So often, Africa has been depicted simplistically as a uniform land of famines and safaris, poverty and strife, stripped of all nuance. In his new book, Africa is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent, Dipo Faloyin offers a much-needed corrective. Weaving a tapestry of stories that bring to life Africa’s rich diversity, communities, and histories, Faloyin’s book for the future, even while they unequivocally confront the obstacles set in place by former colonial powers.
Dipo Faloyin is a senior editor at VICE, where he focuses on race, culture, and identity around the world. His writing has appeared in Dazed, Prospect, and HuffPost. Africa is Not a Country is his debut book.