Uwem Akpan

Uwem Akpan listenⓘ is a Nigerian writer. 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 inspired Angelique Kidjo to write the song "Agbalagba".[2] It made the Best of the Year list at People magazine, The 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 Writers 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.[8]

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

Uwem's second book, New York, My Village, was published on Nov 2, 2021 by W. W. Norton. The book was picked by Strand Bookstore as their Pick of the Month for November 2021.[9]

Life

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. In 2003, Akpan was ordained a Jesuit priest.[10] Uwem is also a graduate of the University of Michigan's MFA program.[11]

In 2009, Oprah Winfrey recommended Uwem Akpan's Say You're One of Them as her 63rd book club selection.[12] 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."[13] The five short stories and novellas give voice to African children growing up in the face of incredible adversity.[14]

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). In 2015, Akpan left the Catholic priesthood to focus more time on his writing.[15]

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

Awards
  • Winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize[16]
  • Winner of the PEN Open Book Award[17]
  • Winner of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award[18]
  • Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize in the Fiction Category[19]
  • Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction[20]
  • Nominated for the Guardian First Book Award[21]
  • Nominated for the Caine Prize for African Writing[22]
  • Longlisted for the Story Prize[23]

References
  1. Maslin, Janet (27 June 2008). "As Africa's Horrors Rage, Suffer the Little Children". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  2. Mullins, Lisa (10 June 2008). "Global Hit: Angelique Kidjo - Uwem Akpan". Public Radio International. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  3. "Dayton Literary Peace Prize - Uwem Akpan, 2009 Fiction Runner-Up". Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. "Uwem Akpan, Author Info, Published Books, Bio, Photo, Video, and More". AALBC.com, the African American Literature Book Club. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. Carlson, Jen (18 September 2009). "Oprah Takes Her Show to Central Park". Gothamist. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  6. Meanley, Erin (18 September 2009). "This Couple Was Married For 81 Years! And Other Reasons I'm No Longer in a Hurry To Find Someone". Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  7. "Oprah Chooses 'Say You're One of Them' for her 63rd Book Club Pick". ABC News. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  8. "Biography of author Uwem Akpan, author of New York, My Village and Say You're One of Them, Oprah Book Club selection". www.uwemakpan.com. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  9. "The Strand Pick of the Month". Strand Bookstore. November 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  10. "African author Uwem Akpan says humbled by Oprah pick". Reuters. 21 September 2009.
  11. Akpan, Uwem. "Uwem Akpan, Oprah's new favorite writer, got his start in the University's MFA program". The Michigan Daily (Interview). Interviewed by Andrew Lapin. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  12. "Oprah Winfrey Selects Nigerian Author's Story Collection for Book Club | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  13. "Amazing Grace". Oprah.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  14. National Catholic Reporter, 2 October 2009, 4.
  15. "archive: Uwem Akpan: Center for Catholic Intellectual Heritage: Loyola University Chicago". www.luc.edu. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  16. "About the Author of Say You're One of Them". Oprah.com. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  17. "New Global Africa: Confrontation and Connections | Literary Arts Program". www.brown.edu. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  18. "Hurston/Wright Foundation | Uwem Akpan". Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  19. "Uwem Akpan, SJ". Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  20. Akpan, Uwem (23 June 2014). "The PEN Ten with Uwem Akpan". PEN America. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  21. "Say You're One Of Them By Uwem Akpan". www.sunshinenigeria.com. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  22. "Uwem Akpan". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  23. Akpan, Uwem (28 August 2008). "The guardian first book award longlist: Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
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