors. Alan Hill recruits Evan McKay Milne, known as Van Milne, a West Africa specialist. He becomes HEB's Overseas Director.

1961 – Van Milne originates the idea of the African Writers Series. Hill explains that the plan was "to start a paperback series, confined to black African authors; the books were to be attractively designed with high quality production, and sold at a very cheap price—as low as 25p at the outset".

1962 – Alan Hill, Tony Beal and Van Milne launch the African Writers Series with a paperback edition of Things Fall Apart, followed by Cyprian Ekwensi's Burning Grass, and then Kenneth Kaunda's autobiography Zambia Shall Be Free. Chinua Achebe is appointed Editorial Advisor with a salary of £150 a year. This is increased to £250 in 1967.

1963 – Van Milne leaves Heinemann and is replaced by Keith Sambrook.

1964 – Sambrook is concerned that the early selections for the series will not reach the educational market, particularly after the inclusion of Zambia Shall Be Free. He begins collaborating with African and non-African academics to produce publications that would more clearly meet this aim. The first result is A Book of African Verse edited by Clive Wake and John Reed, teachers at the University College of Rhodesia.

1965 – Aigboje Higo is appointed as manager of HEB Nigeria.

1967 – James Currey is appointed to work with Keith Sambrook to develop the series.

1970 – Henry Chakava is appointed as editor of HEB East Africa and becomes managing director in 1975.

1972 – Chinua Achebe leaves his position following the publication of his short story collection Girls At War as the hundredth book in the series. Sambrook, Currey, Higo and Chakava take over editorial duties collectively with the support of Akin Thomas, editorial director of HEB Nigeria.

1983 – Heinemann Group is taken over for the first time and goes through a series of takeovers in the coming years.

1984 – James Currey steps down after new management reduces new publications to only one or two a year. Of the 270 titles in the series, 15 are put out of print.

1986 – the series is relaunched by Vicky Unwin, who targets the western academic market due to the drop in spending in the African educational market.

1988 – Keith Sambrook steps down.

1992 – Caroline Avens begins to oversee the series, reducing the backlist and starting to publish more new authors.

1993 – Adewale Maja-Pearce appointed general editor.

1994 – Abdulrazak Gurnah appointed as editorial advisor.

2002 – Only 70 of the more than 300 titles in the series remain in print.

2003 – Heinemann announces no new titles will be added to the series. By 2008, only 64 titles remain in print.

Content

The African Writers Series reissued paperback editions of works previously only available as more expensive hardbacks, translated books that had been published in other languages, and published the first works of unknown writers.

The decision to reissue paperback editions of English-language hardbacks followed the early success of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and continued for many years. However, it became clear very quickly that there were not enough works in English, so translations began to be made from French of works by Ferdinand Oyono, Mongo Beti and others. This was followed by translations from Portuguese, Zulu, Swahili, Acholi, Sesotho, Afrikaans, Luganda, and Arabic.

At the same time, they published new authors. This started with Ngũgĩ, who helped to expand the reach of the series into East Africa.

This approach provided opportunities for authors from across most of Africa. More than 80 titles published in the series were by Nigerian writers, who were followed by South Africans, Kenyans, Ghanaians, and Zimbabweans. In the first two decades, nearly all were men and it was only in the 1990s that books by women began to appear regularly. Some exceptions to this are early books by Flora Nwapa and Buchi Emecheta.

Novels would make up the bulk of the series, but it extended to poetry, anthologies, short stories, autobiographies, drama, non fiction, and oral traditions.

Design

Six AWS covers, showing the shift in design from 1962 to 1993

Between 1962 and 1986 all the books in the African Writers Series were colour-coded: orange for fiction, blue for non-fiction, and green for poetry and drama. While this highlighted the different genres, all books in the series during this period were numbered to give a clear indication that they belonged to a collection of works by African writers.

Some evolution in cover design did take place during these years. Between 1962 and 1965 a heavy black band was featured at the top of the covers, with a black-and-white illustration below. The black was then replaced by a solid orange block. Later a colophon was added that was intended to look like an Africanised version of Heinemann's windmill logo. In 1971 George Hallett was employed to produce cover photography, which began to replace the use of illustrations.

In 1986, the design was changed to appeal more in western markets. Orange was replaced by a white background with a boxed abstract image. In 1993, it was changed again to incorporate full-colour images.

Reception

The African Writers Series includes five winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature: Wole Soyinka (1986), Naguib Mahfouz (1988), Nadine Gordimer (1991), Doris Lessing (2007), and Abdulrazak Gurnah (2021). Books in the series have also won the Commonwealth Prize, the NOMA Award for African Writing, the Caine Prize for African Writing, and Guardian Fiction Prize. In 2002, at a celebration of Africa's 100 Best Books of the Twentieth Century, Heinemann was given a prize, as 12 of the titles chosen were from the series.

Bibliography

A definitive bibliography of the series was prepared by Nourdin Bejjit as part of his PhD research at the Open University and included in James Currey's book-length treatment of the series, with some additional information from Heinemann.

