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Lists & Recommendations

January 24, 2026

60 Notable Books of 2025

From Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Abdulrazak Gurnah, and Stella Nyanzi to Alain Mabanckou, Siphiwe Ndlovu, and Laila Lalami: the notable African books of 2025, guest curated by the literary culture critic Tolu Daniel.
Open Country Mag
Open Country Mag's 60 Notable African Books of 2025

June 6, 2025

32 Books in 63 Years: Your Guide to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s Body of Work

The late great Kenyan writer produced full-length work in all genres except poetry, capturing the tensions between colonizer and colonized, orality and literacy, and tradition and modernity.
Victor Ebubechukwu Orji
Your guide to Ngugi wa Thiong'o's body of work

April 15, 2025

The 10 Best Acting Performances of the Year

From father figures and bad sons to frustrated wives and fierce lovers: our second annual list of the film and TV performances that elevated stories in 2024.
Otosirieze
Open Country Mag: The 10 Best Acting Performances of 2024

March 18, 2025

The 10 Best Films & TV Series of 2024

From historical dramas to thrillers, our second annual list of Nollywood films and series that demonstrate coherence, vision, ambition, or consciousness.
Otosirieze
Open Country Mag's 10 Best Nollywood Films and TV Series of 2024. Credit: Temidayo Makanjuola, A NIGHT IN 2005, 2024, Prime Video.

February 27, 2025

The Rovingheights Bestseller List 2024: Presented with Open Country Mag

Releasing the third annual compilation of the only bestseller list in Nigerian literature: comprising the Top 100 books of the year, alongside the Top 50 in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, self-published, and children’s books.
Otosirieze
The Rovingheights x Open Country Mag Bestseller List 2024

February 15, 2025

Anticipated Books of 2025

From Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Laila Lalami, and Goretti Kyomuhendo to Tochi Eze, Chisom Okafor, Itiola Jones, and Adedayo Agarau: the anticipated books of 2025.
Victor Ebubechukwu Orji
Anticipated Books of 2025

January 16, 2025

60 Notable Books of 2024

From Chigozie Obioma, Sulaiman Addonia, Reem Gafar, and Dinaw Mengestu to Fiston Mwanza Mujila, Abi Dare, and Nadifa Mohamed: the notable books of 2024 by Africans.
Open Country Mag
Open Country Mag's Notable Books of 2024

January 14, 2025

Our Top Stories of 2024

From a groundbreaking Profile of Cardinal Arinze to a feature on Liberia’s lack of a literary bookstore, to the story of a novelist-cum-soldier: these stories of artists and industry shapers in African literature, Nollywood, and culture defined our year.
Otosirieze
Cardinal Arinze celebrates Pontifical High Mass in the Extraordinary Form for the Feast of Corpus Christi in London on June 20, 2019. Photo credit: Mazur/cbcew.org.uk.

November 17, 2024

4 Films Arriving at the End of 2024

A franchise entry from Funke Akindele, another Yoruba historical feature by Femi Adebayo, a supernatural thriller starring Stan Nze, and a romantic flick with Shaffy Bello.
Paula Willie-Okafor
Seven Doors film poster

April 23, 2024

The Rovingheights Bestseller List 2023: Presented with Open Country Mag

The 100 bestselling books of 2023 in Nigeria: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, self-published, and children’s books.
Otosirieze
The top three books on the RH x OCM Bestseller List: Hadiza Bala Usman's Stepping on Toes, Damilare Kuku's Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad, and Ayobami Adebayo's A Spell of Good Things.

February 2, 2024

The 10 Best Films & TV Series of 2023

In a storied year for Nigerian cinema, our inaugural list prioritizes the realization of narrative, and these features stand out.
Otosirieze
The House of Secrets

January 26, 2024

Anticipated Books of 2024

From Chigozie Obioma, Teju Cole, and Akwaeke Emezi to Safia Elhillo, Olumide Popoola, and Tares Oburumu: the anticipated books of 2024.
Open Country Mag
Open Country Mag: The Anticipated Books of 2024

January 16, 2024

The 10 Best Acting Performances of 2023

In a year of ensembles, in which it fell on collective performances to elevate stories, these actors stood out — among the films and TV series we saw.
Otosirieze
Blossom Chukwujekwu as a kidnap kingpin in The Trade

