Teju Cole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Teju Cole
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Cole in 2013
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| Born | Obayemi Babajide Adetokunbo Onafuwa June 27, 1975 Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist, photographer |
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| Notable works | Open City (2011) |
Teju Cole, born on June 27, 1975, is a talented writer, photographer, and art historian. He is from both Nigeria and America. He has written several books, including Every Day Is for the Thief (2007) and Open City (2011). His work is often praised for being fresh and new, especially in African literature.
Contents
About Teju Cole's Life
Teju Cole was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. His parents were from Nigeria. He is the oldest of four children. Soon after he was born, Teju and his mother moved back to Lagos, Nigeria. His father joined them later.
When Teju was 17, he moved back to the United States. He first went to Western Michigan University. Then, he transferred to Kalamazoo College, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1996. After studying medicine for a short time, he decided to study art history. He went to the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and then to Columbia University. Today, he teaches creative writing at Harvard University and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Teju Cole's Career
Teju Cole is known for his writing and his photography. He has written many books, including novels, essays, and even a book of his photographs.
As an Author
Cole has written or helped write several books. These include his first novella, Every Day Is for the Thief, and his famous novel Open City. He also wrote a collection of over 40 essays called Known and Strange Things. A famous writer, Salman Rushdie, has called Cole "among the most gifted writers of his generation."
Cole has also been a special writer-in-residence at different places. This means he was invited to stay and write there. For example, he was a writer-in-residence at Bard College and in Zurich, Switzerland.
Every Day Is for the Thief
This was Cole's first novel, published in 2007. It tells the story of a young man who visits his home country, Nigeria. He had been away for fifteen years. The book feels like a travel diary. It describes life in the city of Lagos. It also shows how corruption can affect everyone, no matter who they are.
Open City
Open City was written in 2011 and published in 2012. The story is about a Nigerian immigrant named Julius. He is a student studying psychiatry in New York City. Julius has recently broken up with his girlfriend. He spends a lot of time walking around Manhattan, thinking deeply.
The book mostly shares Julius's thoughts as he walks. He describes what he sees and remembers past events. Julius also travels to Belgium for a few weeks. There, he meets interesting people and has long talks about ideas and politics. When he returns to New York, he meets a young Nigerian woman. This meeting changes how he sees himself.
Open City has been translated into ten languages. Many book critics have praised it. The New York Times said the book is important because it is very honest.
Known and Strange Things
In 2016, Cole published his first collection of essays. These essays are about many different topics. They also include his thoughts on other books and art. The poet Claudia Rankine wrote that Cole's essays on photography are especially good. She said they show his great love for visual art.
As a Photographer
Teju Cole's photographs have been shown in art exhibitions. In 2016, he had a solo show in Milan, Italy, called Punto d'ombra. The photos from this show were published in a book. It was released in English in 2017 as Blind Spot.
For a festival called Performa 17, Cole created an art piece called Black Paper. This artwork included his photographs and videos. It also had sounds and readings of his texts.
Awards and Honors
Teju Cole has received many awards for his writing and photography. Here are some of them:
- 2011: Time magazine named Open City one of the "Best Books of the Year".
- 2012: Open City was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
- 2012: He won the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel for Open City.
- 2013: Open City won the International Literature Award for its German translation.
- 2015: He received the Windham–Campbell Literature Prize for Fiction. This award was worth $150,000!
- 2018: He received a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship for Creative Arts.
See also
In Spanish: Teju Cole para niños
