100 Best Haitian Novels You Must Read Before You Die

Compiled by Dr. Joseph

1. Stella (1859) by Emeric Bergeaud
2. Francesca (1873) by Demesvar Delorme
3. Themistocle-Epaminondas Labasterre (1901) by Frédéric Marcelin
4. La Vengeance de Mama (Zulma’s Revenge, 1902) by Frederic Marcelin
5. Sena (1905) by Fernand Hibbert
6. La Famille des Pitite-Caille (The Pitite-Caille Family, 1905)
7. Zoune chez sa ninnaine (Zoune at her Godmother’s, 1906) by Justin Lherisson
8. Cruelle Destinee (1929) by Virgile Valcin
9. Le Drame de la terre (The Tragedy of the Land) by Jean-Baptiste Cineas
10. La blanche negresse (1934) by Virgile Valcin
11. Les Horizons sans ciel (Skyless Horizons, 1935) by Jean Brierre
12. Masters of the Dew (Gouverneurs de la Rosee, 1944) by Jacques Roumain
13. La Vie incroyable d’Alcius (Alcius’s Incredible Life, 1946)
14. Parias (1949) by Clement Magloire Saint-Aude
15. General Sun, My Brother by Jacques Stephen Alexis
16. Les arbres musiciens by Jacques Stephen Alexis (Paris: Gallimard, 1957)
17. Romancero aux etoiles by Jacques Stephen Alexis (Paris: Gallimard, 1960)
18. Le mal de vivre (1967) by Nadine Magloire
19. Hadrianna dans tous mes reves by Rene Depestre
20. Allelouia pour une femme-jardin: recits by Rene Depestre
21. The Festival of the Greasy Pole by Rene Depestre
22. H’Eros chimères by Franck Etienne (Port-au-Prince: Spirale, 2002)
23. Ultravocal (spirale) by Franck Etienne (Port-au-Prince: Imprimerie Gaston, 1972; Paris: Hoëbeke, 2004)
24. Les Affres d’un Defi by Frank Etienne (Port-au-Prince: Henri Deschamps, 1979)
25. Le corps noir by J.-C. Charles (Paris: Hachette, 1980)
26. Bon Dieu Rit by Edris Saint-Amand
27. Une belle amour humaine by Lyonel Trouillot
28. The Street of Lost Footsteps by Lyonel Trouillot
29. Children of Heroes by Lyonel Trouillot
30. Yanvalou pour Charlie by Lyonel Trouillot
31. Love, Anger, Madness: A Haitian Triptych by Marie Vieux-Chauvet
32. Under the Bone (1994) by Anne-Christine d’Adesky
33. The Pencil of God (Le Crayon de Dieu) by Philippe Thoby-Marcelin and Pierre Marcelin
34. Canape-Vert (Canape-vert) by Philippe Thoby-Marcelin and Pierre Marcelin
35. The Beast of the Haitian Hills (La Bete de Musseau) by Philippe Thoby-Marcelin and Pierre Marcelin
36. The Singing Turtle and Other Tales from Haiti (Contes et legends d’Haiti) by Philippe Thoby-Marcelin
37. All Men Are Mad (Tous les hommes sont fous, 1979) by by Philippe Thoby-Marcelin and Pierre Marcelin
38. The Colour of Dawn by Yanick Lahens
39. Romulus: A Novella from 19th Century Haiti by Fernand Hibbert
40. Les Simulacres (Shamming, 1923) by Fernand Hibbert
41. Searching for Safe Space: Afro-Caribbean Women Writers in Exile by Myriam J.A. Chancy
42. The Loneliness of Angels by Myriam J.A. Chancy
43. How to Make Love with a Black Man Without Getting Tired by Dany Laferriere
44. An Aroma of Coffee (L’Odeur du café) by Dany Laferriere
45. Bamboola Bamboche by Jean-Claude Charles
46. Banal oubli by Gary Victor
47. Ce pays qui m’habite by George Anglade
48. The Bonplezi Family: the adventures of a Haitian family in North America by Maude Heurtelou
49. Le negre masque (Port-au-Prince: Imprimerie de l’Etat, 1933) by Stephen Alexis
50. Le Choc by Leon Laleau (Port-au-Prince: La Presse, 1932)
51. Le Joug by Annie Desroy (Port-au-Prince: Imp. Modele, 1934)
