Sarah Ladipo Manyika facts for kids

Sarah Ladipo Manyika is a famous British-Nigerian author. She writes novels, short stories, and essays. Manyika is known for supporting young writers and female authors.

She wrote two popular novels, In Dependence and Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun. She also published a non-fiction book called Between Starshine and Clay: Conversations from the African Diaspora. Her work has appeared in many magazines and collections, including the 2019 book New Daughters of Africa.

Early Life and Education

Sarah Manyika was born and grew up in Nigeria. Her father is Nigerian, and her mother is British. Her life has taken her to many countries, including Kenya, France, Zimbabwe, the United States, and Britain. This experience of living in different places often shows up in her writing.

For her education, Manyika studied at several universities around the world. She attended the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, the University of Bordeaux in France, and the University of California, Berkeley in the U.S. She earned a PhD, which is the highest degree a university can award.

Writing Career

Manyika's writing includes novels, short stories, essays, and book reviews. She uses her writing to explore interesting characters and important ideas.

Novels and Stories

Manyika's first novel, In Dependence, was published in 2008. It became a featured book for Black History Month in the United Kingdom. The book is so popular in Zimbabwe that it is required reading for some high school literature students. It has also been used for university entrance exams in Nigeria.

Her second novel is called Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun. It was published in 2016 and tells the story of an elderly Nigerian woman. Many famous authors praised the book for being sophisticated, funny, and moving. The book was shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, which recognizes novels that are creative and break new ground. It was the first novel by an African writer to be considered for this prize.

When asked about the book, Manyika said she wanted to write about older women with interesting lives, especially black women, because she didn't see enough of their stories in fiction.

Non-Fiction Writing

Manyika also writes non-fiction, which is based on facts and real events. She has written essays about her own life, book reviews for major newspapers like The Guardian, and articles about important people. For example, she has written about the author Toni Morrison and former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama.

Her 2022 book, Between Starshine and Clay, features interviews with inspiring Black artists, activists, and thinkers. The book includes conversations with people like Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka, Michelle Obama, and actor Anna Deavere Smith. Manyika said she wrote the book to find hope and new ideas during difficult times.

Supporting the Literary World

Sarah Ladipo Manyika is very active in the writing community. She works with groups that help new and young writers get their voices heard. She is the President of the Board for Hedgebrook, an organization that supports female writers.

She has also been a judge for several important book awards. These include the Etisalat Prize for Literature and the Goldsmiths Prize. By serving as a judge, she helps recognize and celebrate great new books.

Personal Life

She married her husband, James Manyika, in 1994 in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Honors and Recognition

In 2022, New African magazine named both Sarah and her husband James as two of the 100 Most Influential Africans of the year.

In 2023, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. This is a major honor for a writer in the United Kingdom.

Selected Works

Novels

• In Dependence (2008)
• Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun (2016)

Non-fiction

• Between Starshine and Clay: Conversations from the African Diaspora (2022)

Short Stories

• "Mr Wonder" in Women Writing Zimbabwe (2008)
• "The Ambassador's Wife" in New Daughters of Africa (2019)

See also

In Spanish: Sarah Ladipo Manyika para niños

• Nigerian literature