Uwem Akpan

Uwem Akpan
Uwem Akpan, reading at the University of San Francisco
Akpan at the University of San Francisco
Born
Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Alma materCreighton University; Gonzaga University; Catholic University of Eastern Africa; University of Michigan
OccupationWriter
Notable workSay You're One of Them (2008)
AwardsCommonwealth Writers Prize (Africa Region); PEN Open Book Prize; Hurston/Wright Legacy Award

Uwem Akpan listenⓘ is a Nigerian writer. He is known as the author of Say You're One of Them (2008), a collection of five stories (each set in a different African country) published by Little, Brown & Company.[1] His debut book achieved international success.

It won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa Region),[2] the PEN Open Book Prize,[3] and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and was picked for the Oprah Winfrey Book Club.[4] A New York Times and Wall Street Journal No. 1 bestseller, the book has been translated into 12 languages.[5]

Akpan's second book and debut novel, New York, My Village (2021), was published by W. W. Norton. The book was picked by Strand Bookstore as their Pick of the Month for November 2021.[6]

  1. ^ Maslin, Janet (27 June 2008). "As Africa's Horrors Rage, Suffer the Little Children". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Dayton Literary Peace Prize - Uwem Akpan, 2009 Fiction Runner-Up". Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Uwem Akpan, Author Info, Published Books, Bio, Photo, Video, and More". AALBC.com, the African American Literature Book Club. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  4. ^ Carlson, Jen (18 September 2009). "Oprah Takes Her Show to Central Park". Gothamist. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  5. ^ Meanley, Erin (18 September 2009). "This Couple Was Married For 81 Years! And Other Reasons I'm No Longer in a Hurry To Find Someone". Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  6. ^ "The Strand Pick of the Month". Strand Bookstore. November 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.