First published 1905. An indispensable anthology of stories and legends from the Fang people of Gabon. It was collected by an RC priest at the end of the 19th century. BNS, French text, 256pp, FRANCE KARTHALA, 284586292X

A multi layered novel telling the story of a young women struggling against the constraints of her community. 122pp, UK. HEINEMANN AFRICAN WRITERS SERIES.

A picture of degeneracy and corruption in a colonial outpost. A young Frenchman, Joseph Timar, travels to Gabon carrying a letter of introduction from an influential uncle. He wants work experience; he wants to see the world. But in the oppressive heat and glare of the equator, Timar doesn't know what to do with himself, and no one seems inclined to help except Adèle, the hotel owner's wife, who takes him to bed one day and rebuffs him the next, leaving him sick with desire. Introduction by Norman Rush and translated from the French by Marc Romano. 136pp, USA. NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS.