Helon Habila
Encyclopedia
Helon Habila is a Nigeria
n novelist and poet. He won the Caine Prize
for African fiction (short story) in 2001, and the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Best First Book, Africa Region) in 2003.
He studied at the University of Jos
and at the University of East Anglia
and now teaches creative writing at George Mason University
, Washington D.C.
Habila is a founding member and currently (as of 2011) serves on the advisory board of African Writers Trust
, "a non-profit entity which seeks to coordinate and bring together African writers in the Diaspora and writers on the continent to promote sharing of skills and other resources, and to foster knowledge and learning between the two groups."
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n novelist and poet. He won the Caine Prize
Caine Prize
The Caine Prize for African Writing is an annual literary award for the best original short story by an African writer, whether in Africa or elsewhere, published in the English language. The £10,000 prize was founded in the United Kingdom in 2000, and was named in memory of the late Sir Michael...
for African fiction (short story) in 2001, and the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Best First Book, Africa Region) in 2003.
He studied at the University of Jos
University of Jos
The University of Jos, abbreviated as Unijos, is a federal university in Jos, Plateau State, central Nigeria. The school offers courses in law, medicine, pharmacy, natural sciences, social sciences, the built environment as well as arts and humanities....
and at the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
and now teaches creative writing at George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
, Washington D.C.
Habila is a founding member and currently (as of 2011) serves on the advisory board of African Writers Trust
African Writers Trust
African Writers Trust was established in 2009 as "a non-profit entity which seeks to coordinate and bring together African writers in the Diaspora and writers on the continent to promote sharing of skills and other resources, and to foster knowledge and learning between the two groups."The current...
, "a non-profit entity which seeks to coordinate and bring together African writers in the Diaspora and writers on the continent to promote sharing of skills and other resources, and to foster knowledge and learning between the two groups."
Books
- Waiting for an Angel: A Novel, (2004) Penguin Books, ISBN 0-14-101006-1
- New Writing 14, (2006) Granta Books. (co-edited with Lavinia Greenlaw).
- Measuring Time: A Novel, (2007) W. W. Norton, ISBN 0-393-05251-6 - reviewed at http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2009449,00.html
- Dreams, Miracles, and Jazz: An Anthology of New Africa Fiction, (2007), Pan Macmillan. (co-edited with Kadija George)
- Oil on Water: A Novel (2010) Hamish Hamilton, ISBN 978-0-241-14486-2
- The Granta Book of the African Short Story (2011) Granta, ISBN-10: 1847082475; ISBN-13: 978-1847082473
Further reading
- Writing Africa, panel held at Bard CollegeBard CollegeBard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
with Chinua AchebeChinua AchebeAlbert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe popularly known as Chinua Achebe is a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic...
, Kofi AnyidohoKofi AnyidohoKofi Anyidoho is a Ghanaian poet and academic who comes from a family tradition of Ewe poets and oral artists. He was educated in Ghana and the U.S., gaining his Ph.D. at the University of Texas...
, Emmanuel DongalaEmmanuel DongalaEmmanuel Boundzéki Dongala is a Congolese chemist and novelist. He is currently Richard B. Fisher Chair in Natural Sciences at Bard College at Simon's Rock....
, Helon Habila and Caryl PhillipsCaryl PhillipsCaryl Phillips is a British writer with a Caribbean background, best known as a novelist. He is now professor at Yale University and a visiting professor at Barnard College of Columbia University.-Life:...
, 2006, accessed at http://www.bard.edu/alumni/publications/bardians/2006spr/writing_africa.pdf