Teju Cole is a writer, art historian, street photographer, Distinguished Writer in Residence at Bard College.

He was born in the US (1975) to Nigerian parents, raised in Nigeria and now lives in Brooklyn.  He is the author of two books, a novella, Every Day is for the Thief, and a novel, Open City.

-   Contributor to New York Times, New Yorker, Qarrtsiluni, the Atlantic, Granta, Aperture, Transition, A Public Space, New Inquiry

-   Currently at work on a book-length non-fiction narrative of Lagos, and on a Twitter project called #smallfates. Which has received a lot of attention

-   Avid street photographer

Books

Every Day is for the Thief (Cassava Republic, 2007)

A novella with photographs. It is the story of a young Nigerian, who returns to his hometown after many years in the diaspora. Cole focuses on his hero’s quest for an identity, and in doing so paints a picture of the transformation the country is currently undergoing.

Open City (Random House, 2012)

Along the streets of Manhattan, a young Nigerian doctor named Julius wanders, reflecting on his relationships, his recent breakup with his girlfriend, his present, his past. He encounters people from different cultures and classes who will provide insight on his journey—which takes him to Brussels, to the Nigeria of his youth, and into the most unrecognizable facets of his own soul. 

Working on third book, a non-fictional narrative of contemporary Lagos. The biggest city in Africa is the fastest growing metropolis of the world, and for Cole one of the »most complex, exiting and interesting« places that exist. The literary documentation is based on the author’s own experiences and conversations with the citizens. Cole turns findings from his urban investigation also into miniature stories, which are no longer than a twitter tweet.

Photography

Exhibition of his photographs in Goa in December 2012, and one in April in New York 2013.

A selection of photos (always being updated) can be seen on Flickr. As part of his photographic practice, he has  a running commentary on photography, poetry, and life on Twitter.

Awards:

Open City: PEN/Hemingway Award, the New York City Book Award for Fiction, Rosenthal Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the New York Public Library Young Lions Award, and the Ondaatje Prize of the Royal Society of Literature.

More of Teju Cole

Small Fates:

The Project #Smallfates.

The New Yorker on #Smallfates.

The New Inquiry on #Smallfates.

Others

8 letters to a young writer

Teju Cole’s Flickr stream of his street photography

Article on mob justice in Nigeria

Provocative article on Kony 2012

Teju Cole tweets about the ‘banality of sentimentality’

About twitter fiction festival

Film interview about movies that have impacted his life

Article about meeting VS Naipul

Article about his twitter feed on drones, re-writing open lines of famous books

Podcast of a ‘Room for London’

‘Blind Spot’ – Story published in Granta Magazine

Teju Cole on winning the PEN Hemmingway Award

Condensed News on #Smallfates

12 essays TC wrote in 2012

TEJU Cole on twitter: @tejucole 

Alexander Nderitu is a Kenyan novelist, poet and scriptwriter.

In 2001, he became Africa’s first ‘digital novelist’ with the Internet publication of his signature thriller, When the Whirlwind Passes.

He has since written a short story collection (Kiss, Commander, Promise), a solo poetry anthology (The Moon is Made of Green Cheese) and numerous stage plays including Hannah and the Angel, which won a Theatre Company prize, andThe Smartest Guy in the Boardroom which is currently being converted into a TV sitcom by production house Charm Concepts.

Nderitu is currently the Deputy Secretary-General of International PEN’s Kenya Centre.

His literature is available in English and Japanese.

Years active: 2001 – Present

Genre(s): Poetry, Fiction (Crime, suspense)

Influences: William Shakespeare, John Milton, S.J.Perelman, Len Deighton, Le Carre, James Hardley Chase, Adam Hall et al

Awards:

In 2004, he was nominated for the Douglas Coupland Short Story Award for his despairing spy story, Life as a Flower. In the Spring of 2007, Life as a Flower was included in the Reading Section of an assessment exam in Pennsylvania, USA.

In late 2007, Nderitu won a Theatre Company prize for his humorous stage play, Hannah and the Angel.

More About Alexander Nderitu

Alexander Nderitu on Twitter

Alexander Nderitu on Facebook

Atinuke is a Nigerian storyteller. She draws upon her recent ancestry from Yoruba land, England and Wales, and more ancient origins of Spain, Portugal and China, to tell stories from both the world of folktales and contemporary life. She lives in Wales with her husband and two sons. Anna Hibiscus is her first title for Walker Books.

Nigerian-born Atinuke’s two children’s series are set in Africa, Amazing Africa.

-          The “Anna Hibiscus” books are about a little girl growing up in a modern African city.

-          “The No.1 Car Spotter” series is about a village boy who does not even go to school.

Atinuke reduces live audiences of all ages to both laughter and tears with traditional tales from Africa and the African Diaspora. She is a passionate storyteller, passionate about the oral tradition, and about the wisdom of ancient African stories.

Awards

Since her first book was published 6 years ago they have won prestigious awards in both the UK and the US (such as Globe-Horn Honor Book, Notable Book For a Global Society and the Africana Award.)