Born in 1945 in Baidoa, Somalia, Nurrudin Farah is recognized as one of Africa’s most influential authors. Farah grew up in Kallafo, in the Somali-speaking Ogaden region of Ethiopia.
Goretti Kyomuhendo
January 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Since her first book came out in 1996, Goretti Kyomuhendo has emerged as one of the foremost female writers from Uganda. “Secrets no More”, her second book which came out in 1999, won first prize from the National Book Trust of Uganda the same year.
Damon Galgut
December 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
When he was six years old, Galgut was diagnosed with cancer, a trauma which he has described as “the central, cataclysmic event of my life”. He fell very ill, and spent long stretches of his childhood in hospital. His love of storytelling developed at this time as he lay convalescing in his hospital bed, listening to relatives reading stories to him.
Sefi Atta
December 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Born in 1964 in Nigeria,Sefi Atta grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, where she attended Queen’s College from 1974 to 1978, before moving to boarding school in England. She graduated with a business degree from Birmingham University in 1985 and trained as an accountant in London from 1988 to 1991.
Wole Soyinka
November 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Born in 1934 at Abeokuta, near Ibadan in western Nigeria, Wole Soyinka attended school first in Nigeria and later in the United Kingdom, where he spent several years, working at the Royal Court Theatre in London. He returned to Nigeria in 1960, where for many years he has taught drama and literature at various universities.
Nadine Gordimer
November 23, 2010 By 1 Comment
Gordimer published her first story at the age of thirteen. In 1951, her short story “A Watcher of the Dead” was accepted by the New Yorker, opening her work to an international audience. Her first novel, “The Lying Days” came out in 1953, and she has gone on to enjoy a productive career, writing over 25 works…
Nii Ayikwei Parkes
October 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Nii Ayikwei Parkes is a Ghanaian writer and poet who divides his time between his native Ghana and the United Kingdom. He writes in English, French and his native Ga. His first book, Tail of the Blue Bird came out in 2009 and was shortlisted for the 2010 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize.
John Maxwell Coetzee
October 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Born in 1940, John Maxwell Coetzee grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, where he attended St. Joseph’s College, and later studied mathematics and English at the University of Cape Town. He received his Bachelor of Arts with Honours in English in 1960 and his Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Mathematics in 1961.
William T. Muhairwe
August 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Dr. William T. Muhairwe did his high school at Ntare School in Western Uganda, before moving to Germany, where he completed his Bachelors, Masters and PhD in business management. After his PhD, he joined a German company, Wacker Chemie GmbH (Ltd), where he worked as a corporate controller.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
August 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Without doubt, the greatest writer to emerge from his native Kenya, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is outstanding both for the number of books he has written and the enduring quality of his writing.
