This chapter considers changing representations of albinism in literary works by African writers published in the late 20th and early 21st century. It explores the role of these contemporary fictional representations in promoting greater understanding of albinism, asking to what extent they can be considered examples of a literary form of advocacy that counters misunderstandings, beliefs and stereotypes by nuancing understandings with the capacity to bring about social change. Albinism is an attractive and compelling subject for writers, and characters with albinism are frequently found in contemporary literary representation. Their portrayal reveals that the visible difference of people with albinism, the complex socio-cultural realities that shape their lives, and the narratives attached to albinism in Africa in the form of myths, beliefs and stereotypes provide stimulating material with which creative writers can work.

The literary representations of albinism I discuss here are, for the most part, inspired to differing extents by the challenges faced by people with albinism and a concern with the importance of civic responsibility. Some are rooted in personal experience, while others draw on testimony, observation or media reporting, but they all, in different ways, draw the reader’s attention to the complexities of living with albinism. This chapter traces shifting tendencies in the portrayal of albinism in African literary fiction, before focusing on recent literary works by Eveline Mankou, Demilade Adeyemi and Unathi Magubeni, which highlight human rights abuses against people with albinism, and those by Meg Vandermerwe and Pettina Gappah, which portray the multidimensionality of living with albinism.