Table of Contents
Profession
Chris Abani is a renowned novelist, poet, essayist, playwright, professor, and publisher. His multidisciplinary career bridges literature, academia, and activism, with his work often addressing themes of identity, human rights, exile, and postcolonial consciousness.
He is currently a Board of Trustees Professor of English and the Director of the Program of African Studies at Northwestern University in the United States. Abani is also the founding editor of the Black Goat poetry series, an imprint of Akashic Books, where he nurtures and publishes emerging poetic voices from around the world.
Imprisonment and Political Persecution
Abani’s literary career began early—he started writing stories at age six and published his first piece of fiction at ten. By sixteen, he had written his first novel, Masters of the Board (1984), a political thriller in which an ex-Nazi plots a coup in Nigeria.
This fictional work landed Abani in serious trouble. When a real-life coup attempt was uncovered in 1985, Nigerian authorities found a copy of Masters of the Board in the possession of General Mamman Vatsa, the accused conspirator. The regime of General Ibrahim Babangida interpreted the novel as a seditious text and arrested Abani. He spent six months in prison, despite being only a teenager.
Following his release, he continued writing. His next novel, Sirocco (1987), led to a second imprisonment, this time at the infamous Kiri Kiri prison, where he was tortured and held for over a year.
Unbowed, Abani began creating anti-government plays, which he and others performed in public spaces near government buildings. His fearless activism led to a third arrest, and he was sentenced to death. Friends intervened by bribing officials, securing his release in 1991. Immediately after, Abani and his family fled Nigeria, settling in London, where they lived in exile until 1999.
Education
- B.A. in English and Literary Studies – Imo State University, Nigeria
- M.A. in Gender and Culture – Birkbeck, University of London
- M.A. in English – University of Southern California
- Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature – University of Southern California
His academic background combines literary theory, postcolonial critique, gender studies, and creative writing, all of which contribute to the complexity and depth of his work.
Literary Career and Major Works
Chris Abani is a prolific and boundary-breaking author whose work spans multiple genres: novels, poetry, essays, memoirs, and plays. His writing is marked by themes of trauma, exile, identity, spirituality, and redemption. Abani often weaves in elements of Igbo culture, ritual, and language, reflecting his personal history and cultural inheritance.
Novels
- Masters of the Board (1984)
- GraceLand (2004)
- Becoming Abigail (2006)
- The Virgin of Flames (2007)
- Song for Night (2007)
- The Secret History of Las Vegas (2014) – Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award
Poetry Collections
- Kalakuta Republic (2000)
- Daphne’s Lot (2003)
- Hands Washing Water (2006)
- Sanctificum (2010) – A fusion of liturgical poetry, reggae rhythm, and Igbo spirituality
- There Are No Names for Red (2010)
Drama
His early anti-regime street plays remain a crucial part of his legacy, although most are unpublished.
His poetry and fiction have been widely translated and have appeared in journals such as Blackbird, as well as in anthologies of world literature.
Academic and Publishing Roles
From 2007 to 2012, Abani served as a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside. He is currently a Board of Trustees Professor of English at Northwestern University in Illinois and serves as the Director of the Program of African Studies, where he mentors a new generation of African and diaspora scholars.
He also founded the Black Goat poetry series, an imprint of Akashic Books in New York, which publishes innovative and diverse voices in poetry. Writers published under this imprint include:
- Kwame Dawes
- Uche Nduka
- Percival Everett
- Kate Durbin
- Gabriela Jauregui
- Khadijah Queen
Awards and Recognition
Chris Abani has received international acclaim for his bravery, artistry, and literary excellence. His awards and honors include:
- PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award
- Prince Claus Award (2001)
- Lannan Literary Fellowship
- California Book Award
- Hurston/Wright Legacy Award
- PEN/Hemingway Book Prize
- Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original (2015)
International Influence
In 2016, Abani’s work reached a new audience with the Hebrew-language collection Shi’ur Geografia (“Geography Lesson”), published by Ra’av, a small independent publishing house in Israel. Edited by Noga Shevach and Eran Tzelgov, the collection received critical acclaim and marked Abani’s growing reputation as a global literary figure.
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