Number	Author	Year	Title
1	Achebe, Chinua	1962	Things Fall Apart
2	Ekwensi, Cyprian	1962	Burning Grass: a story of the Fulani of Northern Nigeria. Illustrated by A. Folarin; cover drawing by Dennis Duerden.
3	Achebe, Chinua	1963	No Longer at Ease. Illustrated by Bruce Onobrakpeya.
4	Kaunda, Kenneth D.	1962	Zambia Shall Be Free: an autobiography
5	Ekwensi, Cyprian	1963	People of the City. Revised edition. (Originally published London: Dakers, 1954.)
6	Abrahams, Peter	1963	Mine Boy. Illustrated by Ruth Yudelowitz. (London: Crisp, 1946; London: Faber, 1954; New York: Knopf, 1955.)
7	Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (as Ngugi, James)	1964	Weep Not, Child
8	Reed, John, Wake, Clive, eds	1964	A Book of African Verse. Later edition published (1984) as New Book of African Verse.
9	Rive, Richard, ed.	1964	Modern African Prose. An anthology compiled and edited by Richard Rive. Illustrated by Albert Adams. Contributions by Peter Abrahams, Chinua Achebe, Es'kia Mphahlele, Abioseh Nicol, Richard Rive, Alfred Hutchinson, Efua Sutherland, Jonathan Kariara, Peter Clarke, Luis Bernardo Honwana, Jack Cope, Cyprian Ekwensi, Amos Tutuola, Camara Laye, James Matthews, Alf Wannenburgh, William Conton, Onuora Nzekwu, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o.
10	Equiano, Olaudah	1967	Equiano's Travels: His Autobiography; The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African. Abridged and edited by Paul Edwards
11	Aluko, T. M.	1965	One Man, One Matchet
12	Conton, William	1964	The African. (Previously published London: Heinemann, 1960. Boston: Little Brown, 1960.)
13	Beti, Mongo	1964	Mission to Kala: a novel. Translated by Peter Green from the French novel Mission terminée (1957). US edition (New York, Macmillan) published as Mission Accomplished.
14	Rive, Richard, ed.	1963	Quartet: New voices from South Africa. Short stories by Alex La Guma, James Matthews, Richard Rive and Alf Wannenburgh.
15	Cook, David	1965	Origin East Africa: a Makerere anthology devised and edited by David Cook. Prose and verse.
16	Achebe, Chinua	1965	Arrow of God
17	Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (as Ngugi, James)	1965	The River Between
18	Obotunde Ijimere	1966	The Imprisonment of Obatala, and other plays.
19	Ekwensi, Cyprian	1966	Lokotown and Other Stories.
20	Gatheru, Mugo	1966	Child of Two Worlds.
21	Munonye, John	1966	The Only Son.
22	Peters, Lenrie	1966	The Second Round.
23	Beier, Ulli, ed.	1966	The Origin of Life and Death: African creation myths.
24	Kachingwe, Aubrey	1966	No Easy Task.
25	Amadi, Elechi	1966	The Concubine. Heinemann: London.
26	Nwapa, Flora	1966	Efuru.
27	Selormey, Francis	1967	The Narrow Path.
28	Cook, David, Lee, Miles, eds	1968	Short East African Plays in English: Ten plays in English.
29	Oyono, Ferdinand	1966	Houseboy. Translated by John Reed from the French Une vie de boy
30	Aluko, T. M.	1967	One Man, One Wife.
31	Achebe, Chinua	1966	A Man of the People. (Originally published: Nigerian Printing and Publishing, 1959.)
32	Aluko, T. M.	1967	Kinsman and Foreman
33	Samkange, Stanlake	1967	On Trial for my Country
34	Pieterse, Cosmo, ed.	1968	Ten One-Act Plays. Includes "Encounter" by Kuldip Sondhi; "Yon Kon" by Pat Maddy; "The Game" by Femi Euba; "Blind Cyclos" by Ime Ikeddeh; "With Strings' by Kuldip Sondhi; "The Deviant" by Ganesh Bagchi; "Fusane's Trial" by Alfred Hutchinson; "The Opportunity" by Arthur Maimane; "Maama" by Kwesi Kay; and "The Occupation" by Athol Fugard
35	La Guma, Alex	1967	A Walk in the Night and other stories.
36	Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (as Ngugi, James)	1967	A Grain of Wheat.
37	Peters, Lenrie	1967	Satellites
38	Oginga Odinga	1967	Not Yet Uhuru: the autobiography of Oginga Odinga. With a foreword by Kwame Nkrumah.
39	Oyono, Ferdinand	1969	The Old Man and the Medal. Translated by John Reed from the French Le vieux nègre et la médaille.
40	Konadu, Asare	1967	A Woman in Her Prime
41	Djoleto, Amu	1968	The Strange Man.
42	Awoonor, Kofi and Adali-Mortty, G.	1970	Messages: Poems from Ghana.
43	Armah, Ayi Kwei	1969	The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1968.)
44	Amadi, Elechi	1969	The Great Ponds.
45	Munonye, John	1969	Obi.
46	Brutus, Dennis	1968	Letters to Martha: and other poems from a South African prison.
47	Salih, Tayeb	1969	The Wedding of Zein, and other stories. London; printed in Malta: HEB, 1969. Translated by Denys Johnson-Davies from the Arabic, and illustrated by Ibrahim Salahi.
48	Gbadamosi, Bakare; Beier, Ulli	1968	Not Even God Is Ripe Enough. Translated from the Yoruba
49	Nkrumah, Kwame	1968	Neo-colonialism: the last stage of imperialism. (Originally published London: Nelson, 1965)
50	Clark, J. P.	1968	America: Their America. London: HEB in association with Andre Deutsch. (Originally published London: Deutsch, 1964.)
51	Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (as Ngugi, James)	1968	The Black Hermit.
52	Sellassie, B. M. Sahle	1969	The Afersata: an Ethiopian novel. London: HEB.
53	Palangyo, Peter K.	1968	Dying in the Sun.136pp
54	Serumaga, Robert	1970	Return to the Shadows.
55	Konadu, Asare	1969	Ordained by the Oracle. 160 pp. Originally published as Come Back Dora, Accra: Anowuo Educational Publ.
56	Nwapa, Flora	1970	Idu.
57	Dipoko, Mbella Sonne	1969	Because of Women.
58	Beier, Ulli, ed.	1969	Political Spider: an anthology of stories from "Black Orpheus".
59	Asare, Bediako	1971	Rebel.
60	Honwana, Luís Bernardo	1969	We Killed Mangy Dog and Other Stories. Translated from the Portuguese by Dorothy Guedes.
61	Umeasiegbu, Rems Nna	1969	The Way We Lived: Ibo customs and stories.
62	Okigbo, Christopher	1971	Labyrinths. With Path of Thunder.
63	Ousmane, Sembene	1970	God's Bits of Wood. Translated by Francis Price.
64	Pieterse, Cosmo, ed.	1971	7 South African Poets: poems of exile. Collected and selected by Cosmo Pieterse.
66	Salih, Tayeb	1969	Season of Migration to the North. Translated by Denys Johnson-Davies from the Arabic Mawsim al-hijrah ilā al-shamāl.
67	Nwankwo, Nkem	1970	Danda. (Originally published London: Deutsch, 1964)
68	Okara, Gabriel	1970	The Voice. Introduction by Arthur Ravenscroft. (Originally published London: Deutsch, 1964)
69	Liyong, Taban lo	1969	Fixions, and other stories.
70	Aluko, T. M.	1970	Chief, The Honourable Minister.
71	Senghor, Léopold Sédar	1969	Nocturnes. Translated by John Reed and Clive Wake from the French.
72	U'tamsi, Felix	1970	Selected Poems. Translated by Gerald Moore from the French.
73	Ortzen, Len, ed.	1970	North African Writing. Selected, translated, and with an introduction by Len Ortzen.
