Great African Reads discussion

I tried to avoid this since I have been overloaded in challenges this year. I still managed to hit most of the squares unintentionally. Maybe I can find the last one before the year is out (but it's a tough one!)

French speaking Africa: The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon also Told by Starlight in Chad by Joseph Brahim Seid
Red cover: The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
Published Before 1969: The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola
Female Protagonist: Coconut by Kopano Matlwa
A book about Love: Sula and Ja by Ellen Banda-Aaku
Published After 2000: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Free Choice (you pick any African read) Petals of Blood by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
Portuguese speaking Africa: Transparent City by Ondjaki
A Book by a Caine Prize winner: Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela
A book about War: Small Country by Gaël Faye
Animal In The Title: Akissi: Cat Invasion by Marguerite Abouet
A Regional Group Read: The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
A Group Read Short Story: The Collector of Treasures and Other Botswana Village Tales by Bessie Head
A Debut: The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz
An Award Winner/A Shortlisted Book: The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between by Hisham Matar
Written in an African Language: A Dry White Season by André Brink

Does Afrikaans count for the African language category or does it have to be a native language? If so, then I am finished with A Dry White Season by André Brink, originally written in Afrikaans.

Excellent job Diane! I guess it's up to you, but I wouldn't count it - as it's kind of just Dutch to me?

I just read a nice little thing I can recommend: Mr. Fix It by Richard Ali A Mutu - written in Lingala!

If you have any ideas or suggestions for a 2020 bingo - please add them in the bingo thread here https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Anetq wrote: "Excellent job Diane! I guess it's up to you, but I wouldn't count it - as it's kind of just Dutch to me?

I just read a nice little thing I can recommend: Mr. Fix It by Richard Ali ..."

That one sounds great, but I wasn't able to find a copy near me.

In place of my previous entry for native language (since Afrikaans isn't really "native"), I have instead read Basali! Stories by and about Women in Lesotho by K. Limakatso Kendall.

Several of the stories were translated from Sesotho.

I also read a book this year that was supposedly translated from Acoli: Song of Lawino & Song of Ocol by Okot p'Bitek.