Yemisi Aribisala

Yemisi Aribisala (born 27 April 1973) is a Nigerian essayist, writer, painter, and food memoirist. She has been described as having a "fearless, witty, and unapologetic voice", and was named by Sarah Ladipo Manyika as one of seven bold and new international voices.[1]

Yemisi Aribisala
Aribisala
Born
Yẹ́misí Aríbisálà

(1973-04-27)27 April 1973
Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
EducationUniversity of Wolverhampton, University of Wales
OccupationWriter

Aribisala is renowned for her work in documenting Nigerian food as an entry point to thinking and understanding the culture and society. Her first book, Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex, and the Nigerian Taste Buds, won the John Avery Prize at the André Simon Book Awards 2016.[2][3]

She currently lives in Cape Town, South Africa, with her children.[4][5]

Life and career

Aribisala attended the University of Wolverhampton, England, where she obtained a law degree in 1995. She subsequently earned a master's degree in Legal Aspects of Maritime Affairs and International Transport from the University of Wales, Cardiff, in 1997.

Writing

She was the founding editor of the trailblazing Nigerian literary and culture publication Farafina Magazine.

From 2009 to 2011, she was the food columnist at the now-defunct, groundbreaking 234Next newspaper, where she first gained public attention, writing under the name "Yẹ́misí Ogbe". She regularly contributes to literary publications, including the Chimurenga Chronicle, the avant-garde culture newspaper.

Works

Longthroat Memoirs

On 31 October 2016, Aribisala's debut book of essays was published by Cassava Republic Press in Nigeria. It was titled Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex, and the Nigerian Taste Buds, a collection of essays exploring "the cultural politics and erotics of Nigerian cuisine".[6] It has been well received.

Of her work the following has been said: "It is difficult to translate senses through words, but Aribisala manages to communicate the tastes, tickles and aromas of various African spices and ingredients wonderfully."[7] The book has been described as "part straight cookbook, part cultural history, part travelogue, part intimate confessional, it's as complex and mysterious as one of the Nigerian soups Aribisala describes so evocatively in its pages"[8] and a work "that carries the weight of so much cultural and literary burden, and manages to discharge it with grace and style."[9] "[S]he joins thinkers like Chinua Achebe in rejecting the stereotype of the African writer as a mere storyteller, not a thinker."[10]

She has been compared to writers such as Aminatta Forna and Binyavanga Wainaina who "play with the ontology of the 21st century African memoir, and oscillate between the deeply personal and the distinctly political"; a book that is a "mouth-watering appraisal of the cultural politics and erotics of Nigerian cuisine".[11] The pages [of her book] sing with her clever, beautiful prose and sharp eye.[12] It is a work "redolent with spice, rippling with humour and sexual innuendo, her memoirs conjure up fantasies that can only be satisfied by reading another chapter." [13]

The cover image was designed by UK-based artist Lynn Hatzius, who said that her intention with the cover artwork was "to show how food culture is an ingrained part of us... I wanted the cover image to convey the joy of this and to invite the reader into Yemisi Aribisala's own celebration of food."[14]

Prizes and honours
"The pestle and mortar, tools of subjugation? Not by any stretch of the cultural imagination." [15]

In January 2017, Aribisala's debut book Longthroat Memoirs won the John Avery Prize at the André Simon Book Awards 2016.[2][3]

In March 2017, Aribisala was listed as one of the 100 inspiring women in Nigeria in 2017.[16]

On 13 February 2018, Longthroat Memoirs: Soups Sex & Nigerian Taste Buds was shortlisted for the 2018 Art of Eating Prize. https://artofeating.com/prize/short-list/

In the May 2018 Gourmands World Cookbook Awards, Longthroat Memoirs: Soups Sex & Nigerian Taste Buds won second place in the category of Best in the World in African Cuisine.

Selected writings
  • "The Girls Who Fainted at the Sight of an Egg" (January 2018)[17] in The New Yorker
  • "Sister Outsider" (April 2016)[18] at The Chimurenga Chronic
  • "Nigeria's New Feminism – Say-You-Are-One-Of-Us-Or-Else" (October 2016)[19] at KTravula
  • "Mother Hunger" (November 2015)[20] on Medium
  • "Fish Soup as Love Potions"[21] at The Chimurenga Chronic
  • "Nollywood Kiss"[22] (2011) at The Chimurenga Chronic
  • "Giving It All Away in English" (March 2015)[23] at The Chimurenga Chronic
  • "High Heeled Fork" (December 2015)[24] on Medium
  • "Birthing The American" (December 2013)[25] at The Chimurenga Chronic
  • "Americanah And Other Definitions of Supple Citizenships"'
  • "Nigeria's Superstar Men of God" (April 2013) [26] at The Chimurenga Chronic
  • "Why I Write So Slowly" (September 2013)[27] at Cassava Republic Press
  • "Nigeria and a Culture of Disrespect" (August 2012)[28] at Ikhide Ikheloa's blog
  • "That Guy No Be Ordinary" (April 2016)[29] at Chimurenga Chronic

