''Travelers'' is a 2019 novel by Nigerian author

Helon Habila Helon Habila Ngalabak (born November 1967) is a Nigerian novelist and poet, whose writing has won many prizes, including the Caine Prize in 2001. He worked as a lecturer and journalist in Nigeria before moving in 2002 to England, where he was a C ...

. It was published by W. W. Norton & Company. The story revolves around the life of a Nigerian expatriate who travels around Europe to know more about African refugees.

Plot

''Travelers'' is about a Nigerian graduate student living in the United States who relocates to Berlin with his wife Gina, who has won a prestigious arts fellowship. In Berlin, he meets the community of African refugees and encounters with his identity and the privilege of being able to travel freely. Due to racial problems, he divorces with his wife and decides to travel around Europe in order to meet with more African refugees.

Characters

*Gina – the narrator's wife *Mark – a Malawian transgender student who is the narrator's friend *Manu – a Libyan surgeon of Nigerian extraction who the narrator meets in Berlin *Portia – the daughter of a Zambian writer *Juma *Karim *Flaubert

Reception and award

Emad Mirmotahari of ''

World Literature Today ''World Literature Today'' is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The stated goal of the magazine is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book review ...

'' wrote that the novel "refuses nostalgia for the cultural energies of African decolonization and the restorative promise of pan-Africanism". ''

Washington City Paper The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focused ...

'' described it as a novel that "does not deal in stereotypes". Otosirieze Obi-Young of '' Brittle Paper'' commented that it "appears to be aiming for a kind of completeness".

Edward Docx Edward Docx (born 1972) is a British writer. His first novel, '' The Calligrapher'', was published in 2003. He is an associate editor of '' New Statesman Magazine''. Biography Docx was born in Newcastle. He was educated at St Bede's College ...

writing for ''

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 ...

'' felt that it was "replete with literary references that twist and gleam through the narrative, adding light and riches and setting off unexpected resonances". It was shortlisted for the 2019 Grand Prix of Literary Associations. and was also shortlisted for the 2020 James Tait Black Memorial Prize.

References

{{Authority control 2019 Nigerian novels Novels set in the United States Novels set in Germany W. W. Norton & Company books