Chris Abani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Abani
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Abani in 2019
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Christopher Abani
27 December 1966 (age 58) Afikpo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
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| Citizenship | Nigerian |
| Education | Imo State University Birkbeck College, University of London University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Author, poet, professor |
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Notable work
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Christopher Abani (born 27 December 1966) is a talented Nigerian American author. He lives in Los Angeles, USA. He is known for being part of a new group of Nigerian writers. These writers share the experiences of people born and raised in Nigeria with English-speaking readers.
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About Chris Abani
Chris Abani was born in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, in southeastern Nigeria. His father was from the Igbo people, and his mother was of English background.
When he was just 16 years old, Abani published his first novel, Masters of the Board, in 1985. This book was a political thriller. It told a story that was like a puzzle, hinting at a real-life change in government that happened in Nigeria. Because of this book, he was held for six months. People thought he might have been trying to cause trouble for the government.
After he was released, he kept writing. But he was held again for one year after his 1987 novel, Sirocco, came out. During this time, he was kept in a very difficult prison called Kiri Kiri. He faced harsh treatment there. After this release, he wrote several plays that spoke out against the government. For two years, these plays were performed on the street near government offices.
He was held a third time and faced serious danger. But his friends helped him by talking to government officials. He was released in 1991. Right away, Abani, his mother, and his four siblings moved to the United Kingdom. They lived there until 1999. Then, he moved to the United States, where he lives today.
Education and Career Journey
Chris Abani has studied a lot! He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Imo State University in Nigeria. He also has two Master of Arts degrees. One is in Gender and Culture from Birkbeck College, University of London. The other is in English from the University of Southern California. He also has a Ph.D. (a very high degree) in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Southern California.
Abani has won many important awards for his writing. These include the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award, which honors writers who bravely speak out. He also won the Prince Claus Awards, a Lannan Literary Fellowship, and a California Book Award. Other honors include a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and the PEN/Hemingway Award. His poems have been featured in the online magazine Blackbird.
From 2007 to 2012, he was a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside. Now, he is the Director of the Program of African Studies at Northwestern University. He is also a special professor of English there.
His poetry book, Sanctificum (2010), combines religious ideas, the Igbo language from his homeland, and reggae music rhythms. It creates a unique and powerful collection of poems.
Abani also helps other poets get their work published. He started the Black Goat poetry series. This is part of a publishing company called Akashic Books in New York. Many poets, like Kwame Dawes and Percival Everett, have had their books published through Black Goat.
His crime novel, The Secret History of Las Vegas, won a special award called the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original in 2015. In 2016, some of his works were published in Israel for the first time, giving Hebrew readers a chance to discover his poetry.
Published Works
Here are some of the books Chris Abani has written:
Novels
- Masters of the Board (1985)
- GraceLand (2004)
- The Virgin of Flames (2007)
- The Secret History of Las Vegas (2014)
Novellas (shorter novels)
- Becoming Abigail (2006)
- Song For Night (2007)
Poetry
- Kalakuta Republic (2001)
- Daphne's Lot (2003)
- Dog Woman (2004)
- Hands Washing Water (2006)
- There are no names for red (2010)
- Feed me the sun (2010)
- Sanctificum (2010)
- Smoking the Bible (2022)
Essays
- The Face (2014)
Awards and Special Mentions
Chris Abani has received many awards and honors throughout his career:
- In 2001, he received a Middleton Fellowship from the University of Southern California.
- In 2003, he was given the Lannan Foundation Literary Fellowship and the Hellman/Hammet Grant from Human Rights Watch.
- In 2006, his book Becoming Abigail was chosen as an Editor's Choice by The New York Times. It was also a popular pick for several book clubs.
- In 2007, The Virgin of Flames and Song for Night were also Editor's Choice picks for The New York Times.
- In 2008, the University of California, Riverside gave him a Distinguished Humanist Award.
- In 2009, Abani received a Guggenheim Fellowship for his fiction writing.
- In 2005, his novel GraceLand won the PEN/Hemingway Award for a first novel and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. It also received a Silver Medal from the California Book Award.
- In 2008, his book Song For Night won the PEN/Beyond Margins Award.
- In 2015, The Secret History of Las Vegas won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original.
See also
In Spanish: Christopher Abani para niños
- List of people from Ebonyi State
- List of TED speakers
