Chigozie Obioma (born 1986) is a Nigerian writer. He is best known for writing the novels ''The Fishermen'' (2015) and ''

An Orchestra of Minorities ''An Orchestra of Minorities'' is a 2019 novel by Chigozie Obioma. It is his second novel after his debut, '' The Fishermen''. It is a modern twist of the Odyssey and Igbo cosmology. The novel's narrator is a deceased spirit chi. It was shortl ...

'' (2019), both of which were shortlisted for the

Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...

in their respective years of publication. His work has been translated into more than 25 languages. , Obioma is James E. Ryan Associate Professor of English at the

University of Nebraska-Lincoln A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Early life and influences

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...

descent, Obioma was born in 1986 into a family of 12 children — seven brothers and four sisters – in

Akure Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria. It is the capital and largest city of Ondo State. The city had a population of 403,000 as at the 2006 population census. History Pre 1914 Rock engravings dating back to the Mesolithic period, hav ...

, in the south-western part of Nigeria, where he grew up speaking

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

, and English. As a child, he was fascinated by Greek myths and British writers, including

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

, and

John Bunyan John Bunyan (; baptised 30 November 162831 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress,'' which also became an influential literary model. In addition ...

. Among African writers, he developed a strong affinity for

Wole Soyinka Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...

's ''The Trials of Brother Jero'';

Cyprian Ekwensi Chief Cyprian Odiatu Duaka Ekwensi (26 September 1921 – 4 November 2007) was a Nigerian author of novels, short stories, and children's books. Biography Early life, education and family Cyprian Odiatu Duaka Ekwensi, an Igbo, was born in ...

's ''An African Night's Entertainment'';

Camara Laye Camara Laye (January 1, 1928 – February 4, 1980) was a writer from Guinea. He was the author of '' The African Child'' (''L'Enfant noir''), a novel based loosely on his own childhood, and ''The Radiance of the King'' (''Le Regard du roi'' ...

's ''

The African Child ''The African Child'' (French: ''L'Enfant noir'') is an autobiographical French novel by Camara Laye published in 1953. It tells the story of a young African child, Baba, growing up in Guinea. The novel won the Prix Charles Veillon writing prize. ...

''; and D. O. Fagunwa's '' Ògbójú Ọdẹ nínú Igbó Irúnmalẹ̀'', which he read in its original Yoruba version.Lappin, Elena
"Q&A With Chigozie Obioma"
, Pushkin Press, November 2014. Obioma cites his seminal influences as ''

The Palm-Wine Drinkard ''The Palm-Wine Drinkard'' (subtitled "and His Dead Palm-Wine Tapster in the Dead's Town") is a novel published in 1952 by the Nigerian author Amos Tutuola. The first African novel published in English outside of Africa, this quest tale based on ...

'' by Amos Tutuola, for its breadth of imagination; '' Tess of the d'Urbervilles'' by

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Word ...

, for its enduring grace and heart; ''

The God of Small Things ''The God of Small Things'' is a family drama novel written by Indian writer Arundhati Roy. Roy's debut novel, it is a story about the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the "Love Laws" prevalent in 1960s Ker ...

'' by

Arundhati Roy Suzanna Arundhati Roy (born 24 November 1961) is an Indian author best known for her novel ''The God of Small Things'' (1997), which won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997 and became the best-selling book by a non-expatriate Indian author. S ...

and ''

Lolita ''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is notable for its controversial subject: the protagonist and unreliable narrator, a middle-aged literature professor under the pseudonym Humbert Humber ...

'' by

Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov (russian: link=no, Владимир Владимирович Набоков ; 2 July 1977), also known by the pen name Vladimir Sirin (), was a Russian-American novelist, poet, translator, and entomologist. Bo ...

, both for the power of their prose; and ''

Arrow of God ''Arrow of God'', published in 1964, is the third novel by Chinua Achebe. Along with ''Things Fall Apart'' and '' No Longer at Ease'', it is considered part of ''The African Trilogy'', sharing similar settings and themes. The novel centres on Ezeu ...

