author
Alice Werner
1859–1935
A pioneering scholar of African languages, she wrote with equal energy about folklore, poetry, and the cultures she studied. Her work helped bring Swahili and other Bantu languages into British academic life at a time when few women held such positions.
1 Audiobook
The natives of British Central Africa
by Alice Werner
About the author
Born in Trieste in 1859, she spent parts of her childhood in New Zealand, Mexico, the United States, and Europe before studying at Newnham College, Cambridge. She became known as a writer, poet, and teacher of African languages, especially Swahili and other Bantu languages.
Her years in East Africa and later academic work shaped a career devoted to language, folklore, and literary retellings. She taught at the University of London’s School of Oriental Studies and was remembered as an important early figure in British African studies.
Alongside her scholarship, she published poetry, stories, and books such as The Natives of British Central Africa and Swahili Tales. She died in 1935, leaving behind work that connected linguistic study with a genuine interest in oral tradition and storytelling.