Odafe Atogun

Odafe Atogun is a Nigerian writer. His debut novel, Taduno's Song (2016), was selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club,[1] and he has been compared to Franz Kafka and George Orwell in critical reviews.[2][3] Following his two-book deal with Canongate, Penguin Random House and Arche Verlag, Atogun's second novel, Wake Me When I’m Gone, was published in 2017.[4] His work has been translated into several languages.

Odafe Atogun
Born
Lokoja, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
OccupationWriter
Websitewww.odafeatogun.com

Life

Odafe Atogun was born in Nigeria, in the town of Lokoja.[5][6] Living in difficult circumstances as a child, Atogun found escape through the power of his imagination, ultimately following the path to full-time writing. He says he writes at night "when the world is asleep."[7]

His writings have been favourably compared to that of Franz Kafka,[8] George Orwell[9][10] and even Amos Tutuola[11]

Atogun professes a desire to write timeless stories which transport the reader.[12] Since the publication of his first book, he has taken keen interest in the work of Kafka.[12] He is also influenced by the works of Milan Kundera, JM Coetzee, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, and Chinua Achebe amongst others.[13]

He lives in Abuja. He has a son from a previous relationship, to whom he dedicated his first book.

Taduno's Song

Atogun's first book Taduno's Song was published by Canongate. It is a "Kafkaesque tale"[6] that "imagines such a post-colonial dystopia".[14] It tells the story of the eponymous Taduno whom the author says he modelled around the late Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti.[15]

Of the book, this has been said: "One would be hard pressed to find a tale as beautifully written and thoroughly engaging."[16] It is " a fine, allusive challenge to the dictators who infest Africa—and the world,"[17] a book that "is a rich, multilayered work, exploring lessons of freedom, self-worth, forgiveness and faithfulness."[18] Indirect Libre calls it "a wholly engrossing, impressive debut by a writer who has taken the force of multiple influences and wielded them with an uncommon grace and lightness."[11]

The book was listed as one of the Guardian UK's "Hidden gems of 2016: the best books you may have missed"[19]

The Nigerian edition was published by Ouida Books.

Wake Me When I'm Gone

Atogun's second book was published by Canongate in 2017.[20] It has been described as "timeless",[21] "magical"[22] and "a powerful story of one woman's fight for change and independence, despite the obstacles",[23] combining "folkloric elements with a strong central character to create a haunting and unusual narrative."[4] It "proves a deeply satisfying and delightful, read."[24] It is "a quiet power and message of faith and hope that will stay with you long after you turn over the last page."[25]

Emily Roberts of Student Newspaper says the author "successfully portrays the corruption within this town which, though fictional, echoes recognisable themes in the contemporary world, as oppressive laws by patriarchal figures disregard women's rights in many cultures" offering "a critique of conservative, backwards societies and demonstrates the power of individuals to defy outdated tradition.[26]

It was published in Nigeria by Ouida Books in 2018.[27]

Notable reviews and interviews
  • How Fela Kuti inspired Odafe Atogun's debut novel Taduno's Song[28] on BBC Focus on Africa
  • My Writing Day[7] in Guardian
  • Paperback Reviews: Taduno’s Song by Odafe Atogun[29] in Herald Scotland
  • Wake Me When I’m Gone by Odafe Atogun[30] in Guardian review
  • Q & A with Odafe Atogun, Author of Taduno's Song By Kelchi Njoku[31] on Brittle Paper
  • An Interview with Odafe Atogun[32] on Washington Independent Review
gollark: Don't bother with that, just add a resistance checker thingy into the calculator.
gollark: When you're finished with a page of working, just set it on fire!
gollark: Oh, that piezo igniter *could* be useful for the calculator actually
gollark: Oh, this must be Sparkfun.
gollark: It's off by ONE SECOND per DAY!

References
  1. "The Radio 2 Book Club – Taduno's Song by Odafe Atogun – BBC Radio 2". BBC. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  2. "Odafe Atogun – Taduno's Song – Book Review". BookPage.com. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  3. "Fiction Book Review: Taduno's Song by Odafe Atogun. Pantheon, $24.95 (240p) ISBN 978-1-101-87145-4". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  4. Habila, Helon (14 October 2017). "Wake Me When I'm Gone by Odafe Atogun review – magical thinking in Nigeria". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  5. "The Radio 2 Book Club – Taduno's Song by Odafe Atogun – BBC Radio 2". BBC.
  6. "Odafe Atogun". edbookfest.co.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  7. Atogun, Odafe (19 August 2017). "Odafe Atogun: 'I write at night when the world is asleep'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  8. "Fiction Book Review: Taduno's Song by Odafe Atogun. Pantheon, $24.95 (240p) ISBN 978-1-101-87145-4". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  9. "Soft Notes and Love Notes | A Review of Odafe Atógun's Taduno's Song | By Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún". Brittle Paper. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  10. Kohlhaase, Bill. ""Taduno's Song" by Odafe Atogun". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  11. "Review: Taduno's Song by Odafe Atogun". Indirect Libre. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  12. "An Interview with Odafe Atogun – Washington Independent Review of Books". washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com.
  13. "10 Essential African Novels".
  14. "Odafe Atogun – Taduno's Song – Book Review". BookPage.com. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  15. "Fela Kuti and the Power of Music as a Tool for Resistance". Signature Reads. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  16. "Taduno's Song". The Student. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  17. TADUNO'S SONG by Odafe Atogun | Kirkus Reviews.
  18. "Review: 'Taduno's Song' | The Gazette". The Gazette. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  19. Beckerman, Hannah; Clark, Alex; Cooke, Rachel; Groskop, Viv; Kellaway, Kate; McCrum, Robert; Merritt, Stephanie; O'Keeffe, Alice; Preston, Alex (18 December 2016). "Hidden gems of 2016: great reads you may have missed". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  20. Wake Me When I'm Gone. 8 March 2017. ISBN 9781782118428.
  21. "Book Review: Wake Me When I'm Gone by Odafe Atogun". What Cathy Read Next... 20 July 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  22. Habila, Helon (16 November 2017). "Magical thinking in Nigeria-a review of Wake Me When I'm Gone by Odafe Atogun". Daily Trust.
  23. "Wake Me When I'm Gone by Odafe Atogun". of Books. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  24. Henley, Tara (10 November 2017). "Odafe Atogun's Wake Me When I'm Gone 'delightful'". Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  25. "You are being redirected..." blog.whsmith.co.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  26. Roberts, Emily (13 November 2017). "Wake Me When I'm Gone". The Student Newspaper.
  27. "Wake Me When I'm Gone". Ouida books. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  28. "How Fela Kuti inspired Odafe Atogun's debut novel Taduno's Song, Focus on Africa – BBC World Service". BBC. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  29. "Taduno's Song and other paperback reviews". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  30. Habila, Helon (14 October 2017). "Wake Me When I'm Gone by Odafe Atogun review – magical thinking in Nigeria". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  31. "Q & A with Odafe Atogun, Author of Taduno's Song | By Kelechi Njoku". Brittle Paper. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  32. "An Interview with Odafe Atogun | Washington Independent Review of Books". www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
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