74	Liyong, Taban lo, ed.	1970	Eating Chiefs: Lwo culture from Lolwe to Malkal. Selected, interpreted and transmuted by Taban lo Liyong.
75	Knappert, Jan	1970	Myths and Legends of the Swahili.
76	Soyinka, Wole	1970	The Interpreters. With introduction and notes by Eldred Jones. London: Heinemann. (Originally published London: Deutsch, 1965.)
77	Beti, Mongo	1970	King Lazarus: a novel. Translated from the French Le roi miraculé (French version originally published Editions Buchet, 1958.)
78	Pieterse, Cosmo	1972	Short African plays. Including: "Ancestral Power" by Kofi Awoonor; "Magic Pool" by Kuldip Sondhi; "God's Deputy" by Sanya Dosunmu; "Resurrection" by Richard Rive; "Life Everlasting" by Pat Amadu Maddy; "Lament" by Kofi Awoonor; "Ballad of the Cells" by Cosmo Pieterse; "Overseas" by Mbella Sonne Dipoko; "This Time Tomorrow" by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o; "Episodes of an Easter Rising" by David Lytton
79	Chraibi, Driss	1972	Heirs to the Past. Translated by Len Ortzen from the French.(Succession ouverte originally published Paris: Denoël, 1962.)
80	Farah, Nuruddin	1970	From a Crooked Rib.
81	Mboya, Tom	1970	The Challenge of Nationhood: a collection of speeches and writings. Foreword by H. E. Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, and postscript by Pamela Mboya.
82	Dipoko, Mbella Sonne	1970	A Few Nights and Days. (Originally published, Harlow: Longmans, 1966.)
83	Knappert, Jan	1971	Myths and Legends of the Congo. Nairobi: HEB.
84	Ekwensi, Cyprian	1971	Beautiful Feathers. (Originally published London: Hutchinson, 1963)
85	Onuora Nzekwu	1971	Wand of Noble Wood.
86	Bebey, Francis	1971	Agatha Moudio's Son. Translated by Joyce A. Hutchinson from the French Le fils d'Agatha Moudio.
87	Dadié, Bernard B.	1971	Climbié. Translated by Karen C. Chapman from the French.
88	Beti, Mongo	1971	The Poor Christ of Bomba. Translated by Gerald Moore from the French Le pauvre Christ de Bombay. (Original French edition published 1956.)
89	Maddy, Pat Amadu	1971	Obasai and other plays.
90	Liyong, Taban lo	1971	Frantz Fanon's Uneven Ribs: poems more and more.
91	Nzekwu, Onuora	1972	Blade Among the Boys. (Originally published London: Hutchinson, 1962.)
92	Ousmane, Sembène	1972	The Money-Order; with, White Genesis. Translated by Clive Wake. London: Heinemann. (Translation of Vehi ciosane; ou, Blanche-genèse; suivi du Mandat, Paris: Présence Africaine, 1965.)
93	Knappert, Jan, ed.	1972	A Choice of Flowers. Chaguo la Maua: an anthology of Swahili love poetry. Edited and translated from Swahili by Jan Knappert.
94	Munonye, John	1971	Oil Man of Obange.
95	Ibrahim, Sonallah	1971	The Smell Of It, and other stories. Translated from the Arabic by Denys Johnson-Davies.
96	Cook, David, Rubadiri, David, eds	1971	Poems from East Africa.
97	Mazrui, Ali A.	1971	The Trial of Christopher Okigbo.
98	Mulaisho, Dominic	1971	The Tongue of the Dumb.
99	Ouologuem, Yambo	1971	Bound to Violence. Translated by Ralph Manheim from the French Devoi de violence. (Originally published London: Secker & Warburg, 1971.)
100	Achebe, Chinua	1972	Girls At War and Other Stories.
101	Head, Bessie	1972	Maru.
102	Omotoso, Kole	1971	The Edifice.
103	Peters, Lenrie	1971	Katchikali. Poems.
104	Themba, Can	1972	The Will to Die. Selected by Donald Stuart and Roy Holland.
105	Lubega, Bonnie	1971	The Outcasts.
106	Reed, John, Wake, Clive, eds.	1972	French African verse. With English translations by John Reed & Clive Wake.
107	Dipoko, Mbella Sonne	1972	Black and White in Love: poems.
108	Awoonor, Kofi	1972	This Earth, My Brother. (Originally published Garden City: Doubleday, 1971.)
109	Obiechina, Emmanuel N.	1972	Onitsha Market Literature.
110	La Guma, Alex	1972	In the Fog of the Seasons' End.
111	Angira, Jared	1972	Silent Voices: poems.
112	Vambe, Lawrence	1972	An Ill-Fated People: Zimbabwe before and after Rhodes. (Originally published with a foreword by Doris Lessing, London: Heinemann, 1972.)
113	Mezu, S. Okechukwu	1971	Behind the Rising Sun.
114	Pieterse, Cosmo	1972	Five African Plays.
115	Brutus, Dennis	1973	A Simple Lust: selected poems including Sirens Knuckles Boots; Letters to Martha; Poems from Algiers; Thoughts Abroad.
116	Liyong, Taban lo	1972	Another Nigger Dead: poems.
117	Hakim, Tawfiq al-	1973	Fate of a Cockroach: four plays of freedom. Selected and translated from the Arabic by Denys Johnson-Davies.
118	Amadu, Malum	1972	Amadu's Bundle: Fulani tales of love and djinns. Collected by Malum Amadu; edited by Gulla Kell and translated into English by Ronald Moody.
119	Kane, Hamidou	1972	Ambiguous Adventure. Translated from the French by Katherine Woods. (This translation originally published New York: Walker, 1963. Translation of L'Aventure ambiguë. Paris: Julliard, 1962.)
120	Achebe, Chinua	1970	Beware, Soul Brother. Revised and enlarged edition. London: HEB.
121	Munonye, John	1973	A Wreath for Maidens. [S.I.]: Heinemann
122	Omotoso, Kole	1972	The Combat.
123	Mandela, Nelson	1973	No Easy Walk to Freedom.
124	Dikobe, Modikwe	1973	The Marabi Dance.
125	Worku, Daniachew	1973	The Thirteenth Sun.
126	Cheney-Coker, Syl	1973	Concerto for an Exile: poems.
127	Henderson, Gwyneth, Pieterse, Cosmo, eds	1973	Nine African Plays for Radio.
128	Zwelonke, D. M.	1973	Robben Island.
129	Egudu, Romanus, Nwoga, Donatus, eds	1973	Igbo Traditional Verse. Compiled and translated by Romanus Egudu and Donatus Nwoga. (Originally published 1971 as Poetic Heritage.)
130	Aluko, T. M.	1973	His Worshipful Majesty.
131	Lessing, Doris	1973	The Grass is Singing
132	Bown, Lalage	1973	Two Centuries of African English: a survey and anthology of non-fictional English prose by African writers since 1769.
133	Mukasa, Ham	1975	Sir Apolo Kagwa Discovers Britain. Edited by Taban lo Liyong. (First published in 1904 as Uganda's Katikiro in England.)
134	Henderson, Gwyneth, ed.	1973	African Theatre: eight prize-winning plays for radio. Includes "Make Like Slaves" by Richard Rive; "Station Street" by A. K. Mustapha; "Sweet Scum of Freedom" by J. Singh; "Double Attack" by C. C. Umeh; "Scholarship Woman" by D. Clems; "The Transistor Radio" by K. Tsaro-Wiwa; "Family Spear" by E. N. Zirimu; and "Sign of the Rainbow" by W. Ogunyemi.
135	Maran, René	1973	Batouala. Translated by Barbara Beck and Alexandre Mboukou; introduction by Donald E. Herdeck.
136	Sekyi, Kobina	1974	The Blinkards.
137	Maddy, Yulisa Amadu	1973	No Past, No Present, No Future.
138	Owusu, Martin	1973	The Sudden Return, and other plays.
139	Ruheni, Mwangi	1973	The Future Leaders.
