Unoma Azuah (born 23 June 1969) is a Nigerian writer, author, and activist whose research and activism focus on LGBT writing in Nigerian literature. She has published three books, two of which have won international awards. She focuses on issues relating to queer Nigerians, such as in ''Blessed Body: Secret Lives of LGBT Nigerians'' (2016).

Biography

Azuah was born in Ogwashi-Ukwu in Delta State of

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 ...

to a Tiv father from Ukan in Ushongo local government area of

Benue State Benue State is one of the North Central states in Nigeria with a population of about 4,253,641 in 2006 census. The state was created in 1976 among the 7 states created at that time.The state derives its name from the Benue River which is th ...

and to an

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 ...

mother from

Asaba Asaba is the capital city of Delta State, Nigeria. It is located at the western bank of the Niger River, in the Oshimili South Local Government Area. Asaba had a population of 149,603 as at the 2006 census, and a metropolitan population of o ...

in Delta State. Being born during the

Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Nigerian–Biafran War or the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence f ...

to parents on both sides of the conflict, she was raised mostly as Igbo and was estranged from her paternal family because a Tiv Nigerian soldier was not supposed to cross the enemy line to get involved with a Biafran (Igbo) woman. She attended the

University of Nigeria, Nsukka The University of Nigeria, commonly referred to as UNN, is a federal university located in Nsukka, Enugu State, Eastern part of Nigeria. Founded by Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1955 and formally opened on 7 October 1960, the University of Nigeria has th ...

where, as an undergraduate, she edited the English department literary journal called ''The Muse'' and received the awards of the best Creative Writing student for two consecutive years: 1992 and 1993. She has a Bachelor of Art degree in English,

(1994), a Master's in English from

Cleveland State University Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923. ...

, Ohio (2001) and a Master's in Fine Art from

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virgini ...

, Richmond (2003).

Gay rights advocacy/activism

Azuah is the first Nigerian to give LGBTQI issues consistent visibility in the Nigerian literary scholarship. She left Nigeria in 1999, after receiving numerous threats to her life on account of her work, and now splits her time between the US and Nigeria to continue assisting and working with the Nigerian LGBTQI community. Of her work, Azuah has said "I’ve always explored the theme of sexuality in my writing, especially in my poems and non-fiction pieces. ''Edible Bones'' is actually inspired by a true story. The life of the major character loosely reflects the life of a Nigerian immigrant I met. He happened to be highly homophobic, but when he goes to jail and becomes a point of attention for bullies, a homosexual guy happens to be his savior." Of the anti-gay law in Nigeria, she has also said the following: "I feel that the Nigerian leadership is using the matter as a tool to distract Nigerians from genuinely pressing concerns like the lack of economic opportunity and infrastructure. The strong wave of fundamentalist Christianity sweeping over Nigeria fuels the distraction of this topic which should not be up for national debate because what consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom should concern no one. Her exploration of gay themes in her work, and "defense of queer sex", for a Nigerian-based writer has been described as "a courageous act indeed." Now a citizen of the USA, she continues to stay "deeply involved in her homeland by sharing stories of the persecution of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community there."

Professional life

Azuah currently teaches English at the

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Wiregrass Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is a public community college in Valdosta, Georgia. It is part of the Technical College System of Georgia and provides education for an eleven-county service area in south-central Georgia. The school's ...

Publications

* ''Night Songs.'' Lagos: Oracle, 2002. A collection of Poetry * ''Sky-high Flames.'' Frederick, MD: Publish America. July, 2005. A novel. * ''The Length of Light.'' Germany: VDM; Dr. Müller, 2008. A collection of short stories. * ''Edible Bones.'' New York: Demarche Publishing, 2013. American edition. A novel. * ''On Broken Wings: An Anthology of Best Contemporary Nigerian Poetry.'' New York: DLite, 2014. * ''Blessed Body: The Secret Lives of the Nigerian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender: non-fiction.'' Jackson, TN: Cookingpotbooks, 2016

Awards

*The Urban Spectrum National Best Novel of the year 2006 by an African born writer for ''Sky-high flames'' *Best fiction writer of the year 2006 for ''Sky-high Flames,'' Association of Nigerian Authors/

Flora Nwapa Florence Nwanzuruahu Nkiru Nwapa (13 January 1931 – 16 October 1993), was a Nigerian author who has been called the mother of modern African literature, African Literature. She was the forerunner to a generation of African women writers, and ...

award for fiction, 2006 *The Griot Hero award for civic engagement with Adult and High school students, West Tennessee, 2008 *Nominee,

Thomas Ehrlich Thomas Ehrlich (born March 4, 1934) is a consulting professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. He has been married to Ellen R. Ehrlich since 1957. They have three children David, Elizabeth, and Paul, and nine grandchildren. They live ...

Civically Engaged Faculty Award,

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

, 2009 *Aidoo-Snyder Book Award, Women’s Caucus of the

African Studies Association The African Studies Association (ASA) is a US-based association of scholars, students, practitioners, and institutions with an interest in the continent of Africa. Founded in 1957, the ASA is the leading organization of African Studies in North ...

, for ''Edible Bones,'' 2011Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize
.

, 24 May 2016. Accessed 24 March 2017 *Winner, Hellman-Hammett award for ''Sky-high Flames''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Azuah, Anoma Nigerian women writers Queer novelists 1969 births Living people Nigerian LGBT novelists