January 11, 2024

60 Notable Books of 2023

From Leila Aboulela and Emmanuel Dongala to Femi Kayode, Momtaza Mehri, and Fatin Abbas: the notable books of 2023 by Africans.
Open Country Mag
Open Country Mag's Notable African Books of 2023

December 28, 2023

Our Top Stories of 2023

From major Profiles of actors Rita Dominic and Chidi Mokeme to the inspiring stories of chess master Tunde Onakoya and poet Tares Oburumu, to revealing dives into craft: these stories show our range.
Otosirieze
Evelyne Ily as Prisca in Mami Wata

February 19, 2023

The Rovingheights Bestseller List 2022: Presented with Open Country Mag

Announcing the first formal bestseller list in Nigerian literature, covering fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s books, and self-published titles, with an overall Top 100.
Otosirieze
The Rovingheights Bestseller List 2022: Presented with Open Country Mag

February 11, 2023

Anticipated Books of 2023

From Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Ben Okri, and Leila Aboulela to Sarah Ladipo Manyika and Ayobami Adebayo, here are the over 100 books expected to lead the literary conversation this year.
Open Country Mag
The Anticipated Books of 2023

December 29, 2022

60 Notable Books of 2022

From Warsan Shire, Romeo Oriogun, and Safia Elhillo to Arinze Ifeakandu, Akwaeke Emezi, NoViolet Bulawayo, and Chinelo Okparanta: our second annual highlight of the top titles of the year by African writers.
Open Country Mag
Open Country Mag's Notable African Books of 2022

May 28, 2022

12 Publications Currently Open for Submissions

From One Story to Isele, submit your work to these magazines.
Emmanuel Esomnofu

March 31, 2022

22 African Writers, Groundbreaking and Female, Born before the Last 60 Years and Now Gone

For Women’s History Month: global, continental, and national literary icons from the 20th century.
Open Country Mag
20 African Writers, Groundbreaking and Female, Born in the Last 45 Years. Curated by Open Country Mag for Women's History Month, March 2022.

January 24, 2026

Open Country Mag's 60 Notable African Books of 2025

60 Notable Books of 2025

From Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Abdulrazak Gurnah, and Stella Nyanzi to Alain Mabanckou, Siphiwe Ndlovu, and Laila Lalami: the notable African books of 2025, guest curated by the literary culture critic Tolu Daniel.
Open Country Mag

June 6, 2025

Your guide to Ngugi wa Thiong'o's body of work

32 Books in 63 Years: Your Guide to Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s Body of Work

The late great Kenyan writer produced full-length work in all genres except poetry, capturing the tensions between colonizer and colonized, orality and literacy, and tradition and modernity.
Victor Ebubechukwu Orji

April 15, 2025

Open Country Mag: The 10 Best Acting Performances of 2024

The 10 Best Acting Performances of the Year

From father figures and bad sons to frustrated wives and fierce lovers: our second annual list of the film and TV performances that elevated stories in 2024.
Otosirieze

March 18, 2025

Open Country Mag's 10 Best Nollywood Films and TV Series of 2024. Credit: Temidayo Makanjuola, A NIGHT IN 2005, 2024, Prime Video.

The 10 Best Films & TV Series of 2024

From historical dramas to thrillers, our second annual list of Nollywood films and series that demonstrate coherence, vision, ambition, or consciousness.
Otosirieze

February 27, 2025

The Rovingheights x Open Country Mag Bestseller List 2024

The Rovingheights Bestseller List 2024: Presented with Open Country Mag

Releasing the third annual compilation of the only bestseller list in Nigerian literature: comprising the Top 100 books of the year, alongside the Top 50 in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, self-published, and children’s books.
Otosirieze

February 15, 2025

Anticipated Books of 2025

Anticipated Books of 2025

From Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Laila Lalami, and Goretti Kyomuhendo to Tochi Eze, Chisom Okafor, Itiola Jones, and Adedayo Agarau: the anticipated books of 2025.
Victor Ebubechukwu Orji

January 16, 2025

Open Country Mag's Notable Books of 2024

60 Notable Books of 2024

From Chigozie Obioma, Sulaiman Addonia, Reem Gafar, and Dinaw Mengestu to Fiston Mwanza Mujila, Abi Dare, and Nadifa Mohamed: the notable books of 2024 by Africans.
Open Country Mag

January 14, 2025

Cardinal Arinze celebrates Pontifical High Mass in the Extraordinary Form for the Feast of Corpus Christi in London on June 20, 2019. Photo credit: Mazur/cbcew.org.uk.