140	Amadi, Elechi	1973	Sunset in Biafra: a civil war diary.
141	Nortje, Arthur	1973	Dead Roots. Poems.
142	Sembène, Ousmane	1974	Tribal Scars and other stories. Translated from the French by Len Ortzen.
143	Mwangi, Meja	1973	Kill Me Quick.
144	Fall, Malick	1973	The Wound. Translated by Clive Wake from the French La plaie.
145	Mwangi, Meja	1974	Carcase for Hounds.
146	Ekwensi, Cyprian	1975	Jagua Nana. (Originally published, London: Hutchinson, 1961.)
147	p'Bitek, Okot	1974	The Horn of My Love.
148	Aniebo, I. N. C.	1974	The Anonymity of Sacrifice.
149	Head, Bessie	1974	A Question of Power. (Originally published London: Davis-Poynter, 1974.)
150	Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o	1975	Secret Lives, and other stories.
151	Mahfouz, Naguib	1975	Midaq Alley. Translated from the Arabic by Trevor Le Gassick.
152	La Guma, Alex	1974	The Stone-Country. (Originally published 1967.)
153	Munonye, John	1975	A Dancer of Fortune. (London: William Heinemann, 1974.)
154	Armah, Ayi Kwei	1974	Fragments.
155	Armah, Ayi Kwei	1974	Why Are We So Blest?: a novel. London: Heinemann.
156	Ruheni, Mwangi	1975	The Minister's Daughter.
157	Kayper-Mensah, A. W.	1975	The Drummer in Our Time.
158	Kahiga, Samuel	1974	The Girl From Abroad.
159	Mvungi, Martha	1975	Three Solid Stones.
160	Mwase, George Simeon	1975	Strike a Blow and Die: the classic story of the Chilembwe Rising. Edited and introduced by Robert I. Rotberg.
161	Djoleto, Amu	1975	Money Galore.
162	Kayira, Legson	1974	The Detainee. London: Heinemann.
163	Sellassie, B. M. Sahle	1974	Warrior King.
164	Royston, Robert	1974	Black Poets in South Africa.
165	Etherton, Michael, ed.	1975	African Plays for Playing. Plays by Nuwa Sentongo, Jacob Hevi & Segun Ajibade. Selected and edited by Michael Etherton. London: Heinemann.
166	De Graft, Joe	1975	Beneath the Jazz and Brass.
167	Rabearivelo, Jean-Joseph	1975	Translations from the Night: selected poems of Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo. Edited with English translations by Clive Wake and John Reed.
168	Echewa, T. Obinkaram	1976	The Land's Lord.
169	Samkange, Stanlake	1975	The Mourned One.
170	Mungoshi, Charles	1975	Waiting for the Rain.
171	Soyinka, Wole, ed.	1975	Poems of Black Africa. Edited and introduced by Wole Soyinka. London: Heinemann.
172	Ekwensi, Cyprian	1975	Restless City and Christmas Gold. London: Heinemann.
173	Nwankwo, Nkem	1975	My Mercedes is Bigger Than Yours.
174	Diop, David Mandessi	1975	Hammer Blows. Translated from the French and edited by Simon Mpondo and Frank Jones. London: Heinemann.
175	Ousmane, Sembène	1976	Xala. Translated from the French by Clive Wake. As Xala: roman, Paris: Présence Africaine, 1973.
176	Mwangi, Meja	1976	Going Down River Road.
177	Gordimer, Nadine	1976	Some Monday for Sure.
178	Peteni, R. L.	1976	Hill of Fools.
179	Etherton, Michael (ed.)	1976	African Plays for Playing 2. Includes Monkey on the tree by Uwa Udensi, Black mamba two by Godfrey Kabwe Kasoma and The tradedy of Mr. No-balance by Victor Eleame Musinga.
180	Senghor, Léopold Sédar	1976	Prose and Poetry. Selected and translated from French by John Reed and Clive Wake.
181	Beti, Mongo	1978	Perpetua and the Habit of Unhappiness. Translated by Clive Wake and John Reed from the French Perpétue et l'habitude du malheur (originally published Paris: Editions Buchet-Chastel, 1974).
182	Head, Bessie	1977	The Collector of Treasures.
183	Okara, Gabriel	1978	The Fisherman's Invocation.
184	Farah, Nuruddin	1976	A Naked Needle.
185	Ekwensi, Cyprian	1976	Survive the Peace.
186	Boateng, Yaw M.	1977	The Return.
187	Rugyendo, Mukotani	1977	Barbed Wire and Other Plays.
188	Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o	1977	Petals of Blood.
189	Iroh, Eddie	1976	Forty-eight Guns for the General
190	Samkange, Stanlake	1978	Year of the Uprising
191	Thiong'o, Ngũgĩ wa & Mugo, Micere Githae	1976	The trial of Dedan Kimathi
192	Jahadmy, Ali A. (ed.)	1977	Anthology of Swahili poetry. Parallel Swahili text and English translation. Selected and translated by Ali A. Jahadmy.
193	p'Bitek, Okot	1978	Hare and Hornbill. Compiled and translated from the Acholi by Okot p'Bitek. London: Heinemann.
194	Armah, Ayi Kwei	1979	The Healers: an historical novel.
195	Munonye, John	1978	Bridge to a Wedding. London: Heinemann.
196	Johnson-Davies, Denys (ed.)	1978	Egyptian short stories. Includes "House of flesh" by Yusuf Idris, "Grandad Hasan" by Yahya Taher Abdullah, "Within the walls" by Edward El-Kharrat, "The performer" by Ibrahim Aslan, "The whistle" by Abdul Hakim Kassem, "Suddenly it rained" by Baha Taher, "The man who saw the sole of his left foot in a cracked mirror" by Lutfi Al-Khouli, "A conversation from the third floor" by Mohamed El-Bisatie, "Yusuf Murad Morcos" by Nabil Gorgy, "The conjurer made off with the dish" by Naguib Mahfouz, "The accusation" by Suleiman Fayyad, "A place under the dome" by Abdul Rahman Fahmy, "The country boy" by Yusuf Sibai, "The snake" by Sonallah Ibrahim, "The crush of life" by Yusuf Sharouni, "A story from prison" by Yahya Hakki & "The child and the king" by Gamil Atia Ibrahim.
197	Mahfouz, Naguib	1978	Miramar. Edited and revised by Maged el Kommos and John Rodenbeck; introduced by John Fowles.
198	Cabral, Amilcar	1979	Unity and Struggle: speeches and writings. Texts selected by the PAIGC; translated from Portuguese by Michael Wolfers.
199	Sassine, Williams	1980	Wirriyamu. Translated from the French by John Reed and Clive Wake.
200	Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o	1982	Devil on the Cross.
201	Plaatje, Sol T.	1978	Mhudi: an epic of South African native life a hundred years ago. (New York: Negro Univ. Press, 1970; Johannesburg: Quagga Press, Ad. Donker, 1975; London: Rex Collings, 1976; Washington, DC: Three Continents Press, 1978).
202	Vieira, José Luandino	1978	The Real Life of Domingos Xavier. Translated from the Portuguese by Michael Wolfers.
203	Njau, Rebeka	1978	Ripples in the Pool. (Nairobi: Transafrica, 1975.)
204	Mulaisho, Dominic	1979	The Smoke that Thunders
205	Bebey, Francis	1978	The Ashanti Doll. Translated from the French by Joyce A. Hutchinson.
206	Aniebo, I. N. C.	1978	The Journey Within.
207	Marechera, Dambudzo	1978	The House of Hunger.
208	Brutus, Dennis	1978	Stubborn Hope: new poems and selections. London: Heinemann.
209	Idris, Yusuf	1978	The Cheapest Nights, and other stories. Translated from the Arabic by Wadida Wassef.
210	Amadi, Elechi	1978	The Slave.
211	Kunene, Mazisi	1979	Emperor Shaka the great: a Zulu epic. Translated from the Zulu by the author.
