Author Guide · Literary Reportage
Books Written by
In 1985 Lieve Joris, a young Flemish journalist, sailed to Zaire to find traces of her great-uncle, a missionary who had left their village for the Congo decades before. Her book was praised by Ryszard Kapuściński for filling a void in writing about Africa. She returned to Congo again and again, travelled through the Arab world, Mali, Hungary and China, and finally went back to the Flemish village where she grew up. This guide covers her twelve books in order, with which ones you can read in English, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 12 books · Literary reportage · 1986–2018 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Lieve Joris has published twelve books of literary reportage since 1986, about the Arab world, Africa, Eastern Europe, China and her own family. Four are available in English: Back to the Congo, The Gates of Damascus, Mali Blues and The Rebels' Hour. The others are published in Dutch.
Where to Start with Lieve Joris
If you want the famous one
→ Terug naar Congo (1987).
If you read in English
→ Het uur van de rebellen (2006).
If you want her most personal
→ Terug naar Neerpelt (2018).
All 12 Lieve Joris Books, in Order
De Golf
No English edition · available in Dutch
Her travels through the Gulf states, where oil wealth was colliding with traditional life.
Terug naar Congo
A journey up the river to Zaire, in search of her great-uncle the missionary and the colonial past of Belgium. In English it is Back to the Congo.
De melancholieke revolutie
No English edition · available in Dutch
Hungary at the end of communism.
Een kamer in Cairo
No English edition · available in Dutch
Written as the Boekenweek essay for 1991.
Zangeres op Zanzibar
No English edition · available in Dutch
Travel stories, including a portrait of a singer on Zanzibar.
De poorten van Damascus
Six months in Damascus with her Syrian friend Hala and the dilemmas of an Arab intellectual. In English it is The Gates of Damascus.
Mali blues
Travels through Senegal, Mauritania and Mali, each built around one person's story. In English it is Mali Blues.
Dans van de luipaard
No English edition · available in Dutch
Congo after the fall of Mobutu, through the lives of people caught in a new war.
Het uur van de rebellen
The life of a Congolese rebel commander, told from the inside. In English it is The Rebels' Hour, nominated for the T.R. Fyvel Book Award.
De hoogvlaktes
No English edition · available in Dutch
A journey on foot through the remote highlands of South Kivu, her farewell to Congo.
Op de vleugels van de draak
No English edition · available in Dutch
Africans and Chinese doing business in each other's countries, in the slipstream of China's great contracts in Africa.
Terug naar Neerpelt
No English edition · available in Dutch
A return to the Flemish village of her childhood, as the middle child of a large and turbulent family, and to her eldest brother.
How Many Books Did Lieve Joris Write?
Twelve books between 1986 and 2018, four of them in English.
- Congo — Terug naar Congo, Dans van de luipaard, Het uur van de rebellen and De hoogvlaktes. Read the entries →
- The Arab world — De Golf, Een kamer in Cairo, De poorten van Damascus. Read the entries →
- Elsewhere — Hungary, West Africa, China and Flanders. Read the entries →
In What Order to Read Lieve Joris
Her Congo books read best in order, from Terug naar Congo (1987) to De hoogvlaktes (2008).
A reading path
1. Terug naar Congo (1987)
2. Mali blues (1996)
3. Het uur van de rebellen (2006)
4. Terug naar Neerpelt (2018)
Quick facts about Lieve Joris
- Born
- 1953, Neerpelt, Belgium
- Lives
- Amsterdam
- Honours
- Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters (France, 2010)
- In English
- Back to the Congo; The Gates of Damascus; Mali Blues; The Rebels' Hour
- Books
- 12, from 1986 to 2018
How Lieve Joris Writes: Living Alongside
Joris travels slowly and lives with the people she writes about, often for months, and builds each book around a few individuals.
Her work has been called a literary vivisection of contemporary history: personal, close and attentive to the dilemmas of everyday life.
Frequently asked questions about Lieve Joris's books
How many books has Lieve Joris written?
Lieve Joris has published twelve books, from De Golf (1986) to Terug naar Neerpelt (2018).
Which Lieve Joris books are in English?
Four: Back to the Congo, The Gates of Damascus, Mali Blues and The Rebels' Hour.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all hers.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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