'' by

Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as the dominant figure of modern African literature. His first novel and ''magnum opus'', ''Things Fall Apart'' (1958), occupies ...

, for its firmness in Igbo culture and philosophy.

Education

Obioma was awarded a residency at Omi's

Ledig House Art Omi, formerly Omi International Arts Center, is a non-profit international arts organization located in Columbia County in Ghent, New York. The organization provides residencies for writers, artists, architects, musicians, dancers and chore ...

in 2012, and completed an

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...

in Creative Writing at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, where he received Hopwood Awards for fiction (2013) and poetry (2014).

Career and other activities

In December 2020 Obioma was named as a judge for the 2021

. , he is James E. Ryan Associate Professor of English at the

Writing

''The Fishermen''

Obioma finished his first novel, '' The Fishermen'', while completing his residency at Ledig House in 2012. It was published in 2015, and won many accolades. It was listed as a 2015 ''New York Times Sunday Book Review'' Notable Book, a ''New York Times Sunday Book Review'' Editor's Choice selection, and a best book of the year for 2015 by ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'' (UK), ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...

'', ''

The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nikk ...

'', ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'', ''Apple/iBook'', ''Book Riot'', the ''

Minnesota Star Tribune The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...

'', NPR, ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'',

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...

, the ''New Zealand Listener'', ''Relevant Magazine'', ''British GQ'', and others. ''The Fishermen'' was also named one of the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...

's five best debuts of spring 2015, a ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' book of the week, and one of ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

''′ "10 Novels to Lose Yourself In." In December 2019 it was named one of the best books of the decade by the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

Radio National Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. History 1937: Predecessors an ...

's "book experts", Kate Evans and Sarah L'Estrange. It won several awards: the FT/OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices Award, the

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

for Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author, the ''Los Angeles Times'' Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, the Nebraska Book Award For Fiction 2016, and the Earphones Award for the Audiobook of ''The Fishermen''. Obioma states that, in addition to being a tribute to his siblings, the novel aims to "build a portrait of Nigeria at a very seminal moment in its history (the annulled presidential elections of 1993), and by so doing deconstruct and illuminate the ideological potholes that still impede the nation's progress even today." He began writing the novel in 2009, while living in Cyprus to complete his bachelor's degree at

Cyprus International University , image_name = Uluslararası_Kıbrıs_Üniversitesi_Resmi_Logo.png , image_size = , established = 1997 , motto = Open for open minds , other_name = CIU or UKÜ , type ...

, where he graduated at the top of his class. The idea for the novel came when he reflected on his father's joy at the growing bond between his two eldest brothers who, as children, had maintained a strong rivalry that would sometimes culminate in fistfights. As Obioma began pondering what was the worst that could have happened at that time, the image of the Agwu family came to him. Then he created Abulu as the facilitator of conflict between the brothers. On a larger thematic note, Obioma wanted the novel to comment on the socio-political situation of Nigeria: the prophesying madman here being the British, and the recipients of the vision being the people of Nigeria (three major tribes cohabiting to form a nation). New Perspectives theatre company presented a stage adaptation of ''The Fishermen'' adapted by

Gbolahan Obisesan Gbolahan Obisesan is a British Nigerian writer and director. He is the Artistic Director at Brixton House theatre. He has served as a Genesis Fellow and Associate Director at the Young Vic. Early life Obisesan was born in Nigeria and moved to ...

from 2018.

