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Sefi Atta (born January 1964) is a
Nigerian-American novelist, short-story writer,
playwright and
screenwriter. Her books have been translated into many languages, radio plays have been broadcast by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, and her stage plays have been performed internationally.
Awards she has received include the 2006
Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa and the 2009
Noma Award for Publishing in Africa.
Biography
Atta was born in
Lagos, Nigeria
Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...
, in January 1964, to a family of five children. Her father
Abdul-Aziz Atta was the Secretary to
Federal Government and Head of the Civil Service until his death in 1972, and she was raised by her mother Iyabo Atta.
She attended
Queen's College, Lagos, and
Millfield School
Millfield is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) located in Street, Somerset, England. It was founded in 1935.
Millfield is a registered charity and is the largest co-educational boarding s ...
in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. In 1985, she graduated with a B.A. degree from
Birmingham University
, mottoeng = Through efforts to heights
, established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
. She qualified as a chartered accountant in England and as CPA in the United States, where she migrated in 1994.
["Atta, Sefi 1964–"]
Encyclopedia.com. She earned an MFA in creative writing from
Antioch University Los Angeles
Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA) is a campus of Antioch University in Culver City, California.
Background
Antioch College was founded in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Horace Mann, Antioch College’s first president's goal was to create an educat ...
in 2001.
She is married to Gboyega Ransome-Kuti, a medical doctor, and son of
Olikoye Ransome-Kuti
Olikoye Ransome-Kuti (30 December 1927 – 1 June 2003) was a paediatrician, activist and health minister of Nigeria.
Early life and education
Olikoye Ransome-Kuti was born in Ijebu Ode on 30 December 1927, in present-day Ogun State, Nigeria ...
, and they have one daughter, Temi.
Career
Atta graduated from the creative writing program at
Antioch University
Antioch University is a private university with multiple campuses in the United States and online programs. Founded in 1852 as Antioch College, its first president was politician, abolitionist, and education reformer Horace Mann. It changed its ...
in Los Angeles. Her short stories have appeared in literary journals such as ''
The Los Angeles Review
Red Hen Press is an American non-profit press located in Pasadena, California, and specializing in the publication of poetry, literary fiction, and nonfiction. The press is a member of the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses, and was a final ...
'', ''
Mississippi Review'' and ''
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 revie ...
''. Her articles on Lagos and Nigeria have appeared in publications such as ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' and ''
Libération''. Her books have been translated into several languages. Her first novel, ''
Everything Good Will Come'', won the
Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa.
Atta's Lagos-based production company Atta Girl supports Care to Read, a program she initiated to earn funds for legitimate charities through staged readings.
Bibliography
Novels
* 2005: ''
Everything Good Will Come'', US:
Interlink Books, . UK:
Myriad Editions,
* 2010: ''Swallow'', Interlink Books,
* 2013: ''A Bit of Difference'', Interlink Books,
* 2019: ''The Bead Collector'', US: Interlink Books, . UK: Myriad Editions,
* 2022: ''The Bad Immigrant'', Interlink Books,
Short-story collections
* 2010: ''News from Home'', Interlink Books,
Children's books
* 2018: ''Drama Queen'', Mango Books, Nigeria,
Play collections
* 2019: ''Sefi Atta; Selected Plays'', Interlink Books,
Stage play premieres
* 2005: ''The Engagement'', MUSON Centre, Lagos
* 2011: ''The Cost of Living'', Lagos Heritage Festival
* 2011: ''Hagel auf Zamfara'', Theatre Krefeld, Germany
* 2012: ''The Naming Ceremony'', New World Nigeria,
Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with director Joan Littlewood, whose ...
, London
* 2012: ''An Ordinary Legacy'', The MUSON Festival,
MUSON Centre, Lagos
* 2014: ''Last Stand'',
Terra Kulture, Lagos
* 2018: ''Renovation'', The Jos Festival of Theatre
* 2019: ''The Death Road'', The Jos Festival of Theatre
Radio plays
* 2002: ''The Engagement'', BBC Radio
* 2004: ''Makinwa's Miracle'', BBC Radio
* 2007: ''A Free Day'',
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...
Screenplays
* 2021: ''Swallow'', a
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
original movie based on Sefi Atta's second novel, ''Swallow'', co-written by Atta and
Kunle Afolayan
Kunle Afolayan (born 30 September 1975) is a Nigerian actor, producer and director. He is widely credited for elevating the quality of Nollywood movies though larger budgets, shooting on 35mm, releasing in cinemas, and improving cliché Nollyw ...
, premiered on October 1.
Awards and recognitions
* 2002:
Macmillan Writers Prize For Africa, shortlist
* 2002: BBC African Performance, 2nd Prize
* 2002: Zoetrope Short Fiction Contest, 3rd Prize
* 2003:
Red Hen Press Short Story Award, 1st prize
* 2003: ''
Glimmer Train
''Glimmer Train'' was an American short story literary journal. It was published quarterly, accepting works primarily from emerging writers. Stories published in ''Glimmer Train'' were listed in ''The Best American Short Stories'', as well as appe ...
''′s Very Short Fiction Award, finalist
* 2004:
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
African Performance, 2nd Prize
* 2005: