Onyeka Nwelue

Onyeka Nwelue (born 31 January 1988) is a Nigerian filmmaker, talk show host, cultural anthropologist, professor and author whose book, Hip-Hop is Only for Children won the Creative Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the 2015 Nigerian Writers’ Awards. He adapted his novella, Island of Happiness into an Igbo language film, Agwaetiti Obiụtọ and won Best Feature Film by a Director at 2018 Newark International Film Festival [1], and went on to be nominated for Best First Feature Film by a Director and the Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language at the 2018 Africa Movie Academy Awards. Island of Happiness was inspired by true events in Oguta.[2]. Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, has compared him to American writer, Ishmael Reed.

Onyeka Nwelue
BornOnyekachukwu George Nwelue
(1988-01-31) 31 January 1988
Ezeoke Nsu, Imo State, Nigeria
OccupationNovelist, filmmaker, cultural entrepreneur, editor, poet
NationalityNigerian
Period2000–present
Notable awardsThe Future Awards Africa,
2009 TM ALUKO Prize for Fiction,
2009 TAHIR IBRAHIM Prize for First Book,
2000 THOMSON Short Story Prize

Nwelue studied Sociology & Anthropology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and earned a scholarship to study Directing at Prague Film School in Czech Republic.

He is currently a visiting assistant professor and Visiting Fellow of African Literature and studies in the English Language Department of the Faculty of Humanities, Manipur University in Imphal, India. He is a Visiting Professor at Queensland University in Haiti and also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Center for International Studies, Ohio University[3], where he spends time in Athens, Ohio.

He is best known for his novel The Abyssinian Boy, which was published when he was 21 and won the TM Aluko Prize for Fiction, came second at the Ibrahim Tahir Prize for First Book. He has been nominated thrice for The Future Awards Africa and was a recipient of the Prince Claus Ticket Grant in 2013.

His second novel, The Beginning of Everything Colourful, was shortlisted for the ANA Prose Fiction Prize in 2018 and his collection of poetry, The Lagos Cuban Jazz Club, was shortlisted for ANA Poetry Prize in the same year[4]. Wole Soyinka described his novel, A Country of Extraordinary Ghosts, as ‘suis generis.’ He had read it in one sitting on the plane from Dakar to Abidjan.

Early life

Onyeka Nwelue was born in Ehime Mbano in Imo State, Nigeria to Honourable Sam Nwelue, a politician and Knight of St. Christopher and Lady Catherine Nwelue, a teacher and Lay Reader. When he was 11, he was sent to Mount Olives Seminary in Umuezeala Nsu, where he was meant to become a priest. He left Mount Olives Seminary to continue at Holy Family Secondary School, before running away to Lagos, to pursue his career in writing. He wrote for The Guardian and The Punch.

He won a grant from the Institute for Research on African Women, Children and Culture (IRAWCC which is pronounced as "I ROCK", to continue his writing.

Personal life

Born into an upper class family, he is the fourth of six children to his parents. His mother, raised in the aristocratic family of Obua Ajukwu (Ndanike), of Oguta, is cousin to Flora Nwapa, often regarded as the first African female writer to be published internationally. He is also distant cousin of Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. According to The House of Nwapa, the documentary made by Nwelue, his mother lived a larger part of her life in the Nwapa Plantation.

His grandparents are Origbudu SBC Obiora and Ogbuefi Odiso Obiora (née Nwakuche and eldest sister to Mr. Gogo Nwakuche[5], Nwapa's second husband), who are “blue-blooded aristocrats” and related to the acclaimed writer, His Majesty, Eze Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike, OFR, NNOM, Ikelionwu XI, Eze of Ndikelionwu. His aunt, Professor Leslye Obiora, was Nigeria’s former Minister of Mines and Steel. He is nephew of Nigerian social activist and musician, Charly Boy and Swedish-Nigerian musician, Dr. Alban. He is also grand-nephew of Nigeria's first Professor of Anthropology, Professor Ikenna Nzimiro.

His paternal cousins are American basketballer, Mike Nwelue of Drury Panthers and Australia-based Nigerian singer, Igwebuike Chigozie Nwelue, popularly known as Singaholic of “Anyi Ga-Ele Onye Ike Ga-Agwu” fame and entrepreneur, Kennedy Ekezie-Joseph. He is also nephew of broadcaster and politician, Bright Nwelue, who was the Chief Press Secretary to Military Governor of Imo State, Tanko Zubairo.

Nwelue left for Lagos when he was 16 years old to attend the Wole Soyinka Festival[6], after which he was introduced to the Nobel Laureate. A few years later, Nwelue traveled to India for the 2nd International Writers’ Festival, at the invitation of the India Cultural Association. Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka remains one of Nwelue’s fans. “He has read everything I have published,” Nwelue says. He has organized private screenings[7][8] of his films for the Nobel Laureate and they frequently travel together.

