Irenosen Okojie

Irenosen Okojie is a Nigerian-born short story and novel writer working in London. Her stories incorporate magic realism and also make use of her West African heritage. Her first novel, Butterfly Fish won a Betty Trask Award in 2016, and her story "Grace Jones" won the 2020 Caine Prize for African Writing.[1] She was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2018.

Irenosen Okojie
Born
Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
British
Alma materLondon Metropolitan University
Notable work
Butterfly Fish (2016)
AwardsBetty Trask Award
Caine Prize for African Writing
Websitewww.irenosenokojie.com

Biography

Early years and education

Irenosen Okojie was born in Nigeria. When she was eight her family moved to Britain. Okojie attended Gresham's Boarding School in Holt, Norfolk, before going on to St Angela's Convent School in east London and then to Stamford Boarding School for girls. Okojie returned to London to complete her education and then attended London Metropolitan University, where she studied Communications and Visual Culture.

Career

Okojie is an Arts Project Manager and Curator based in London. Her debut novel, Butterfly Fish, won a Betty Trask Award in 2016.[2] Her writing has been published in The New York Times, The Observer, The Guardian, the BBC and the Huffington Post, and she is a contributor to the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby.[3]

Okojie has received nominations for a number of awards and she has been a judge for other literary competitions.[4][5][6][7][8] Her 2016 collection of short stories, Speak Gigantular, was shortlisted for the 2016 inaugural Jhalak Prize as well as the 2017 Edge Hill Short Story Prize. Her story "Animal Parts" was nominated for a 2016 Shirley Jackson Award, and her short story "Synsepalum" was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 to celebrate the BBC National Short Story Award 2018.[1]

Also in 2018, Okojie was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.[9] On 19 May 2020, she was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing,[10] and was announced as the winner on 27 July 2020 for her story "Grace Jones".[11][12][13]

Honours and awards

Bibliography
  • Speak Gigantular (short stories), 2016
  • Butterfly Fish (novel), 2016
  • Nudibranch, 2019[14]

References and sources
  1. "Irenosen Okojie". Elise Dillsworth Agency (EDA). Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  2. "Betty Trask Prize and Award Winners 2016", The Society of Authors, June 2016.
  3. "New Daughters of Africa Cambridge Literary Festival", Irenosen Okojie website, 9 April 2019.
  4. "Royal Society of Literature » Irenosen Okojie". Royal Society of Literature. 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  5. Evaristo, Bernardine (24 November 2016). "Speak Gigantular by Irenosen Okojie review – surreal tales of love and loneliness". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  6. "The Reader Berlin". The Reader Berlin. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  7. "TSS Publishing". The Short Story Interview: Irenosen Okojie. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  8. "Irenosen Okojie". Elise Dillsworth Agency. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  9. "Irenosen Okojie", Royal Society of Literature.
  10. "Irenosen Okojie", Caine Prize.
  11. "Caine Prize 2020: British Nigerian author Irenosen Okojie". BBC News. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  12. Flood, Alison (27 July 2020). "Irenosen Okojie wins the Caine prize for 'stunning' short story Grace Jones". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  13. "AKO Caine Prize: Irenosen Okojie wins with story of Grace Jones impersonator". BBC News. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  14. Okojie, Irenosen (7 November 2019). Nudibranch: A collection of short stories. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 9780349700908.
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