Christopher Abani is een Nigeriaanse auteur wiens werk diepgaand wordt beïnvloed door zijn ervaringen als politieke gevangene en overlevende van de dodencel. Zijn schrijven verkent vaak thema's als identiteit, veerkracht en de complexiteit van de menselijke geest onder druk. Door levendige proza en onverschrokken eerlijkheid creëert Abani verhalen die resoneren met diep inzicht in de strijd en triomfen van de gemarginaliseerden. Zijn unieke perspectief biedt lezers een krachtige lens om maatschappelijke onrechtvaardigheden en de blijvende kracht van de mensheid te onderzoeken.
Imaginative and witty, this poetry collection showcases a vibrant energy and a profound beauty of expression, drawing on themes from contemporary life, history, and art. The poems range from meditative to narrative, often highlighting extreme situations where compassion and individual determination prevail. Notable works include "Daphne's Lot," which delves into the life of an Englishwoman during the Nigerian civil war, and "Buffalo Women," an epistolary sequence exploring love amid the American Civil War. Through irony and empathy, the collection presents characters in conflict with their societies.
A collection of poems detailing the harrowing experiences endured by Chris
Abani and others at the hands of Nigeria's military regime in the late 1980s.
In the poems, Abani describes the characters that people the dark world of the
prison cells, from the inmates to their torturers, the generals. schovat popis
The collection delves into the themes of disempowerment and power through a series of poignant and complex poems. The poet reconstructs his feminized identities, showcasing a spectrum of emotions from outrage to compassion. The voices of women throughout the work resonate with authenticity as they express their struggles and resilience, navigating the challenges of their worlds. With its lyrical depth and emotional range, this collection stands out as a significant contribution to contemporary poetry, offering a bold exploration of human experience.
Nigerian-born author and poet Chris Abani gives a profound and gorgeously wrought short memoir that navigates the stories written upon his own face. Beginning with his early childhood immersed in the lgbo culture of West Africa, Abani unfurls a lushly poetic, insightful, and funny narrative that investigates the roles that race, culture, and language play in fashioning our sense of self
A gritty, riveting, and wholly original murder mystery from PEN/Hemingway Award-winning author and 2015 Edgar Awards winner Chris Abani Before he can retire, Las Vegas detective Salazar is determined to solve a recent spate of murders. When he encounters a pair of conjoined twins with a container of blood near their car, he’s sure he has apprehended the killers, and enlists the help of Dr. Sunil Singh, a South African transplant who specializes in the study of psychopaths. As Sunil tries to crack the twins, the implications of his research grow darker. Haunted by his betrayal of loved ones back home during apartheid, he seeks solace in the love of Asia, a prostitute with hopes of escaping that life. But Sunil’s own troubled past is fast on his heels in the form of a would-be assassin. Suspenseful through the last page, The Secret History of Las Vegas is Chris Abani’s most accomplished work to date, with his trademark visionary prose and a striking compassion for the inner lives of outsiders.
Focusing on the maturation of a young Englishwoman, the poems explore her deep connections to family, husband, and her adopted country, Nigeria. The narrative intertwines personal growth with themes of identity and resilience, illuminating the narrator's soul amidst the backdrop of political turmoil and war. This poignant collection evokes both sorrow and wonder, offering a profound reflection on the power of individual will and imagination in the face of chaos, making it a relevant and instructive tale for contemporary readers.
Chris Abani’s fourth poetry collection, Hands Washing Water, is a mischievous book of displacement, exile, ancestry, and subversive humor. The central section, “Buffalo Women,” is a Civil War correspondence between lovers that plays on our assumptions about war, gender, morality, and politics. Abani’s writing is ruthless, boldly engages with trauma, and is filled with surprising twists and turns.
Trained as a human mine detector, My Luck, a boy soldier in West Africa
witnesses and takes part in unspeakable brutality. At 12 his vocal cords are
cut to prevent him from screaming and giving away his platoon's presence,
should he be blown up.
This novel is set in Maroko, a sprawling, swampy, crazy and colorful ghetto of Lagos, Nigeria, and unfolds against a backdrop of lush reggae and highlife music, American movies and a harsh urban existence. Elvis Oke, a teenage Elvis impersonator spurred on by the triumphs of heroes in the American movies and books he devours, pursues his chosen vocation with ardent single-mindedness. He suffers through hours of practice set to the tinny tunes emanating from the radio in the filthy shack he shares with his alcoholic father, his stepmother and his stepsiblings. He applies thick makeup that turns his black skin white, to make his performances more convincing for American tourists and hopefully net him dollars. But still he finds himself constantly broke. Beset by hopelessness and daunted by the squalor and violence of his daily life, he must finally abandon his dream.With job prospects few and far between. Elvis is tempted to a life of crime by the easy money his friend Redemption tells him is to be had in Lago's underworld. But the King of the Beggars, Elvis's enigmatic yet faithful adviser, intercedes. And so, torn by the frustration of unrealizable dreams and accompanied by an eclectic chorus of voices, Elvis must find a way to a Graceland of his own making.Graceland is the story of a son and his father, and an examination of postcolonial Nigeria, where the trappings of American culture reign supreme.
