Sarraounia | 
Sarraounia was a witch & the ruler of a small queendom in what is now #Niger. She fought the French colonisers in a heroic battle in 1899. This novel, 1st published in 1980, should be better known outside West #Africa. It's terrific. The author is v. skilled at writing different voices. I watched Med Hongo's epic film of the same name recently (Mamani was the scriptwriter) - another forgotten gem.
Still from the film with Aï Keïta as Sarraounia
Dilara The story is ripe for a LGBTQI+ retelling: Sarraounia's mother dies giving birth to her, and rather than have her be cared for by a local nursing mother, her father gives the baby to his best friend, a male witch doctor, who takes on the role of a mother, and also raises her like a boy. (edited) 11mo