Guest of the ilb 2004
Chris Abani
was born in Afikpo, Nigeria. He published his first novel “Masters of
the Board” (1985) at the age of sixteen and for which he suffered
severe political persecution. His other novel is “GraceLand” (2004) a
coming of age novel about a young Nigerian Elvis impersonator and his
struggle against overwhelming odds. His poetry collections include
“Kalakuta Republic” (2000), “Daphne’s Lot” (2003), “Dog Woman” (2004)
and "Hands Washing Water" (2006). He is the recipient of the 2001 PEN
USA West Freedom-to-Write Award, the 2001 Prince Claus Award and a 2003
Lannan Literary Fellowship. He is a Middleton Fellow at the University
of Southern California and is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the
University of California Riverside.
© international literature festival berlin
Chris Abani online: www.chrisabani.com | 
