Non-fiction — One Lagos morning Femke van Zeijl sees the rooftop water tank tumbling down past her window. This incident reveals how much daily life in the Nigerian metropolis differs from life in Dutch society. While she is still contemplating which municipal service to call, her neighbours already came up with their own solutions.

Non-fiction — If a girl spends the night in a mortar, she will wake up as a boy, a Rwandan saying goes. It inspires many a little girl in Rwanda to sacrifice a night’s rest to try if it works. Femke van Zeijl portrays African women, quashing the myth that they are mere victims.

Roman — More than a decade Femke van Zeijl traveled through Africa as a journalist. One story she had not been able to write: about relationships between African men and Western women. This theme she covers in her first novel.

Non-fiction — Thatch huts on the savanna and animal wildlife often dominate the western image of Africa. The reality is different: the African continent is urbanising at great speed. Journalist Femke van Zeijl focuses on the subject of city life, the new African reality.