Ayo Sogunro (born 1984) is a Nigerian author, essayist and human rights lawyer. He is known for his work in social advocacy and for the protection of civil rights and the rights of sexual minorities in Nigeria. He was listed as one of the "100 Most Influential Nigerians" in 2017.
Life and work
Sogunro was born in
Abeokuta
Abeokuta is the capital city of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; north of Lagos by railway, or by water. , Abeokuta and the surrounding are ...
and attended the
University of Lagos
The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in th ...
for his law degree. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2008.
His collection of short stories ''The Wonderful Life of Senator Boniface and other Sorry Tales''
was listed as one of the top 25 Nigerian books of 2013. It is a collection of 14 stories about Nigerian and Nigerians, "full of sorry tales interfused with poetry, exploring themes of human nature in general, and Nigerian social psychology in particular" The work has been described as a work that "brings to life – and death – the spirit of Lagos and Lagosians.
In 2014, his collection of critical essays "Everything in Nigeria is Going to Kill You"
was released. Its central idea is that Nigeria had evolved from "not taking care of you" into "actively trying to kill you".
In 2016, his essay "One More Nation Bound in Freedom", originally published in ''
Transition'', was nominated for the Gerald Kraak Award for African Writing.
Bibliography
* ''Cracks in the Ivory Tower'' Faith Unity Press, 2004.
* ''Death in the Dawn'' Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013.
* ''The Wonderful Life of Senator Boniface and other Sorry Tales'' Bookvine, 2013.
* ''Everything in Nigeria is Going to Kill You'' Shecrownlita Scribbles, 2014.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sogunro, Ayo
University of Lagos alumni
21st-century Nigerian lawyers
1984 births
Living people
Writers from Abeokuta