52. Musique negre by Lelon Laleau (Port-au-Prince: Indigene, 1931)
53. Viejo by M. Casseus (Port-au-Prince: La Presse, 1935)
54. Gerbes pour deux amis (Port-au-Prince: Imp. Henri Deschamps, 1945)
55. L’Heritage Sacre by J. B. Cineas (Port-au-Prince: Henri Deschamps, 1945)
56. Le Choc en retour (The Blacklash, 1948) by Jean-Baptiste Cineas
57. La Case de Damballah by Petion Savain
58. Always Comes the Morning by Yolande Degrand
59. Under the Bone by Anne-Christine D’Adesky
60. Exile and Memory by Emile Ollivier
61. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
62. Krik? Krak! By Edwidge Danticat
63. The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat
64. Mother Solitude (Mere Solitude) by Emile Ollivier
65. The Vortex Family by Jean Metellus
66. Les Rapaces by Marie-Chauvet
67. Possedes de la pleine lune by Jean-Claude Fignole
68. Therese en mille morceaux by Lyonel Trouillot
69. Fado by Kettly Mars
70. Le sexe mythique by Nadine Magloire
71. L’enigne du retour by Dany Laferriere
72. Le Mal de vivre (The Pain of living, 1968) by Nadine Magloire
73. Mere Solitude by Emile Olivier
74. Passages by Emile Olivier
75. La piste des sortileges de Gary Victor
76. À l’angle des rues parallèles by Gary Victor
77. Je sais quand Dieu vient se promener dans mon jardin by Gary Victor
78. Les cloches de la Brésilienne by Gary Victor.
79. Le sang et la mer by Garvy Victor
80. L’espace d’un cillement de Jacques S Alexis
81. Cora Geffrard (2011) by Michel Soukar
82. Jacmel au Crépuscule by Jean Metellus (Editions Gallimard: Paris, 1981)
83. La Famille Vortex by Jean Metellus (Editions Gallimard: Paris, 1982)
84. La Dot de Sara by Marie-Célie Agnant (Montréal: Les Éditions du Remue-ménage, 1995)
85. Mémoire d’une amnésique, récit by Jean J. Dominique (Port-au-Prince: Deschamps, 1984; Montréal: CIDIHCA / Éditions du Remue-ménage, 2004)
86. The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat ( New York: Soho Press, 1998; Penguin, 1999)
87. L’heure hybride by Kettly Mars (La Roque d’Anthéron: Vents d’Ailleurs, 2005)
88. Le Testament des solitudes by Emmelie Prophète (Montréal: Mémoire d’encrier, 2007)
89. Le Creuset by Paulette Poujol Oriol (Port-au-Prince: H. Deschamps, 1980)
90. Rosalie l’infâme by Évelyne Trouillot (Paris: Dapper, 2003; Port-au-Prince: Presses Nationales d’Haïti, 2007)
91. La mémoire aux abois by Évelyne Trouillot (Paris: Hoëbeke, 2010)
92. Les dieux voyagent la nuit by Louis-Philippe Dalembert ( Monaco: Du Rocher, 2006; Port-au-Prince: Éditions des Presses Nationales, 2010)
93. Ballade d’un amour inachevé Louis-Philippe Dalembert (Paris: Mercure, 2013)
94. Les terres entourées de larmes by Josaphat-Robert Large (Paris: l’Harmattan, 2002)
95. L’Alphabet des nuits by Jean-Euphèle Milcé (Orbe (Suisse): Campiche, 2004)
96. Manès Descollines by Michel Monnin (Port-au-Prince: Deschamps, 1985)
97. Bicentenaire by Lynoel Trouillot (Arles: Actes Sud, 2004)
98. Aube tranquille by Jean-Claude Fignolé (Paris, Seuil, 1990. – rééd. La Roque d’Anthéron, Éditions Vents d’ailleurs, 2013)
99. Les Possédés de la pleine lune Jean-Claude Fignolé (Paris: Seuil, 1987)
100. Le Peuple des terres mêlées by René Philoctète (Port-au-Prince: Deschamps, 1989)
* The list above is limited to two languages: French and English. in the future, I hope to add the publication date for each individual work listed above.