212	La Guma, Alex	1979	Time of the Butcherbird. (Heinemann, 1979)
213	Iroh, Eddie	1979	Toads of War.
214	Beti, Mongo	1980	Remember Ruben. Translated from the French by Gerald Moore. (Originally published Ibadan: New Horn, 1980.)
215	Wolfers, Michael (ed.)	1979	Poems from Angola. Selected, translated and introduced by Michael Wolfers.
216	Yirenkyi, Asiedu	1980	Kivuli and other plays.
217	Biko, Steve	1979	I Write What I Like: a selection of his writings. Edited by Aelred Stubbs.
218	Armah, Ayi Kwei	1979	Two Thousand Seasons. London: Heinemann.
219	Kenyatta, Jomo	1979	Facing Mount Kenya: the traditional life of the Gikuyu. With an introduction by B. Malinowski. (Originally published London: Secker and Warburg, 1938.)
220	Head, Bessie	1981	Serowe: Village of the Rain Wind.
221	Cheney-Coker, Syl	1980	The Graveyard Also Has Teeth, with Concerto for an Exile: poems. London: Heinemann.
222	Vieira, José Luandino	1980	Luuanda. Translated from the Portuguese by Tamara L. Bender. London: Heinemann.
223	Ghanem, Fathy	1980	The Man who Lost his Shadow: a novel in four books. Translated from the Arabic by Desmond Stewart.
224	Kente, Gibson (ed.)	1981	South African people's plays. Includes uNosilimela by Credo V. Mutwa, Shanti by Mthuli Shezi, Too Late by Gibson Kente & Survival by the Workshop '71 Theatre Company.
225	Mahfouz, Naguib	1981	Children of Gebelawi.
226	Farah, Nuruddin	1980	Sweet and Sour Milk. (Originally published London: Allison & Busby, 1979.)
227	Emecheta, Buchi	1979	The Joys of Motherhood. (Originally published London: Allison and Busby, 1979.)
228	Hussein, Taha	1981	An Egyptian Childhood: the autobiography of Taha Hussein. Translated by E. H. Paxton.
229	Mofolo, Thomas	1981	Chaka: an historical romance. New translation by Daniel P. Kunene. Originally translated from the Sesuto by F. H. Dutton, London & New York: OUP, 1967.
230	Feinberg, Barry (ed.)	1980	Poets to the People: South African Freedom Poems.
231	Jumbam, Kenjo	1980	White Man of God.
232	Johnson-Davies, Denys (ed.)	1981	Egyptian One-act Plays. Selected and translated from the Arabic by Denys Johnson-Davies. Includes The interrogation by Farid Kamil, The Trap by Alfred Farag, Marital bliss by Abdel-Moneim Selim, The wheat well by Ali Salem, and The donkey market by Tewfik al-Hakim.
233	Nyamfukudza, S.	1980	The Non-Believer's Journey; 128 pp.
234	Kunene, Mazisi	1981	Anthem of the Decades: a Zulu epic. Translated from Zulu by the author.
235	Kunene, Mazisi	1982	The Ancestors and the Sacred Mountain: poems. Translated from Zulu.
236	Mapanje, Jack	1981	Of Chameleons and Gods; 80 pp.
237	Marechera, Dambudzo	1980	Black Sunlight.
238	Peters, Lenrie	1981	Selected Poetry; 160 pp.
239	Kourouma, Ahmadou	1981	The Suns of Independence. Translated from the French Les soleils des independances by Adrian Adams.
240	Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o	1981	Detained: A Writers Prison Diary
241	Akare, Thomas	1981	The Slums.
242	Aluko, T. M.	1982	Wrong Ones in the Dock. London: Heinemann.
243	Mutloatse, Mothobi (ed.)	1981	Africa South: contemporary writings.
244	Ya-Otto, John with Ole Gjerstad and Michael Mercer	1982	Battlefront Namibia: an autobiography
245	NEVER ASSIGNED.
246	Thiong'o, Ngũgĩ wa	1982	I Will Marry When I Want.
247	Head, Bessie	1987	When Rain Clouds Gather
248	Bâ, Mariama	1981	So long a letter. Translated from the French Si longue lettre by Modupé Bodé-Thomas.
249	Obasanjo, Olusegun	1981	My Command: An Account of the Nigerian Civil War, 1967-1970.
250	Ousmane, Sembène	1981	The Last of the Empire.
251	Lewin, Hugh	1981	Bandiet: seven years in a South African prison.
252	Farah, Nuruddin	1982	Sardines. (Originally published London: Allison & Busby, 1981.)
253	Aniebo, I. N. C.	1983	Of Wives, Talismans, and the Dead: short stories. Arranged by Willfred F. Feuser. London; Exeter, N.H.: Heinemann.
254	Scanlon, Paul A. (ed.)	1983	Stories from central and southern Africa. Includes "Beggar my neighbour" by Dan Jacobson, "Kwashiorkor" by Can Themba, "About a girl who met a dimo" by Susheela Curtis, "Hajji Musa and the Hindu fire-walker" by Ahmed Essop, "The sisters" by Pauline Smith, "Tselane and the giant" by B. L. Leshoai, "Johannesburg, Johannesburg" by Nathaniel Nakasa, "Coming of the dry season" by Charles Mungoshi, "A soldier's embrace" by Nadine Gordimer, "Witchcraft" by Bessie Head, "The old woman" by Luis B. Honwana, "Dopper and Papist" by Herman C. Bosman, "The dishonest chief" by Ellis Singano and A. A. Roscoe, "The Soweto bride" by Mbulelo Mzamane, "A sunrise on the veld" by Doris Lessing, "The soldier without an ear" by Paul Zeleza, "Riva" by Richard Rive, "Sunlight in Trebizond Street" by Alan Paton, "The Christmas reunion" by Dambudzo Marechera, "The king of the waters" by A. C. Jordan, "Power" by Jack Cope, and "In corner B" by Es'kia (Zeke) Mphahlele.
255	Iroh, Eddie	1982	The Siren in the Night.
256	Bruner, Charlotte H. (ed.)	1983	Unwinding Threads: writing by women in Africa.
257	Calder, Angus, Jack Mapanje & Cosmo Peterse	1983	Summer Fires: new poetry of Africa.
258	Pheto, Molefe	1985	And Night Fell: Memoirs of a Political Prisoner in South Africa. (Originally published London: Allison & Busby, 1983.)
259	NEVER PUBLISHED		"A volume called This is the Time was advertised as No. 259, but no such volume exists in any of the library catalogues we consulted. Research in the AWS archive at Reading University reveals that this was a projected anthology of Central and Southern African poetry, which was instead published as When My Brothers Come Home: Poems from Central and Southern Africa, edited by Frank M. Chipasula (Middleton, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1985)."
260	NEVER PUBLISHED		"Kofi Awoonor's Until the Morning After: Collected Poems 1963-1985 was to have been AWS number 260, but was apparently withdrawn by the author and instead published by Greenfield Review Press, New York, in 1987."
261	Anyidoho, Kofi	1984	A Harvest of our Dreams, with Elegy for the Revolution: poems.
262	Nagenda, John	1986	The Seasons of Thomas Tebo.
263	Serote, Mongane	1983	To Every Birth its Blood.
264	De Graft, Joe	1977	Muntu.
265	NEVER ASSIGNED.
266	p'Bitek, Okot	1984	Song of Lawino: &, Song of Ocol. Translated from the Acholi by Okot p'Bitek. Introduction by G. A. Heron; illustrations by Frank Horle. London: Heinemann.
267	Idrīs, Yūsuf	1984	Rings of Burnished Brass.
268	Sepamia, Sepho	1981	A Ride on the Whirlwind: a novel.
269	Pepetela	1984	Mayombe.