Notable interviews/excerpts/reviews
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References
  1. "Sarah Ladipo Manyika's Seven Bold And New International Voices". Vela. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  2. "Yemisi Aribisala becomes first black African to win John Avery award". TheCable Lifestyle. January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  3. "2015 Andre Simon Book Awards – the annual awards for food and drink books". www.andresimon.co.uk. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  4. Michael Banjo, "‘Yemisi’s witty writing will transport you into the fantastic universe of Nigerian food and culture", African Cuisine Magazine, 2 November 2016.
  5. Maria Tumolo, "An interview with Yemisi Aribisala author of ‘Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds’", The Tiger Tales, 30 November 2016.
  6. Fick, Maggie (November 27, 2016). "Publisher's expansion brings Nigerian writers to world stage". Financial Times. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  7. Stier, Jordan (October 30, 2015). "Reading like a writer: An annotated reading list". Stier of the Nation. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  8. "In Praise of Longthroat Memoirs: Meeting the Person of Nigerian Food – Marta Maretich". martamaretich.com. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  9. "A Book for the Tasting - Village Factor". villagefactor.com. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  10. Pa Ikhide (February 5, 2017). "Nigeria is not a country: Of ogbono, snails, sex, eccles, and hell's longing". Ikhide. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  11. Goyal, Sana (February 17, 2017). "Africa, not a single story". livemint.com. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  12. "Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds". Pen & Spoon. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  13. Morrow, Madeleine (May 11, 2017). "BOOK REVIEW: Hearty and hilarious taste of Nigerian life". BusinessDay. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  14. Caine, Banke (October 28, 2016). "Yemisi Aribisala's 'Longthroat Memoirs' A Book About Soups, Sex And Nigerian Taste Buds". Farabale Weekly. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  15. "How to Wear a Kitchen | The Chimurenga Chronic". chimurengachronic.co.za. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  16. "Amina Mohammed, Mo Abudu, Somkele Idhalama & more! YNaija.com and Leading Ladies Africa present the 100 most inspiring women in Nigeria - YNaija". YNaija. March 8, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  17. Aribisala, Yemisi (January 2, 2018). "The Girls Who Fainted at the Sight of an Egg". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  18. "Sister Outsider | The Chimurenga Chronic". chimurengachronic.co.za. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  19. "Nigeria's New Feminism – Say-You-Are-One-Of-Us-Or-Else". ktravula – a travelogue!. October 13, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  20. Aribisala, Yemisi (November 7, 2015). "Mother Hunger". Medium. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  21. "Fish Soup As Love Potions | The Chimurenga Chronic". chimurengachronic.co.za. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  22. "Nollywood Kiss". PowerMoneySex. June 11, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  23. "Giving It All Away in English | The Chimurenga Chronic". chimurengachronic.co.za. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  24. Aribisala, Yemisi (December 15, 2015). "High Heeled Fork – General Writing: Idea, Thinking, Opinion". Medium. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  25. "Birthing the American | The Chimurenga Chronic". chimurengachronic.co.za. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  26. "Nigeria's Superstar Men of God | The Chimurenga Chronic". chimurengachronic.co.za. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  27. "Cassava Republic Press – Why I Write So Slowly, by Yemisi Ogbe". www.cassavarepublic.biz. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  28. "Guest Blog: Yemisi Ogbe on Nigeria and a culture of disrespect". Ikhide. August 23, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  29. ""That Guy No Be Ordinary" | The Chimurenga Chronic". chimurengachronic.co.za. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  30. "'My repression is as legitimate as your freedom': A Conversation with Yẹ́misí Aríbisálà". AfricanWriter.com. February 20, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  31. Aribisala, Yemisi (February 4, 2017). "'People try to squeeze Nigerian food into an all-encompassing African label'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  32. "The Gannet Q&A: Yemisi Aribisala". The Gannet. March 16, 2017. Retrieved March 16, 2017.
  33. ""Words move more deliberately than visual images." An Interview with Yemisi Aribisala". Short Story Day Africa. April 19, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  34. "Calabar Winch | The Chimurenga Chronic". chimurengachronic.co.za. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  35. "A Book for the Tasting". Village Factor. January 21, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
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