Books to Read Before You Travel to Tanzania. Tanzania has beautiful scenery and a lot of different things to do. It is home to the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro, and many interesting cultures. You could go on a “literary safari” before you see all of this for real. You can learn more about Tanzania’s people, past, and nature by reading books about it. Check out our list of the best books about Tanzania that really show what this interesting country is like.

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Short stories by M.G. Vassanji can be found in Uhuru Street: This collection of short stories takes place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s busy port city, and shows how the city’s many different groups live. Through her moving stories, Vassanji shows how complicated Tanzanian society is by exploring themes of national identity, social change, and the effects of colonialism.

Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah is a novel that won the Nobel Prize. It is about a young boy who is caught between two cultures and learns about Tanzania’s colonial past. Gurnah’s beautiful writing brings to life Zanzibar’s rich culture history and how colonialism changed the lives of its people.

Hunter-gatherers of Tanzania called the Hadza by Frank Marlowe: The Hadza people are one of the last hunter-gatherer groups in Africa, and this anthropological study gives us an interesting look into their lives. Marlowe’s careful notes give us a better understanding of their traditional way of life, how they interact with nature, and their unique cultural practices.

The Best Nature Books About Tanzania

Matthiessen’s “The Tree Where Man Was Born”: In this mix of trip writing and natural history, the Serengeti ecosystem is brought to light by looking at how animals interact with their surroundings. Matthiessen’s vivid descriptions paint a picture of how big the Serengeti is, from the roar of the Great Wildebeest Migration to the quiet ease of lone predators.

This is the Wildlife of East Africa book by Martin B. Withers and David Hosking: If you like animals, this book is perfect for you because it goes into great depth about the species you might see on your safari. This book has beautiful pictures and useful text that will help you spot animals, understand how they act, and enjoy Tanzania’s huge variety of plants and animals.

Silence on the Serengeti: The Eternal Beginning by Nigel Pavitt: This big coffee table book is a visual feast that shows off Serengeti National Park’s stunning beauty. Beautiful pictures show how different the scenery is, how exciting it is to see animals, and how the delicate ecosystem works in this special place.

Fictional books that are interesting about Tanzania

Ernest Hemingway’s collection of short stories called “The Shadow of Kilimanjaro” shows off his unique writing style and his interest in Africa. The reader sees both the good and bad sides of life in Tanzania through the characters, and they deal with themes of bravery, loss, and the power of nature.

Katie Quirk’s “A Girl Called Problem”: Lilia is a young Maasai girl who wants to become a doctor. This story is about her coming of age. Along with the Masai Mara as a setting, the book looks at national tradition, gender roles, and the pursuit of personal goals.

Afterlives is a book by Abdulrazak Gurnah: This book, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, tells the stories of three characters from different generations and looks at how colonialism and personal loss still affect people today. The story takes place in both Tanzania and Germany and is about memory, identity, and the search for a place to join.

Well-known books written by Tanzanians

To get a truly real view, you might want to read the writings of Tanzanian authors. Their unique voices give us a look into the traditions, society, and problems of the area. Here are our top three:

There is a famous artist named S.J. Majele who writes about social justice, identity, and how complicated Tanzanian society is.
To paraphrase Kezilahabi: Kezilahabi is a well-known author in Tanzania, and his books and poems deal with issues like government corruption, postcolonial struggles, and the search for meaning.

Iman Yahya: The children’s books by this award-winning author have lively stories that celebrate Tanzanian culture and teach kids good things.
Get to know the Tanzanian language

If you want to have a better time in Tanzania, learning a few simple Swahili words can help. It will help you communicate, and it shows that you value the culture of the place you are visiting. Another nice thing about it is that it can help you connect with people more deeply, and big smiles are a big part of that. These books might be able to help you with this:

Hugo Gysels’s Say It in Swahili: This book is great for people who are just starting to learn Swahili because it is easy to use and covers basic words and grammar. It has useful words for everyday life, information about the culture, and pronunciation help.

Pimsleur Swahili: This audio-based language-learning program immerses you in speaking Swahili in a way that no other program does. You can get better at speaking and understanding what people are saying by focusing on spoken language and repeat.

Memrise is an online tool that makes learning a language fun and interesting by turning it into a game. You can learn Swahili words and grammar at your own pace with its spaced repetition and engaging lessons.

These books about Tanzania are a great place to start, but planning a trip is also a great reason to watch a huge number of programs and movies. Remember that bringing stories with you in a “literary suitcase” makes your trip better in many ways. It gives you a stronger connection with the land and the people who live on it, which helps you understand and care about them.

Are you ready to see what Tanzania has to offer? Choose from one of our Tanzania tours to make experiences that will last a lifetime. Who knows, maybe you’ll even write a book about what you did in Tanzania.