African Stories for your reading pleasure:
Enjoy our selection of short stories. We have different levels and materials to cater to your taste and ability.
Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension worksheets are also available for some of the stories.
Read African Stories
#1: Dreams Can’t Be Too Big ( Beginner Short Story Level A1-A2)
“ You’re going to Blantyre Secondary School.”
I cannot believe the news. I am finally going to my school of choice!
“ You deserve it my son.”
My mother is weeping but her tears are of joy. She is happy for me, and proud- I can it see it from the way she keeps on straightening my collar.
“We have to buy new clothes for you.”
“Don’t bother yourself Wamama. I’m only going to Blantyre after all!”
“To the city you mean. I don’t want my son to fail because he didn’t have any decent clothes. You will have two new pairs of trousers and three shirts, not forgetting the uniform.”
I open my mouth to protest but my father and mother will hear none of it. They are strong, my parents, they are. They work hard for me, for us, for everyone in the family. They really want us to succeed…
(You can read the rest of the short story here.)
#2: The Decision (Intermediate Short Story Level A2-B1)
She had made up her mind.
Not that she minded the consequences. She had got used to them anyway.
Her Maths and Biology teacher had told her something about her future. “Bright and promising,” that is what they had said.
They had not been patronising. She had actually been surprised by their kindness, their soliciting tones, their soothing voices.
They had told her that she was clever; that she was talented; that she would make it to Chancellor College, only if she wanted to.
She just had to work harder, do her homework all the time and never be late for classes as she did, at least once a fortnight.
It was hard to believe them…
(Please find the rest of the story can be found here.)
#3: Mangoes for Lydia (Advanced Short Story Level B1-B2)
Lydia knew we were going to the lake for our Christmas holidays. Lydia didn’t know we were going there without her. No one knew how to tell her to stop packing her bags; she wasn’t coming with us after all.
No one had the courage to break the news to this excited girl who had never set her foot on a beach before. It would be her first time, she shouted, and she was planning to enjoy herself to the fullest!
We didn’t let her excitement dampen our spirits. We tried our best to share her joy even though we knew sorrow would replace it in the end. We talked about our future trip as if she were fully part of it. We talked about what we would do in Mangochi.
We spent hours planning our meals. We salivated at the thought of eating fresh fish every day. We saw ourselves dripping with cool water as we emerged from the delicious expanses of the lake. We felt cold Fantas running down our throats as we waited for our dinner which would be brought to us by a real cook.
(Read on to find out what happened next)
Other African Stories
Salt No More, A Novel, Level B1-B2
Pearson Chimaliro Manda is a retired Public Administrator and an aspiring Member of Parliament. He lives in Chalema Village where it is fashionable to be helpless.
Pearson is a slave to greed and selfish ambition. His lust for victory transcends all barriers. A born fighter, he belongs to the United Populists’ Party (U.P.P). So far he has won most of his ruthless battles without compromising his pride and pleasures.
Emmanuel Mhone is an upstart lawyer who lands a lucrative job in France. He is married to Pearson’s daughter, Towera.
The couple are at the centre stage of a family scandal whose consequences are far-reaching and will leave no one unscathed.
Pearson is a stranger to failure until he is caught up in this frightful storm. How does this proud man deal with such a blow that threatens to rip him apart?
ISBN: 978-83-948762-0-3
Date of publication: 27th August, 2017
Available formats: PDF, EPUB and MOBI
The Pinnacle of Irresponsibility, A Short Story, Level B1-B2
Lawrence Gondwe is a Senior Accountant for a private firm. He is 35 years old. He lives in a middle-class suburb of Blantyre with his wife, children, dependents and a maid.
He does not like to talk about his past.
One morning, he wakes up to an unpleasant surprise.
There is a boy in his yard who claims to be a long-lost relative. The night guard thinks otherwise.
Did the boy come on his own or was he sent by somebody? What will Lawrence do? Read this thought-provoking short story to find out.
ISBN: 978-83-948762-1-0
Date of publication: 27th August, 2017
Available formats: PDF, EPUB and MOBI
The Departure Lounge, A Short Story, Level B1-B2
Airports are busy places. Airport patrons are busier.
Grace is a quite and timid 23-year-old student on her way back to Paris. She doesn’t like travelling.
A hot afternoon, a surly guard, a chance encounter and a dose of courage.
What does it take for a young woman to change in an irrevocable way?
ISBN: 978-83-948762-2-7
Date of publication: 27th August, 2017
Available formats: PDF, EPUB and MOBI
You can also find more African stories here:
Enjoy reading African stories!
About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Course Title: Learn English with Powerful African Stories (Level A1-B2)© Learn English With Africa, September 2017