270	Achebe, Chinua, & C. L. Innes (eds)	1985	African short stories. Includes "The false prophet" by Sembene Ousmane, "Certain winds from the south" by Ama Ata Aidoo, "The apprentice" by Odun Balogun, "The will of Allah" by David Owoyele, "Civil peace" by Chinua Achebe, "The gentlemen of the jungle" by Jomo Kenyatta, "The green leaves" by Grace Ogot, "Bossy" by Abdulrazak Gurnah, "The spider's web" by Leonard Kibera, "Minutes of glory" by Ngugi wa Thiong'o, "An incident in the Ghobashi household" by Alifa Rifaat, "A handful of dates" by Tayeb Salih, "A conversation from the third floor" by Mohamed El-Bisatie, "Papa, snake & I" by B. L. Honwana, "The bridegroom" by Nadine Gordimer, "The betrayal" by Ahmed Essop, "Protista" by Dambudzo Marechera, "The coffee-cart girl" by Ezekiel Mphahlele, "Snapshots of a wedding" by Bessie Head, and "Reflections in a cell" by Mafika Gwala.
unnumbered	Rifaat, Alifa	1985	Distant View of a Minaret.
unnumbered	Amadi, Elechi	1986	Estrangement.
unnumbered	Echewa, T Obinkaram	1986	The Crippled Dancer
unnumbered	Sembene, Ousmane	1987	Black Docker
unnumbered	Rive, Richard	1987	Buckingham Palace, District 6
unnumbered	Lopes, Henri	1987	Tribaliks
unnumbered	Tambo, Oliver	1987	Oliver Tambo Speaks: Preparing for Power
unnumbered	Achebe, Chinua	1988	Anthills of the Savanna
unnumbered	Karodia, Farida	1988	Coming Home and Other Stories, includes "Coming Home", "Something in the Air", "The Necklace", "Cardboard Mansions", "Ntombi", "iGoldi", "The Worlds According to Mrs Angela Ramsbotham", "Seeds of Discontent", "The Woman in Green"
unnumbered	Wangusa, Timothy	1989	Upon This Mountain
unnumbered	Mungoshi, Charles	1989	The Setting Sun and the Rolling World
unnumbered	Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o	1989	Matigari
unnumbered	Vassanji, M. G.	1989	The Gunny Sack
unnumbered	Laing, Kojo	1989	Godhorse
unnumbered	Zimuya, Musaemura, Porter, Peter, Anyidoho, Kofi (eds)	1989	The Fate of Vultures, contributions by Tanure Ojaide, Afam Akeh, Gichora Mwangi, Ama Asantewa Ababio, Alex Agyei-Agyiri, Funso Aiyejina, Richard Afari Baafour, Biyi Bandele-Thomas, Philip Bateman, Charles Agboola Bodunde, John Murray Coates, James Putsch Commey, Jonathan Cumming, Achmat Dangor, Kofi Dondo, Patrick Ebewo, Godwin Ede, Ezenwa-Ohaeto, Bode-Law Faleyimu, Francis Faller, Femi Fatoba, Henry Garuba, Arthur K. de Graft-Rosenior, Martin Gwete, Chenjerai Hove, Esiaba Irobi, Frederick Bobor James, Beverley Jansen, Wumi Kaji, Ken N. Kamoche, Lawrence Karanja, Kolosa Kargbo, Boyo Lawal, Masango Lisongwe, Don Mattera, Zondi Mbano, Bennet Leboni, Buti Moleko, Lupenga Mphande, Edison Mpina, Fekessa Mwada, Crispin Namane, Valerie Nkomeshya, Pheroze Nowrojee, Silas Obadiah, Walter Odame, Tanure Ojaide, Felicity Atuki Okoth, Isi Omoifo, Thembile ka Pepeteka, Sobhna Keshval Poona, Kofi Sam, Gloria Sandak-Lewin, Erasmus Elikplim Forster Senaye, Sam Ukal, Michael Andrew Wakabi, Timothy Wangusa, Willie T. Zingani
unnumbered	Mahjoub, Jamal	1989	Navigation of a Rainmaker
unnumbered	Hove, Chenjerai	1990	Bones
unnumbered	Cheney-Coker, Syl	1990	The Last Harmattan of Alusine Dunbar
unnumbered	Chinodya, Shimmer	1990	Harvest of Thorns
unnumbered	Couto, Mia	1990	Voices Made Night
unnumbered	Gool, Reshard	1990	Cape Town Coolie
unnumbered	Head, Bessie	1990	A Woman Alone
unnumbered	Head, Bessie	1990	Tales of Tenderness and Power
unnumbered	Maja-Pearce, Adewale (ed)	1990	The Heinemann Book of African Poetry in English, contributions by Dennis Brutus, Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye, Christopher Okigbo, Lenrie Peters, Wole Soyinka, Kofi Awoonor, JP Clark Bekederemo, Syl Cheney-Coker, Arthur Nortje, Steve Chimombo, Jack Mapanje, Kojo Laing, Niyi Osundare, Tanure Ojaide, Musaemura Zimunya, Lupenga Mphande, Frank Chipasula, Molara Ogundipe-Leslie, Odia Ofeimun, Catherine  Obianuju Acholonu, Chenjerai Hove, Gabriel Gbadmosi
unnumbered	Cheney-Coker, Syl	1990	The Blood in the Desert's Eye
unnumbered	Chipasula, Frank M.	1991	Whispers in the Wings
unnumbered	Amechi Akwanya	1991	Orimili
unnumbered	Gordimer, Nadine	1991	Crimes of Conscience: Selected Short Stories
unnumbered	Vassanji, M. G.	1993	Uhuru Street & other Stories, includes  "In the Quiet of a Sunday Afternoon",  "Ali", "Alzira", "The Beggar", "For a Shilling", "The Relief from Drill", "The Driver", "English Lessons", "The Sounds of the Night", "Leaving", "Breaking Loose", "What Good Times We Had", "Ebrahim and the Businessman", "The London-returned", "Refugee", "All Worlds are Possible Now".
unnumbered	Ojaide, Tanure	1991	The Blood of Peace and other poems
unnumbered	Achebe, C., and C. L. Innes	1992	Book of Contemporary African Short Stories
unnumbered	Osundare, Niyi	1992	Selected Poems
unnumbered	Mwangi, Ursula	1992	Striving for the Wind
unnumbered	Laing, Kojo	1992	Major Gentl and Achimota Wars
unnumbered	Bandele-Thomas, Biyi	1992	The Man Who Came In From The Back Of Beyond
unnumbered	Ousmane, Sembene	1992	Niiwam and Taaw
unnumbered	Hove, Chenjerai	1992	Shadows
unnumbered	Zeleza, Tiyambe	1992	Smouldering Charcoal
unnumbered	Tuma, Hama	1993	The Case of the Socialist Witchdoctor and other stories  includes  "By Way of a Prologue", "The Case of the Illiterate Saboteur", "The Case of the Valliant Torturer",  "The Case of the Criminal Thought", "The Case of the Queue Breaker", "The Case of the Treacherous Alphabet", "The Case of the Professor of Insanity", "The Case of the Closet Racist", "The Case of the Presumptuous Novelist", "The Case of the Prison-Mongerer", "The Case of the Incurable Hedonist", "Vendetta", "Betrayal", "It happened in Russia", "Death of a Renegade", "Tales of the Highway Fire", "The Professional", "The Zar Who Liked Human Liver", "In 'The Bar of No Surprises'", "Ten on the Terror Scale", "The Waldiba Story", "Madman, Killer , Saint, You".
unnumbered	Bandele-Thomas, Biyi	1993	The Sympathetic Undertaker and Other Dreams
unnumbered	Jacobs, Steve	1993	Under the Lion
unnumbered	Botha, W. P. B.	1993	The Reluctant Playwright
unnumbered	Karodia, Farida	1993	A Shattering of Silence
unnumbered	Bruner, Charlotte (ed)	1993	African Women's Writing, including contributions from Catherine Obianuju Acholonu, Ifeoma Okoye, Zaynab Alkali, Orlanda Amarilis, Aminata Maiga Ka, Awuor Ayoda, Violet Dias Lannoy, Daisy Kabagarama, Lina Magaia, Ananda Devi, Tstitsi Dangerembga, Bessie Head, Jean Marquard, Zoe Wicomb, Sheila Fugard, Farida Karodia, Nawal el Sadaawi, Assia Djebar, Gisele Halimi, Leila Sebbar, Andree Chedid
unnumbered	Mapanje, Jack	1993	The Chattering Wagtails of Mikuyu Prison
unnumbered	Mahjoub, Jamal	1994	Wings of Dust