''An Orchestra of Minorities''

Little, Brown and Company Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emily ...

published Obioma's highly anticipated second novel, ''An Orchestra of Minorities'', in January 2019. Drawing on Obioma's own experiences studying abroad in northern Cyprus, ''An Orchestra of Minorities'' tells the story of a Nigerian poultry farmer who, determined to make money to prove himself worthy of the woman he loves, travels to northern Cyprus, where he is confronted by racism and scammed by corrupt middlemen. Obioma was particularly inspired by his friend Jay, who was found dead at the bottom of a lift shaft in Cyprus after having his tuition funds embezzled by fixers. The novel was listed as an E! online Top 20 Books to read in 2020 and a ''The New York Times'' Editor's Choice. It was also named a best book of the year for 2019 by the BBC, ''Houston Chronicle'', ''Financial Times'', ''TIME'', Amazon.com, ''Publishers Weekly'', ''Minnesota Star Tribune'', Waterstones, ChannelsTV, ''Columbia Tribune,'' New York Library, Manchester Union, and Brittlepaper, as well as being Salman Rushdie's Celebrity Pick of the Year.

Other publications

Obioma has published several short stories: a short story version of ''The Fishermen'' in ''

Virginia Quarterly Review The ''Virginia Quarterly Review'' is a quarterly literary magazine that was established in 1925 by James Southall Wilson, at the request of University of Virginia president E. A. Alderman. This ''"National Journal of Literature and Discussion"'' ...

'', "The Great Convert" in '' Transition'' magazine, "Midnight Sun" in the ''

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...

'', and "The Strange Story of the World" on Granta.com. He has also published several essays: "The Audacity of Prose" in ''

The Millions ''The Millions'' is an online literary magazine created by C. Max Magee in 2003. It contains articles about literary topics and book reviews. ''The Millions'' has several regular contributors as well as frequent guest appearances by literary not ...

''; "Teeth Marks: The Translator's Dilemma" in ''Poets & Writers''; "Finding The Light Under The Bushel: How One Writer Came To Love Books" in ''The New York Times;'' and "The Ghosts of My Student Years in Northern Cyprus," "Lagos is expected to double in size in 15 years: how will my city possibly cope?", "Africa Has Been Failed By Westernisation," "Life-Saving Optimism: What the West Can Learn From Africa," and "Toni Morrison: Farewell to America's Greatest Writer" in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''.

Bibliography

* '' The Fishermen'', 2015 * ''

'', 2019

Recognition, awards and honors

In a 2015 review in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', Obioma was called "the heir to

". In the same year, he was named one of "100 Global Thinkers" by ''

Foreign Policy A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...

'' magazine. For ''An Orchestra of Minorities'': *Joint winner, Internationaler Literaturpreis *Finalist, 2019

Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...

*Finalist, Digital Book World Awards 2019 *Finalist, Kulturhuset Internationella Pris for Best Translated Fiction *Finalist, La sélection du prix du livre étranger JDD/France Inter 2020 For ''The Fishermen'': *Winner, FT/OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices Award *Winner,

for Outstanding Literary Work - Debut Author *Winner, ''Los Angeles Times'' Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction * Winner, Nebraska Book Award For Fiction 2016 *Winner, Earphones Award for the Audiobook of ''The Fishermen'' *Finalist, 2015

*Shortlisted in the ''Belles-Lettres'' Category of the

Grand Prix of Literary Associations The Grand Prix of Literary Associations (GPLA) were launched in 2013 in Cameroon, in partnership with Brasseries du Cameroun and sponsorship by Castel Group, Castel Beer. The GPLA are defined as bilingual English-and-French literary prizes, som ...

2016 *Finalist, Center for Fiction First Novel Prize *Finalist, Edinburgh Festival First Book Award *Finalist, ''

'' First Book Award *Finalist, British Book Industry Award for Best Debut Fiction *Finalist, Best Debut Goodreads Author Award *Longlisted, International Dylan Thomas Prize

References

External links

Official website

''The New York Times'', 3 January 2019. {{DEFAULTSORT:Obioma, Chigozie Living people 1986 births Nigerian writers People from Akure Igbo writers Igbo academics Nigerian expatriate academics in the United States University of Nebraska faculty University of Michigan alumni English-language writers from Nigeria 21st-century Nigerian writers Hopwood Award winners