At the age of 21, Nwelue was the first African to join Sandbox, a global community of young innovators under 30, leading a path for others like Nigerian musician, Bez.

He also identifies as a feminist. In an interview, after making The House of Nwapa, he said: “I made The House of Nwapa, because I am a feminist. I believe we are all equal.”[9]

Career

Early in his career, Nwelue wrote for The Guardian in Nigeria, a rare opportunity given to him by Jahman Anikulapo[10], the then Editor of Sunday edition popularly known as The Guardian on Sunday. His talk-show, “The Onyeka Nwelue Show” airs on Linda Ikeji TV, owned by popular blogger and entrepreneur, Linda Ikeji.

Nwelue is represented by literary agent, Priya Doraswamy of Lotus Lane Literary Agency, based in New Jersey[11].

The Abyssinian Boy

Nwelue began writing his first novel, The Abyssinian Boy, when he was in India. The book partly captures his experiences in India as a black man, and its publication catapulted Nwelue to international fame.[12] It received the 2009 TM Aluko Prize for Fiction, came second at the Ibrahim Tahir Prize for First Book, nominated for The Future Awards Africa and was "Book of the Month" for many magazines. It became a national bestseller and was republished in India and the United States. The book was also a commercial success: Nwelue received more than 2.5 million naira as an advance.

The Abyssinian Boy received stellar reviews in major Nigerian and Indian newspapers such as ("a Greek tale")[13] and the Hindu ("the Indian ethos are original"), and by the end of the year, Nwelue had spoken at universities and colleges in India, Hong Kong, Kenya, Uganda, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Burnt

His second book is a narrative in verse[14] and has been described by British-Hungarian poet George Szirtes as "breathless". Nwelue toured 25 countries of Europe in 2014, promoting the book, which has been translated into Italian, Spanish, Igbo and Yoruba. Translated by Venezuelan writer Alberto Quero, it was published in Peru, where it had its official launch at the Cusco Book Fair in 2015.[15]

Hip-Hop is Only for Children

Nwelue worked with musicians under La Cave Musik and travelled to different countries to meet different musicians and came up with this controversial book, which details personal encounters with musicians and music promoters. It was released in January 2015 to critical acclaim. It has reportedly sold a million copies.

<< https://m.guardian.ng/art/nwelue-on-world-tour-with-new-book-hip-hop-is-only-for-children/>>

The House of Nwapa

He released a documentary detailing the life of Flora Nwapa, Africa's first female novelist in English.[16][17] It was nominated in the Best Documentary category of the 2017 Africa Movie Academy Awards[18]. It was screened at over 12 film festivals, including Lights, Camera, Africa! Film Festival, iRep Documentary Film Festival, Lagos International Poetry Festival, Lagos Book & Art Festival, Africa Film Trinidad & Tobago Festival, The Caribbean International Film Festival in LA, AfricaFest Film Festival and many others.

Island of Happiness

At the end of August, 2017, Nwelue announced through an article[19] that he had wrapped shoot of his new film, "Island of Happiness", adapted from his yet to be released novella[20][21].

The Beginning of Everything Colourful

After 7 years of publishing The Abyssinian Boy by DADA Books, Nwelue published his new novel, The Beginning of Everything Colourful[22]. It was quickly endorsed by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, when he appeared on The Onyeka Nwelue Show, aired on Linda Ikeji TV.

The novel tells the story of a Mexican musician and his conversation with a Japanese business man at the Doha International airport. It is narrated in Japanese. English and Spanglish.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are welcoming Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, who are visiting Japan as state guests, at the Imperial Palace, with Crown Prince Naruhito and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also attending a related event there. But there are two nameless people who are not happy with this visit - a Mexican musician, who hates the Spanish and a Japanese business man, who hates the Chinese. They meet at the Transit Lounge in Doha International Airport, waiting for their connecting flight to Tokyo and begin telling revealing stories, which take readers to Lille, Paris, New York, New Delhi, Lagos, Tel Aviv and down to Tokyo.

It is republished in Nigeria by Paressia, publishers of authors like Chika Unigwe, Helon Habila and many others.

The Spice Bazaar

The Spice Bazaar is the tale of an Indian couple, Anand and Abha, living in Lagos with their daughter, Aarti and their relationship with their Nigerian hosts. We are shown the humane side of the Indian community in Lagos in this witty, comical and ravishing drama of racial integration.

Nwelue announced on his Facebook that the film adaptation of the play, will be directed by Nigerian filmmaker and producer, Blessing 'Bondy' Onyekwere.

