Read your way through Lagos

For a historical overview I would recommend “Lagos: A Cultural History,” by Kaye Whiteman. It traces the history of the city from the arrival of Portuguese explorers in 1472 to the British takeover in 1861 and contemporary times. It takes us through the topography of Lagos (the island/mainland dichotomy), its streets and their stories, the city's nightlife and its film, music, art and literary scenes.

Which books should I bring?

Teju Cole's novel “Every day is for the thief” is designed as a travel report. The unnamed narrator has just returned to Lagos from New York after fifteen years. He wanders through the city and muses about her danfo buses, internet scammers, neighborhood boys, police officers, music center and the like. He characterizes the body language of Lagosians as that of “undiluted self-confidence,” with their facial expressions proclaiming, “Trust me, you don't want to argue with me,” all to contradict the neighborhood boys. You will find Lagos at its best (the people are warm, stoic, wildly creative) and at its worst (street lynchings). Throughout the story there is a sense of decay, a sense that mirrors that of the entire nation. In one poignant episode, the narrator visits the Nigerian National Museum in the Onikan district and finds the exhibits meager, the sculptures and plaques “caked in dust” and “severely moldy.”

Chris Abani's Postmodern “Graceland” is largely set in Lagos in the 1980s, in the swampy slums of Morocco. Elvis, 16, is a high school dropout. He has the ambition to become a professional dancer. At first he tries to make a living by pretending to be Elvis Presley for white expats, wearing a wig and smearing his face with talcum powder. His friend Redemption leads him to crime, with devastating consequences. The novel is sometimes brutal and gruesome, but also tender and hopeful in its depiction of hardship, dictatorship and disillusionment. Additionally, the pastiche story includes notes on Igbo philosophy and recipes for delectable Nigerian dishes.

Unlike Abani's Elvis, Enitan is the main character of Sefi Atta “Everything good will come,” grows up in the middle class. Born in 1960, the year Nigeria became independentEnitan's transition to womanhood takes place against the backdrop of the Nigerian civil war, military juntas and widespread corruption. Despite her privileged position (she works as a lawyer and later as a banker), she struggles to navigate her patriarchal society, the recurring sexism she suffers (even from her father), and the trauma of a friend's rape. The gripping story offers feminist solutions for a troubled nation.

In Lagos you'll want to try some Nigerian food. The classic Nigerian jollof? The aromatic suya or moin-moin? Whatever your appetite, “Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Tastebuds,” Through Yemisi Aribisala, was built for it. Part memoir, part cookbook, and part Epicurean treatise, this fascinating collection of essays uses Nigerian cuisine as a framework for analyzing Nigerian society, culture, and folklore. Key themes include the urban-rural divide, the struggle between the traditional and the 'modern' and the ethics underlying the consumption of controversial foods such as dog meat. Aribisala's prose is energetic, deft, and a joy to read. The book is a supplement to the recipes in Abani's “Graceland.”