Botswana Literature deals in fiction as well as non-fiction. The works of literature are widely available in Botswana; a few of them have been written by the Botswana's writers while many of them are the works of foreign writers. In many major works of the writers like Jules Verne, Alexander McCall Smith, Norman Rush, the country of Botswana has been used as the setting or backdrop.
The first trace of the
Botswana literature is found in the publication of 'Bible' in the 19th century. The literature in Botswana carried on with some translation works like 'The Pilgrim's Progress'. Several translators like Sol Plaatje and L.D. Raditladi did major translation works of Shakespeare's plays into Setswana. The 19th century also saw a major rise of the travel literature in Botswana. One of the books that had hit the book market during that time was Roualeyn Gordon Cumming's 'The Lion Hunter'. The safari adventures in Botswana have been well depicted in this work. The other major literature work on Botswana of the 19th century is David Livingstone's 'Missionary Travels'.
One of the citizens of Botswana, who has been recognized in the field of Botswana literature for her novels and short stories in the English language, is Bessie Head (1937 – 1986). A few of her popular novels include 'When Raid Clouds Gather' and 'A Question of Power'.
A few of the published works of
Botswana literature in the 21st century include:
- Juggling Truths by Unity Dow
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- A Bagful of Locusts and the Baboon Woman: Constructions of Gender, Change, and Continuity in Botswana by David N. Suggs