Evening Coffee with Arundhati Roy

Evening Coffee with Arundhati Roy is a collection of essays, reviews and interviews by 5 young Nigerian writers who admire Indian writer, Arundhati Roy, including Mitterand Okorie, David Ishaya Osu and others.

Roy invited Nwelue to her home in Delhi, after African students were mobbed in India.

84 Delicious Bottles of Wine for Wole Soyinka

Onyeka Nwelue and Odega Shawa edited an anthology to mark Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka's 84th birthday. There are over 60 poems from young poets celebrating this giant of African literature.

A Country of Extraordinary Ghosts

"Let us start from the beginning of this story, when God created the Heaven and the Earth. Shapeless earth; nothing was real. It looked deep. Like a well. A well with no water. Darker as it got deeper. Everything seemed ordinary. Its extraordinariness was brought about by the omnipotence of God. God solidified everything. He said, Let there be Light. Light came, shining like a young, excited virgin." At Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Yaba, a young patient tells his fellow patients and nurses and doctors his intriguing story. From Lagos, he transports his listeners to the Biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, leading them to Rome, where everything unveils.

A Country of Extraordinary Ghosts is a stunning narrative, that is shaped with magical realism. It explores mental health, politics, sexuality, religion and abuse in an uncanny way[23][24].

"Onyeka Nwelue has written a very powerful novel that you wouldn't want to ignore." - Ephraim Adiele, The Trent.

An Angel on the Piano

An Angel on the Piano was published on January 31st, 2020, by Griots Lounge. It's a collection of poems, written by Nwelue, while he was in prison in Rwanda.

Education and teaching

On his return from India, Nwelue got admitted into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to study Sociology & Anthropology. He went on to study Scriptwriting at the Asian School of Media Studies in Noida, India, after which he taught Film Directing at Center for Research in Art of Film & TV (CRAFT). He handled the Sandwich Class of the English Language Department of the University of Lagos while working as the editor of FilmAfrique, a primer on African film initiatives, published by Africa Film Academy, curators of the Africa Movie Academy Awards. He was offered a scholarship to study Directing at the Prague Film School in the Czech Republic.

In 2014, he was appointed a Visiting Lecturer of African Studies at the School of Modern Language and Culture, the University of Hong Kong, and later an assistant professor of African Studies at Instituto d'Amicis in Puebla, Mexico.

By January 2015, he was promoted as Visiting Fellow cum assistant professor of African Literature at the University of Manipur in Imphal, north east India.

Later career

Since the success of his novel, Nwelue has co-written the film Namaste Naija, directed by Teco Benson and shot in Hyderabad and Lagos and produced by Lilian Bach. He also co-created a short film, The Beginning of Everything Colourful, with British actor and model Dudley O'Shaughnessy.

In early 2012, Nwelue was signed to the Pontas Agency in Spain.

He founded Blues & Hills Consultancy, under which he manages voice-over artists and musician, Terrence Ugochukwu Odenigbo, popularly known as TerrytheVoice. Through Blues & Hills, he was featured on MTV Meets MTN with Ben Murray Bruce. Nwelue's firm organized the first ever Bayelsa Book & Craft Fair, where he served as the director. He also undertook to edit and publish FilmAfrique, a primer on African cinema, funded by the Africa Film Academy, curators of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).

Under Blues & Hills Consultancy, La Cave Musik was created and situates in Paris and Puebla, to serve as CEO/President.

At 27, Nwelue became the youngest jury member of any film festival, as part of the Woodpecker International Film Festival in India. He went on to later create The Italian-Nigerian Festival of Cultures, curating the Diplomatic Jazz Nights for the diplomatic community in Nigeria.

In August 2016, Nwelue's documentary film on Flora Nwapa, entitled The House of Nwapa, premiered in Harare, Zimbabwe.[25][26][27][28]

Controversy

Since publishing The Abyssinian Boy in 2009, Nwelue has spent most of his time speaking at different events and festivals and forums. He has courted controversy by describing Chinua Achebe's famous novel Things Fall Apart as the "worst book ever written by an African" and once said of Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka: "He writes very bad dialogue."[29] After being invited to the Man Hong Kong literary festival, Nwelue was denied a visa to Hong Kong, sparking media outcry, the alleged reason being the colour of his skin. The decision was reversed and he got a visa to attend the festival.

In 2017, Nwelue was brutalized by military men for trying to stop them from raping a sex worker[30]. A year later, Nwelue was arrested at the lobby of Onomo Hotel in Kigali and jailed for 8 days, for allegedly ‘publicly insulting’ Rwandan President, Paul Kagame on Twitter and RwandAir[31]. He was released after the intervention of former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo. Prior to his arrest, he was a Voluntary Lecturer at Kwetu Film Institute, founded by the filmmaker, Eric Kabera[32].

