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Date of Birth: 27 December 1966
Christopher Abani is a Nigerian and American author. He published his first novel, Masters of the Board, in 1985 at the age of 16. It was a political thriller, the plot of which was an allegory based on a coup that was carried out in Nigeria just before it was written. He was imprisoned for six months on suspicion of an attempt to overthrow the government. He continued to write after his release from jail, but was imprisoned for one year after the publication of his 1987 novel Sirocco. After he was released from jail this time, he composed several anti-government plays that were performed on the street near government offices for two years. He was imprisoned a third time and was placed on death row. Luckily, his friends had bribed government officials for his release in 1991, and immediately Abani moved to the United Kingdom, living there until 1999. He then moved to the United States, where he now live
Abani holds a B.A. in English and Literary Studies from Imo State University, Nigeria; an M.A. in Gender and Culture from Birkbeck College, University of London, an M.A. in English from the University of Southern California; and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Southern California.
Abani has been awarded a PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award, the 2001 Prince Claus Awards, a Lannan Literary Fellowship, a California Book Award, a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award and the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. Selections of his poetry appear in the online journal Blackbird. From 2007–2012, he was Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside. He is currently a Board of Trustees Professor of English at Northwestern University.
Published works:
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Novels
- Masters of the Board (Delta, 1985)
- GraceLand (FSG, 2004/Picador 2005)
- The Virgin of Flames (Penguin, 2007)
- The Secret History of Las Vegas (Penguin, 2014)
- Becoming Abigail (Akashic Books, 2006)
- Song For Night (Akashic Books, 2007)
- Kalakuta Republic (Saqi, 2001).
- Daphne’s Lot (Red Hen Press, 2003)
- Dog Woman (Red Hen Press, 2004)
- Hands Washing Water (Copper Canyon Press, 2006)
- There are no names for red (Red Hen Press, 2010)
- Feed me the sun (Peepal Tree Press, 2010)
- Sanctificum (Copper Canyon Press, 2010)
- The Face (Restless Books, 2014)
- PEN USA West Freedom-to-Write Award, US
- Prince Claus Awards.
- Middleton Fellowship, University of Southern California, US
- Imbongi Yesizwe Poetry International Award, South Africa.
- Lannan Foundation Literary Fellowship, US
- Hellman/Hammet Grant from Human Rights Watch, US
- Winner, Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. (GraceLand)
- Winner, Hurston-Wright Legacy Award (GraceLand)
- Silver Medal, California Book Award for Fiction (GraceLand)
- Finalist, Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction (GraceLand)
- Finalist, Commonwealth Writers Prize, Best Books (Africa Region)(GraceLand)
- Pushcart Nomination for Blooding. StoryQuarterly.
- A New York Times Editor’s Choice (Becoming Abigail) A Chicago Reader Critic’s Choice (Becoming Abigail)
- A selection of the Essence Magazine Book Club (Becoming Abigail)
- A selection of the Black Expressions Book Club (Becoming Abigail)
- Pushcart Nomination (poetry) (A Way To Turn This To Light)
- Shortlisted for International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (GraceLand).
- New York Times Editor’s Choice (Song for Night)
- Finalist, PEN/Beyond Margins Award (Becoming Abigail)
- A Barnes & Noble Discovery Selection (The Virgin of Flames)
- A New York Times Editor’s Choice (The Virgin of Flames)
- A New York Libraries Books For Teens Selection (Becoming Abigail)
- Winner, PEN/Beyond Margins Award for Song For Night
- Nominated for Lamada Award (The Virgin of Flames)
- Recipient, Distinguished Humanist Award (UC, Riverside)
- 2007 Pushcart Nomination for Sanctificum (poetry)
- Guggenheim Fellow in Fiction.