unnumbered	Hirson, Denis (ed), with Trump, Martin	1994	South African Short Stories, including contributions from  Njabulo Ndebele, Dugmore Boetie, Ernst Havemann, Jack Cope, Elise Muller, Herman Charles Bosman, Breyten Breytenbach, Ivan Vladislavic, Hennie Aucamp, Etienne van Heerden, Bartho Smit, Can Themba, Bheki Maseko, Mango Tshabangu, Dan Jacobson, Nadine Gordimer, Ahmed Essop, Bessie Head, Christopher Hope, Alan Paton, Zoe Wicomb
unnumbered	Emecheta, Buchi	1994	In the Ditch
unnumbered	Emecheta, Buchi	1994	Second-class Citizen
unnumbered	Emecheta, Buchi	1994	Head Above Water
unnumbered	Emecheta, Buchi	1994	Gwendolen
unnumbered	Emecheta, Buchi	1994	Kehinde
unnumbered	Emecheta, Buchi	1994	Destination Biafra
unnumbered	Chimombo, Steve	1994	Napolo and the Python
unnumbered	Sam, Agnes	1994	Jesus is Indian and other stories, including  "High Heel", "Jesus is Indian", "Poppy", "A Bag of Sweets", "A Well-Loved Woman", "Nana and Devi", "Sunflowers", "Two Women", "Innocents", "The Seed", "Jellymouse", "Maths", "The Story Teller", "And They Christened It Indenture"
unnumbered	Couto, Mia	1994	Every Man is a Race
unnumbered	Tansi, Sony Lab'ou	1995	The Seven Solitudes of Lorsa Lopes
unnumbered	Beyala, Calixthe	1995	Loukoum, or the "Little Prince" of Belville
unnumbered	Darko, Amma	1995	Beyond the Horizon
unnumbered	Head, Bessie	1995	The Cardinals with Meditations and other stories, including "Earth and Everything", "Africa", "My Home", "A Personal View of the Survival of the Unfittest", "Where is the Hour of the Beautiful Dancing of the Birds in the Sun-Wind?", "Poor man", "Earth Love".
unnumbered	Chipasula, Stella and Frank (eds)	1995	African Women's Poetry, includes contributions by Daniele Amrane, Leila Djibali, Ana Greki, Malika O'Lahsen, Queen Hatshepsut,  Andree Chedid, Malak'Abd al-Aziz, Joyce Mansour, Rachida Madani, Amina Said, Irene Assiba d'Almeida, Ama Ata Aidoo, Abena P.A. Busia, Rashidah Ismaili, Molara Ogunidpe Leslie, Maria Manuela Margrido, Alda do Espirito Santo, Annette M'Baye d'Erneville, Marina Gashe, Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye, Mwana Kupona binti Msham, Micere Githae Mugo, Stella M Chipasula, Shakuntala Hawoldar, Assumpta Acam-Oturu, Alda Lara, Maria Eugenia Lima, Amelia Veiga, Gwendolen C Konie, Noemia de Sousa, Jeni Couzeyn, Ingrid de Kok, Amelia Blossom Pegram, Ingrid Jonker, Lindiwe Mabuza, Zindzi Mandela, Geina Mhlophe, Phumzile Zulu, Kristina Rungano
unnumbered	Collen, Lindsey	1995	The Rape of Sita
unnumbered	Emecheta, Buchi	1995	The Slave Girl
unnumbered	Emecheta, Buchi	1995	The Bride Price
unnumbered	Jacobs, Steve	1995	The Enemy Within
unnumbered	Botha, W. P. B.	1995	Wantok
unnumbered	Sobott-Mogwe, Gaele	1995	Colour Me Blue, includes "Telling Stories", "Rendering up the Glebe", "Hello, Goodbye", "Jomo", "Five to One", "Motho Fela", "The Road Ahead", "Bahmumagading", "In Confinement", "Hide Them Under The Bed", "The Battle of Jericho", "Colour Me Blue", "Mare", "Smile of Fortune", "Another Little Peace of our Hearts", "Dread", "The Birds in her Garden", "Revenge is Sweet".
unnumbered	Beyala, Calixthe	1996	Your Name Shall Be Tanga
unnumbered	Beyala, Calixthe	1996	The Sun Hath Looked Upon Me
unnumbered	Accad, Evelyn	1996	Wounding Words: A Woman's Journal
unnumbered	Pepetela	1996	Yaka
unnumbered	Mahjoub, Jamal	1996	In the Hour of Signs
unnumbered	Jacobs, Rayda	1996	The Eyes of the Sky
unnumbered	Botha, W. P. B	1997	A Duty of Memory
unnumbered	Darko, Amma	1998	The Housemaid
unnumbered	Kanengoni, Alexander	1998	Echoing Siliences
unnumbered	King-Aribisala, Karen	1998	Kicking Tongues
unnumbered	Kwakye, Benjamin	1998	The Clothes of Nakedness
unnumbered	Vera, Yvonne	1999	Opening Spaces: Contemporary African Women's Writing, including contributions by Ama Ata Aidoo, Melissa Tandiwe Myambo, Lindsey Collen, Farida Karodia, Norma Kitson, Veronique Tadjo, Leila Abouela, Ifeoma Okoye, Lilia Momple, Sindiwe Magona, Chiedza Musengezi, Monde Sifusniso, Gugu Ndlovu, Anna Dao, Milly Jafta
unnumbered	Oguine, Ike	2000	A Squatter's Tale
unnumbered	Ndibe, Okey	2000	Arrows of Rain
unnumbered	Emecheta, Buchi	2000	The New Tribe
unnumbered	Sinyangwe, Binwell	2000	A Cowrie of Hope
unnumbered	Chinodya, Shimmer	2001	Dew in the Morning
unnumbered	Abouela, Leila	2001	The Translator
unnumbered	Andreas, Neshani	2001	The Purple Violet of Oshaantu
unnumbered	Momplé, Lilia	2001	Neighbours: the story of a murder
unnumbered	Chinodya, Shimmer	2001	Can We Talk and Other Stories,  including "Hoffman Street", "The Man Who Hanged Himself", "Going to See Mr B.V.", "Among the Dead", "Brothers and Sisters", "Snow", "The Waterfall", "Play Your Cards", "Strays", "Bramson", "Can We Talk".
unnumbered	Tadjo, Veronique	2001	As the Crow Flies
unnumbered	Tadjo, Veronique	2002	The Shadow of Imana: Travels in the Heart of Rwanda
unnumbered	Aidoo, Ama Ata	2002	The Girl Who Can and Other Stories, including "Her Hair Politics – a very short story", "Choosing – a moral of the world of work", "The Girls WHO Can", "Comparisons or Who Said a Bird Cannot Aather a Crab?", "Nutty", "She-Who-Would-Be-King (with apology to Rudyard Kipling", "Heavy Moments", "Some Global News - A short-four-voice report", "About the Wedding Feast", "Lice", "Payments", "Male-ing Names in the Sun", "Newly-Opened Doors", "Nowhere Cool".
unnumbered	Mapanje, Jack (ed)	2002	Gathering Seaweed: African Prison Writing, including contributions from Kenneth D. Kaunda, Agostinho Neto, Oginga Odinga, Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Eddison J. Zvibogo, Felix Mnthali, Steve Biko, Jeremy Cronin, Moncef Marzouki, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Joseph Mwangi Kariuki, Sam Mpasu, Yves Emmanuel Dogbe, Kwame Safo-Adu, Albie Sachs, Dennis Brutus, Jose Craveirinha, Ahmed Fouad Negm, Wole Soyinka, Kofi Awoonor, Ingopapele Madingoane, Fatima Meer, Edison Mpina, Ogaga Ifowodo, Leila Djabali, Obafemi Owolowo, Molefe Pheto, Tshenuwani Simon Farisani, Abdellatif Laabi, Syl Cheney-Coker, Koigi wa Wamwere, Maina wa Kinyatti, Jack Mapanje, Muhammad Afifi Mattar, Tahar Djaout, Nelson Mandela, Antonio Jacinto, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Breyten Breytenbach, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Caesarina Kona Makhoere, Kunle Ajibade, Tandundu E. A. Bisikisi, Pitika Ntuli, Jaki Seroke, Fela Anikulapo-Kutu, Christine Anyanwu, Mzwakhe Mbuli
unnumbered	Pepetela	2002	Return of the Water Spirit
unnumbered	Aidoo, Ama Ata	2003	Changes: A Love Story
unnumbered	Mengara, Daniel	2003	Mema