On December 24th, 2019, there was a protest in Abuja, against his book, A Country of Extraordinary Ghosts, with the protesters calling for the ban of the book.

He deleted his social media accounts in 2019, after being diagnosed of Bipolar Disorder and went into exile, to ‘focus on his writing and films.’

Accident

On 1st February 2018, a day after his 30th birthday[33], Onyeka was involved in a ghastly car accident, sustaining injuries to his lower back. He was confined to a wheelchair for two months, before using a walking aid.

See also

References
  1. "Onyeka Nwelue's Agwaetiti Obiụtọ: Pushing for Africa's socioeconomic and political emancipation". 16 October 2018. Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  2. "#LiterallyWhatsHot: What Defines Happiness in Onyeka Nwelue's "Island of Happiness?"". 18 April 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  3. "What Young Africans Are Writing - an Africa Crossroads event".
  4. https://www.independent.ng/ana-releases-shortlist-of-2018-literary-prizes/
  5. "As Violet Odiso 'SBC' Obiora Goes Home".
  6. "Is the next Nobel Laureate this 30 year old Nigerian maverick?".
  7. "Photos | Wole Soyinka Hosts Private Screening of Onyeka Nwelue's AMAAs-Nominated Film, Agwaetiti Obiụtọ". 4 September 2018. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  8. "Onyeka Nwelue: What Soyinka told me when I wanted to start making films". 29 October 2018. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  9. "Why I made a documentary on Flora Nwapa". 2 October 2016.
  10. "INTERVIEW: Why I'm Not married at 50 - Jahman Anikulapo - Premium Times Nigeria". 24 August 2013. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  11. "Fiction-Literary Fiction". 30 April 2020.
  12. Nnorom Azuonye (21 January 2009). "The Audacity of Wakefulness". Sentinel. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  13. Amina Alhassan (8 February 2014). "No full-time writer in Nigeria - Onyeka Nwelue". dailytrust.com.ng. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  14. Ebenezar Wikina (23 April 2015). "Writing Is Only for Children: My Stroll with Onyeka Nwelue". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  15. "Onyeka Nwelue: Nigerian Poetry is like Patrick Obaiagbon talking, you are fascinated by what he is saying but you do not understand what he is saying" Archived 27 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Sankofa Magazine. 18 February 2014.
  16. "Flora Nwapa and the house that Onyeka Nwelue built for her". Ikhide. 27 November 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  17. "Onyeka Nwelue releases documentary feature 'House on Nwapa' on Youtube". Linda Ikeji's Blog. 13 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  18. "AMAA 2017: Nollywood movies top nominations [Full list] - Daily Post Nigeria". Daily Post Nigeria. 16 May 2017. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  19. "Preying From Paris: Why Oguta Will Remain The Way It Is". Olisa Blogazine. 4 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  20. "#LiterallyWhatsHot: What Defines Happiness in Onyeka Nwelue's "Island of Happiness?"". 18 April 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  21. "Wole Soyinka hosts Onyeka Nwelue to a private screening of his movie 'Agwaetiti Obiụtọ' in celebration of his AMAA nominations". 4 September 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  22. "Award-winning Nigerian Writer & Filmmaker Onyeka Nwelue Shares Pictures to Celebrate the Release of his New Novel – the Beginning of Everything Colourful". 14 June 2017. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  23. "Onyeka Nwelue's a Country of Extraordinary Ghosts: An inconclusive Story Across Time". Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  24. "Book Review- A Country of Extraordinary Ghosts by Onyeka Nwelue". 5 September 2018. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  25. Wealth Ominabo Dickson, "INTERVIEW: Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” Is Not the Great African Novel – Onyeka Nwelue" Archived 30 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Premium Times, 18 August 2016.
  26. Cheta Igbokwe, "Onyeka Nwelue’s ‘House of Nwapa’ Documentary Film Premiers in Zimbabwe" Archived 29 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine, State Reporters, 28 August 2016.
  27. Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, "‘Why I made a documentary on Flora Nwapa’" Archived 24 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Trust, 2 October 2016.
  28. Ikhide R. Ikheloa, "Flora Nwapa and the house that Onyeka Nwelue built for her" Archived 29 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Ikhide blog, 27 November 2016.
  29. "The Dropout Professor, Articles - THISDAY LIVE". thisdaylive.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  30. "Military Brutality Against Nigerians: The Incident of Bonny Cantonment by Elias Ozikpu". 25 February 2017. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  31. "Rwandan government reacts to assault allegation leveled against its investigation Bureau by writer, Onyeka Nwelue". 6 November 2018. Archived from the original on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  32. "An evening with Nigerian writer Onyeka Nwelue". 11 June 2018. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  33. "A tale of 2 Onyekas and one birthday". 3 February 2018.

Further reading
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