Epaphras Chukwuenweniwe Osondu, predominantly known as E. C. Osondu, is a Nigerian writer known for his

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

. His story ''Waiting'' won the 2009

Caine Prize for African Writing The Caine Prize for African Writing is an annual literary award for the best original short story by an African writer, whether in Africa or elsewhere, published in the English language. The £10,000 prize was founded in the United Kingdom in 20 ...

, for which he had been a finalist in 2007 with his story ''Jimmy Carter's Eyes''. Osondu had previously won the Allen and Nirelle Galso Prize for Fiction and his story ''A Letter from Home'' was judged one of "The Top Ten Stories on the Internet" in 2006. Osondu's writing has been published in ''

Agni Agni (English: , sa, अग्नि, translit=Agni) is a Sanskrit word meaning fire and connotes the Vedic fire deity of Hinduism. He is also the guardian deity of the southeast direction and is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu ...

'', ''

Guernica Guernica (, ), official name (reflecting the Basque language) Gernika (), is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the mu ...

'', ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...

'', ''

Fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...

'', and ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

''. His debut collection of short stories, ''Voice of America'', was published in 2010.

Biography

Epaphras Chukwuenweniwe Osondu was born in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, where he worked as an

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

copywriter Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. The product, called copy or sales copy, is written content that aims to increase brand awareness and ultimately persuade a person or ...

for many years. He received an M.F.A in creative writing from

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

in 2007. He has been teaching at

Providence College Providence College is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, local diocese, it offers 47 undergradua ...

since 2012, where he is a professor of English, teaching courses in Creative Writing, Introduction to Literature, and the Development of Western Civilization. ''Waiting'', published in October 2008 by ''Guernica'', describes life in a

refugee camp A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for internally displaced peo ...

from a child's

point of view Point of view or Points of View may refer to: Concept and technique * Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something * Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronou ...

. Meakin Armstrong, the magazine's fiction editor, noted that "it isn't pretentious nor rife with literary trickery. It's simply a well-told story about a kind of life most of us couldn't even begin to imagine."Meakin Armstrong
"Guernica/E. C. Osondu/Clifford Garstang"
Five Star Literary Stories. In addition to the £10,000 cash award, the Caine Prize also brought Osondu a month's residency at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Osondu's ''Voice of America'' is included in ''Gods and Soldiers: The

Penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...

Anthology of Contemporary African Writing'' (2009). After winning the Caine Prize in 2008, he has gone on to win the Pushcart Prize, the BOA Short Fiction Prize, the Allen and Nirrelle Galson Prize, among others. His short fiction has appeared in The Atlantic, AGNI, N+1, Harper's Magazine, Kenyon Review, Zyzzyva, Lapham's Quarterly, and has been translated into many languages including Japanese, Italian, Greek, French, Icelandic, Belarusian, etc. Osondu sits on the pan-African literary initiative, Writivism's Board of Trustees, with fellow writers

Zukiswa Wanner Zukiswa Wanner (born 1976) is a South African journalist, novelist and editor born in Zambia and now based in Kenya. Since 2006, when she published her first book, her novels have been shortlisted for awards including the South African Literary ...

Chika Unigwe Chika Nina Unigwe (born 12 June 1974) is a Nigerian-born Igbo author who writes in English and Dutch. In April 2014 she was selected for the Hay Festival's Africa39 list of 39 Sub-Saharan African writers aged under 40 with potential and talent to ...

NoViolet Bulawayo NoViolet Bulawayo is the pen name of Elizabeth Zandile Tshele (born 12 October 1981), a Zimbabwean author. In 2012, the National Book Foundation named her a "5 under 35" honoree. She was named one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by ''New ...

Nii Parkes Nii Ayikwei Parkes (; born 1 April 1974), born in the United Kingdom to parents from Ghana, where he was raised, is a performance poet, writer, publisher and sociocultural commentator. He is one of 39 writers aged under 40 from sub-Saharan Africa ...

and Lizzy Attree.

Books

Voice of America- Short Stories This House is Not For Sale- Novel When the Sky is Ready the Stars Will Appear- Novel

References

External links

The Caine Prize for African Literature
* Review o
"Voice of America"
* Text o
"Waiting"
in ''Guernica'' magazine. * Text of "A Letter from Home" a

* Laura Adibe
"Interview with An Author: E. C. Osondu Pens Multi-Faceted Human Experience in 'Voice of America'"
, Black Voices, 5 November 2010. * Temitayo Olofinlua
Interview with E. C. Osondu
''Bella Naija'', 29 June 2009. * Gbenga Awomodu
"8 Questions for E.C. Osondu, 2009 Caine Prize Winner & Author, Voice of America"
''Bella Naija'', 11 September 2011. * BB
interview with Osondu
by

Molara Wood Molara Wood (born 1967)
Editorial Board, ''Sentinel Poetry Quarterly''. is a Nigeria ...

at Africa Beyond: Celebrating African Arts in the UK. * ''Guernica'' fiction edito
Meakin Armstrong on Osondu's award.
* E.C. Osondu �
The Writer’s Voice, Providence College Podcast, Episode 169, October 14, 2019
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osondu, E. C. Nigerian male short story writers Nigerian short story writers Living people Caine Prize winners Year of birth missing (living people)