Nadifa Mohamed facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nadifa Mohamed نظيفة محمد FRSL
Born	Nadiifa Maxamed 1981 (age 43–44) Hargeisa, Somali Democratic Republic (now Somaliland)
Nationality	British, born Somali
Alma mater	St Hilda's College, Oxford
Occupation	Novelist
Notable work	Black Mamba Boy (2010) The Orchard of Lost Souls (2013) The Fortune Men (2021)
Movement	Realism, historical fiction
Awards	Betty Trask Award (2010) Somerset Maugham Award (2014) Prix Albert Bernard (2016) Wales Book of the Year (2022)

Nadifa Mohamed is a talented writer from Somalia and Britain, born in 1981. She is known for writing amazing novels. In 2013, Granta magazine named her one of the "Best of Young British Novelists." The next year, she was on the Africa39 list. This list features African writers under 40 who are shaping the future of African literature.

Her 2021 novel, The Fortune Men, was chosen for the 2021 Booker Prize. This was a huge honor! It made her the first British Somali novelist to be shortlisted for this award. Nadifa Mohamed also writes short stories, essays, and articles. You can find her work in places like The Guardian. She even wrote poetry for the book New Daughters of Africa. She used to teach creative writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. In 2022, she became a special writer-in-residence at New York University.

Nadifa's Early Life

Nadifa Mohamed was born in 1981 in Hargeisa, which is now part of Somaliland. Her dad worked as a sailor, and her mom managed properties. In 1986, her family moved to London. They thought it would be a short visit.

But a civil war started in Somalia soon after. Because of this, her family stayed in the UK. Later, Nadifa went to St Hilda's College, Oxford. There, she studied history and politics. In 2008, she visited Hargeisa again. It was her first time back in over ten years. Today, Nadifa lives in London.

Nadifa's Writing Journey

Nadifa Mohamed's first novel was called Black Mamba Boy. It came out in 2010. The Guardian newspaper called it a "significant, affecting book." The story is partly based on her father's life. It tells about his experiences in Yemen in the 1930s and 1940s. This was during a time when the country was under colonial rule.

Nadifa said she wanted to learn more about her family's history. She also wanted to share Somali history with more people. The book was very popular and won the 2010 Betty Trask Award. It was also nominated for many other awards.

More Amazing Novels

In 2013, Nadifa released her second novel, The Orchard of Lost Souls. This book is set in Somalia. It takes place just before the civil war began. A reviewer from The Independent said that if her first book was about fathers and sons, this one was about mothers and daughters. In 2014, The Orchard of Lost Souls won the Somerset Maugham Award.

In 2013, Nadifa was chosen as one of Granta magazine's "Best of Young British Novelists." In 2014, she was also picked for the Hay Festival's Africa39 list. This list highlights 39 promising writers from Sub-Saharan Africa.

Her writing has appeared in The Guardian and Literary Hub. She also contributed poetry to the book New Daughters of Africa. In 2018, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a special honor for writers.

Her 2021 novel, The Fortune Men, is based on a true story. It's about a man named Mahmood Mattan. Nadifa's father actually knew him. The book tells the story of a man in Cardiff, Wales. He was wrongly found guilty of murder in 1952. He became the last person to be executed there. Critics praised the book for showing injustice. The Fortune Men was shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize. In 2022, it won three awards at the Wales Book of the Year Awards.

Nadifa has mentioned that her next book will be a modern story. It will be about Somali women living in London.

Nadifa's Television Work

In 2023, Nadifa Mohamed worked with Channel 4 on a historical show. It was called Britain’s Human Zoos. The show explored how people in Britain were fascinated by "human zoos" long ago. These zoos showed Black and Brown people for entertainment. At the 2024 Edinburgh TV Festival, Nadifa won an award for Best Presenter (Factual).

She also presented another film for Channel 4. It was called Churchill: Britain's Secret Apartheid. This film aired in October 2024. It looked at how British people reacted when US troops arrived during World War II. The US army had segregated units, meaning Black and white soldiers were kept separate.

Awards and Recognitions

• 2010: Betty Trask Prize for Black Mamba Boy
• 2013: Granta "Best of Young British Novelists"
• 2014: Africa39 list of promising writers from Sub-Saharan Africa
• 2014: Somerset Maugham Award for The Orchard of Lost Souls
• 2022: Wales Book of the Year for The Fortune Men
• 2024: Honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Royal Holloway, University of London

Nadifa's Published Works

Novels

• Black Mamba Boy (2010)
• The Orchard of Lost Souls (2013)
• The Fortune Men (2021)

Other Writings

• "Filsan", Granta 123: Best of Young British Novelists 4, 2013.
• "Migrants for whom the Sahara proved a graveyard started out in hope", The Guardian, 2013.
• "Sasayama", Granta 127: Japan, 2014.
• "Somalis returning to the motherland are finding their foreign ways out of favour", The Guardian, 2015.
• "How many dead Somalis does it take for us to care?", The Guardian, 2017.
• "What We Lost in the Grenfell Tower Fire", LitHub, 2017.