Our Top Stories of 2024

From a groundbreaking Profile of Cardinal Arinze to a feature on Liberia’s lack of a literary bookstore, to the story of a novelist-cum-soldier: these stories of artists and industry shapers in African literature, Nollywood, and culture defined our year.
Otosirieze

November 17, 2024

Seven Doors film poster

4 Films Arriving at the End of 2024

A franchise entry from Funke Akindele, another Yoruba historical feature by Femi Adebayo, a supernatural thriller starring Stan Nze, and a romantic flick with Shaffy Bello.
Paula Willie-Okafor

April 23, 2024

The top three books on the RH x OCM Bestseller List: Hadiza Bala Usman's Stepping on Toes, Damilare Kuku's Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad, and Ayobami Adebayo's A Spell of Good Things.

The Rovingheights Bestseller List 2023: Presented with Open Country Mag

The 100 bestselling books of 2023 in Nigeria: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, self-published, and children’s books.
Otosirieze

February 2, 2024

The House of Secrets

The 10 Best Films & TV Series of 2023

In a storied year for Nigerian cinema, our inaugural list prioritizes the realization of narrative, and these features stand out.
Otosirieze

January 26, 2024

Open Country Mag: The Anticipated Books of 2024

Anticipated Books of 2024

From Chigozie Obioma, Teju Cole, and Akwaeke Emezi to Safia Elhillo, Olumide Popoola, and Tares Oburumu: the anticipated books of 2024.
Open Country Mag

January 16, 2024

Blossom Chukwujekwu as a kidnap kingpin in The Trade

The 10 Best Acting Performances of 2023

In a year of ensembles, in which it fell on collective performances to elevate stories, these actors stood out — among the films and TV series we saw.
Otosirieze

January 11, 2024

Open Country Mag's Notable African Books of 2023

60 Notable Books of 2023

From Leila Aboulela and Emmanuel Dongala to Femi Kayode, Momtaza Mehri, and Fatin Abbas: the notable books of 2023 by Africans.
Open Country Mag

December 28, 2023

Evelyne Ily as Prisca in Mami Wata

Our Top Stories of 2023

From major Profiles of actors Rita Dominic and Chidi Mokeme to the inspiring stories of chess master Tunde Onakoya and poet Tares Oburumu, to revealing dives into craft: these stories show our range.
Otosirieze

February 19, 2023

The Rovingheights Bestseller List 2022: Presented with Open Country Mag

The Rovingheights Bestseller List 2022: Presented with Open Country Mag

Announcing the first formal bestseller list in Nigerian literature, covering fiction, nonfiction, poetry, children’s books, and self-published titles, with an overall Top 100.
Otosirieze

February 11, 2023

The Anticipated Books of 2023

Anticipated Books of 2023

From Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Ben Okri, and Leila Aboulela to Sarah Ladipo Manyika and Ayobami Adebayo, here are the over 100 books expected to lead the literary conversation this year.
Open Country Mag

December 29, 2022

Open Country Mag's Notable African Books of 2022

60 Notable Books of 2022

From Warsan Shire, Romeo Oriogun, and Safia Elhillo to Arinze Ifeakandu, Akwaeke Emezi, NoViolet Bulawayo, and Chinelo Okparanta: our second annual highlight of the top titles of the year by African writers.
Open Country Mag

May 28, 2022

12 Publications Currently Open for Submissions

From One Story to Isele, submit your work to these magazines.
Emmanuel Esomnofu

March 31, 2022

20 African Writers, Groundbreaking and Female, Born in the Last 45 Years. Curated by Open Country Mag for Women's History Month, March 2022.

22 African Writers, Groundbreaking and Female, Born before the Last 60 Years and Now Gone

For Women’s History Month: global, continental, and national literary icons from the 20th century.
Open Country Mag

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