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Books by  Ellen Banda-Aaku


Madam 1st Lady

She’s the only daughter of doting parents.

She’s adored by the people of Mopani.

And she’s married to The General, the most powerful man in the country.

But then Amelia Zaza falls in love and sacrifices everything to follow her heart.

Madam 1st Lady is a heart-rending story of a woman who has to make a choice between her head and her heart to protect her family, her country, and her indiscretions. 

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Sula & Ja

A teen fiction book published by Farafina Tuuti in Nigeria, Storymoja in Kenya and Gadsden Books in Zambia.

An exciting tale of two voices.

Follow the story of two unlikely friends from totally different social backgrounds as they navigate adolescence and the sparking of teenage love.

Will Sula dance with Ja?

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Nthano Zathu ​

Our Cancer Stories of Hope - A book about cancer in Zambia. 

A book of the personal experiences of people

touched by cancer in Zambia. A collaboration between The Zambian Cancer Society & Ellen Banda-Aaku.

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Patchwork - A Novel ​

  • Short-listed for the Commonwealth Book Prize 2012.
  • Winner of the Penguin Prize for African Writing.
  • Available in English and German.

Weaving together the stories of three generations of

women, this novel is a patchwork of love, jealousy and

human frailty set against a backdrop of war and political ambition. It is a remarkable journey that takes us deep into the heart of a family both fractured and bound together by their love for one man.


AVAILABLE ONLINE

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Twelve Months


Mum looked straight up at me, sighed and quickly said, ‘She was upset because I had just told her that she’s my daughter not my sister. You see, Elsie's not your aunt, she's your sister.’ After all the build up, mum just let the bombshell drop as casually as if she had asked me to pass her the sugar.




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Yours Faithfully, Yogi


"Shame? Grandma, this is not about shame. It's about accepting that

we are plagued by a disease that has the potential to wipe us all out!"

"Just be a good boy."

"I can be the best boy in the world. Still, one day I will bear the consequences of this disease and so will you."




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Wandi's Little Voice

"Don't stop!' Beauty called back to me. I didn't answer; my soaked clothes and waterlogged canvas were weighing me down. I watched Beauty slide around in the mud, her flip-flops creating suction against the ground. Eventually she gave up, yanked them off and raced into the distance.


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E is for e-waste

I agreed with Ma. Dad has a way of complicating everything. Ma says it’s because he reads too many books. That’s why I didn’t tell him about my assignment or ask him more about e-waste. I knew he’ll bombard me with big words and give me the whole history of saving the environment. And I didn’t need the whole encyclopaedia. I just needed enough to impress Tasha and to prove Mr North wrong.


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Lula & Lebo - Head and Shoulders

Lula & Lebo - Head and Shoulders. A story for children aged 3 - 5.

'I can sing with my mouth,' said Lebo. 'I can talk with my mouth,' said Yola. I can eat and talk with my mouth,' said Lula. 'But not at the same time! That would be rude.'.


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