Digitisation and relaunch

In 2005 Chadwyck-Healey Literature Collection began to digitise the series, which was completed in 2009.

It was then relaunched by Pearson Education in 2011, which began reissuing titles from the original list as 'Classics' and a number of new works.

New titles included:

• The purple violet of Oshaantu by Neshani Andreas (2011)
• Woman of the Aeroplanes by B. Kojo Laing (2011)
• Search Sweet Country by B. Kojo Laing (2011)
• The Lovers by Bessie Head (2011)
• How Shall We Kill the Bishop and other stories by Lily Mabura (2012)
• The Grub Hunter by Amir Tag Elsir (2012)
• Sterile Sky by E. E. Sule (2012)
• Mindblast by Dambudzo Marechera (2015)

In 2018 Pearson signed a digital license agreement for the series with Digitalback Book.

The relaunched African Writers Series logo, designed by Stephen Embleton Nov 2021

In December 2021, Abibiman Publishing and the James Currey Society in Oxford announced that the series would be relaunched again. The new series will be edited by the James Currey Fellow at Oxford University, Stephen Embleton. Embleton stated: "Our mandate is clear and threefold: build on the legacy of the original African Writers Series, actively seek works written in African languages, and have the writers of this Continent at the helm."

African Writers Series, logo 2021

See also

• List of African writers
• Three Crowns Books
• Writing in Asia Series

External links

• Heinemann - African Writers Series
• "Heinemann African Writers Series" at African Studies Centre, Leiden.
• Jenny Uglow, "BOOKS / A voice out of Africa: A story of sweet success and bitter controversy: the low-profile but high-grade African Writers Series has just celebrated its 30th year", The Independent, 3 January 1993.