A bright portrait of modern Africa that pushes back against harmful stereotypes to tell a more comprehensive story.

'Warm, funny, biting and essential reading.' Adam Rutherford

'An exhilarating journey through the myths, misconceptions and stereotypes of modern Africa. This book is the history lesson that we all need.' Jeffrey Boakye, Guardian

You already know these stereotypes. So often Africa is depicted simplistically as an arid red landscape of famines and safaris, uniquely plagued by poverty and strife.

In this funny and insightful book, Dipo Faloyin offers a much-needed corrective. He examines each country's colonial heritage, and explores a wide range of subjects, from chronicling urban life in Lagos and the lively West African rivalry over who makes the best Jollof rice, to the story of democracy in seven dictatorships and the dangers of stereotypes in popular culture.

By turns intimate and political, Africa Is Not A Country brings the story of the continent towards reality, celebrating the energy and fabric of its different cultures and communities in a way that has never been done before.

'Hilarious, ferocious, generous and convincing. It made me reconsider almost everything I thought I knew about Africa.' Oliver Bullough

'This book should be on the curriculum.' Nikki May, author of Wahala

About the Author
Dipo Faloyin is a senior editor and writer at VICE, where his work has a specific focus on culture, race and identity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. His writing has also featured in the Guardian, Esquire, Newsweek, Dazed, i-D, Refinery 29, Prospect and others. He was born in Chicago, raised in Lagos and currently lives in London.

Reviews
An exhilarating journey through the myths, misconceptions and stereotypes of modern Africa. This book is the history lesson that we all need, to understand the damage that has been done by legacies of white supremacy affecting African nations and the whole world. -- Jeffrey Boakye * Guardian *
Warm, funny, biting and essential reading. -- Adam Rutherford, author of How To Argue With A Racist
Powerful and heartfelt... A long-overdue and compelling corrective... Faloyin has written a book inspired by love and hope for a much-abused and maligned continent, whose future, he insists, is filled with promise. * Guardian *
For curious minds... a truly revelatory read... a book that will stay with you long after you've finished - and one that opens a new chapter on the way you'll think about Africa. * Mail on Sunday *
Impossible not to relish. * New York Times *
This book should be on the curriculum. -- Nikki May, author of Wahala
A necessary book that deserves its place in the canon as essential reading. -- Sally Hayden * Irish Times *
A masterpiece in historical journalism, bristling with insights and perspective widening truths. Anyone seeking enlightenment needs to read this. -- Jeffrey Boakye, author of I Heard What You Said
Hilarious, ferocious, generous and convincing. -- Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland and Butler to the World
Incisive, thought-provoking and, above all, beautifully written - effortlessly blends memoir, political analysis and historical nonfiction to create something genuinely compelling and new -- Zing Tsjeng, author of Forgotten Women
A triumph of a book...charismatic and hugely enjoyable...You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't read this. -- Nels Abbey, author of Think Like a White Man
A brilliant, prescient exploration of a richly complex continent. An antidote for our times. -- Irenosen Okojie, author of Nudibranch
Impeccably researched...brimming with humor and intellect. A necessary read. -- JK Chukwu, author of The Unfortunates
A vital book that offers us new, complex narratives to view African countries and their relationships to Europe and the Global North. Faloyin's stylish, propulsive prose blends history, memoir and opinion, so that reading him has the impression of being at the knee of a great storyteller. -- Jonathan Nunn, editor of Vittles



Book Information
ISBN 9781529114829
Author Dipo Faloyin
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Vintage
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 277g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 24mm