Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ Books in Order

This reading order guide provides the complete list of Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ books in order, from the very first to the latest, so you won’t miss anything!

Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ is a Nigerian writer who tells true stories. She was born in Lagos in 1988 but grew up in Ile-Ife where her parents worked at a university. Growing up surrounded by books and people who talked about ideas all the time, it’s not surprising she fell in love with storytelling. She studied English Literature at Obafemi Awolowo University and later did a Master’s degree in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia in the UK where she got a special scholarship for her writing.

Over the years, her work has appeared in big publications like The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC, ELLE, Financial Times and more. She has also been part of writing programs and residencies around the world which helped her grow as a writer and gave her space to focus on her craft.

Her first novel Stay With Me came out in 2017 and was a hit. The story is set in Nigeria and follows a couple facing pressure and heartbreak in their marriage. It’s a book about love, loss and how far people will go for the people they love. It won several awards and was nominated for others including the Women’s Prize for Fiction. The book has been translated into over 18 languages and praised by big media outlets like The Economist and The Wall Street Journal.

Her second book A Spell of Good Things was published in 2023. It took her several years to finish and the result is a powerful story about two very different families in modern Nigeria. Through the characters’ lives, Ayọ̀bámi shows the huge gap between the rich and the poor and how politics, money and love all get tangled together. The book was longlisted for the Booker Prize and got great reviews for its layered storytelling.

Ayọ̀bámi writes from her home in Lagos. Her writing space is simple – just a desk connected to a big bookshelf, some art on the wall and even an ironing board in the corner. She writes slowly and often goes over the same pages again and again, sometimes switching to pen and paper when she feels stuck. It’s a quiet and thoughtful process and that care shows in her writing.Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ is the real deal. Her books are honest and emotional. They make you feel, think and see the world differently. If you want books that linger after the last page, read her.