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Uwem Akpan

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Uwem Akpan, image from a reading at the University of San Francisco.
Uwem Akpan, at the University of San Francisco.

Uwem Akpan was born and raised in southern Nigeria. He is the author of Say You're One of Them (2008), a collection of five stories (each set in a different African country) published by Little, Brown & Company.[1] The book immediately inspired Angelique Kidjo to write the song "Agbalagba".[2] It made the Best of the Year list at People magazine, Wall Street Journal, and other places.  The New York Times made it the Editor's Choice, and Entertainment Weekly listed it at #27 in their Best of the Decade.  Say You're One of Them won the Commonwealth Prize (Africa Region), the Open Book Prize, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. A New York Times and Wall Street Journal #1 bestseller, it has been translated into 12 languages. It won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize,[3] the PEN Open Book Award,[4] and was picked by the Oprah Winfrey Book Club[5][6] September 17, 2009, in Central Park.[7] Two months later, Oprah interviewed Uwem in Chicago as part of her bookclub event with Anderson Cooper giving short commentaries on some of the African countries in Uwem's book. The interview was streamed live simultaneously from Oprah.com, Facebook and CNN.

Uwem's second book, New York, My Village will be published in Nov 2, 2021 by W. W. Norton. Nobody describes New York like Uwem, and in so doing he brings the same sacramental energy he used to capture various cities of Africa to America's foremost city. You will laugh and cry, and you may not know when either begins to happen to you. In September 2021, Booklist (Nanette Donohue) believes Uwem's satire "will fit nicely alongside the works of other gimlet-eyed observers of American society, such as Colson Whitehead and James McBride."


Life

An Annang, Uwem grew up speaking both English and Annang. He attended Saint Paul's Primary School, Ekparakwa; Methodist Primary School, Usung Ibong; and Saint Anne's Primary School, Ifuho; and his secondary education was at Queen of Apostles, Afaha Obong, all in Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria. Uwem grew up listening to Annang folktales from his mom and grandparents and aunties and uncles. The Bible and the horrific experience of the Biafran War provided other avenues for stories. When he learned to read in primary school, he transferred this love for stories to books. When teachers went on strike while he was in Primary Five in the early 80s, it made no difference to him. He even grumbled when the term resumed! After studying humanities and philosophy at Creighton University and Gonzaga University, he received a theology degree from the Catholic University of East Africa in Kenya. Uwem is also a graduate of the University of Michigan's MFA program.[8]

In 2009, Oprah Winfrey recommended Uwem Akpan's Say You’re One of Them as her 63rd book club selection.[9] Uwem said he was humbled to learn his debut collection of short stories had caught Winfrey's eye. Oprah said that Say You're One of Them "left [her] stunned and profoundly moved.[10]" The five short stories and novellas give voice to African children growing up in the face of incredible adversity.[11]

Between 2010 and 2017, Uwem was a Fellow at the Black Mountain Institute (University of Nevada, Las Vegas), Institute for the Humanities (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), Yaddo (Saratoga Springs, New York), the Cullman Center of the New York Public Library (NYC, New York) and the Hank Center for Catholic Heritage (Loyola University Chicago, 2017).

Uwem lives in Gainesville, Florida, and teaches in the University of Florida's writing program.

Works

  • Say You're One of Them. Hachette. 2008. ISBN 978-0-316-11378-6.
  • New York, My Village. W. W. Norton, Nov 2021. ISBN 978-0-393-88142-4

Award

  • Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize[12]
  • Winner of the PEN Open Book Award[13]
  • Winner of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award[14]
  • Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize in the Fiction Category[15]
  • Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction[16]
  • Nominated for the Guardian First Book Award[17]
  • Nominated for the Caine Prize for African Writing[18]
  • Longlisted for the Story Prize[19]

References

  1. ^ Maslin, Janet (2008-06-27). "As Africa's Horrors Rage, Suffer the Little Children". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  2. ^ Mullins, Lisa (2008-06-10). "Global Hit: Angelique Kidjo - Uwem Akpan". Public Radio International. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  3. ^ "Dayton Literary Peace Prize - Uwem Akpan, 2009 Fiction Runner-Up". Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  4. ^ "Uwem Akpan, Author Info, Published Books, Bio, Photo, Video, and More". AALBC.com, the African American Literature Book Club. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  5. ^ Carlson, Jen (2009-09-18). "Oprah Takes Her Show to Central Park". Gothamist. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  6. ^ Meanley, Erin (2009-09-18). "This Couple Was Married For 81 Years! And Other Reasons I'm No Longer in a Hurry To Find Someone". Retrieved 2021-10-21.
  7. ^ "Oprah Chooses 'Say You're One of Them' for her 63rd Book Club Pick". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  8. ^ "Uwem Akpan, Oprah's new favorite writer, got his start in the University's MFA program". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  9. ^ "Oprah Winfrey Selects Nigerian Author's Story Collection for Book Club | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  10. ^ "Amazing Grace". Oprah.com. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  11. ^ National Catholic Reporter, 2 October 2009, 4.
  12. ^ "About the Author of Say You're One of Them". Oprah.com. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  13. ^ "New Global Africa: Confrontation and Connections | Literary Arts Program". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  14. ^ "Hurston/Wright Foundation | Uwem Akpan". Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  15. ^ "Uwem Akpan, SJ". Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice. 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  16. ^ Akpan, Uwem (2014-06-23). "The PEN Ten with Uwem Akpan". PEN America. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  17. ^ "Say You're One Of Them By Uwem Akpan". www.sunshinenigeria.com. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  18. ^ "Uwem Akpan". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  19. ^ Akpan, Uwem (2008-08-28). "The guardian first book award longlist: Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
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