Christopher Abani is a Nigerian author whose work is deeply informed by his experiences as a political prisoner and survivor of death row. His writing often explores themes of identity, resilience, and the complexities of the human spirit under duress. Through vivid prose and unflinching honesty, Abani crafts narratives that resonate with profound insight into the struggles and triumphs of the marginalized. His unique perspective offers readers a powerful lens through which to examine societal injustices and the enduring strength of humanity.
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 collection of poems by Chris Abani"-- Provided by publisher
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.
Chris Abanis Debütroman erzählt die Geschichte von Elvis Oke, einem Teenager, der im chaotischen, überquellenden und bunten Ghetto Maroko in Lagos, der Hauptstadt Nigerias, sein hartes Leben führt. Von amerikanischen Filmen, Büchern und Musik inspiriert, versucht sich Elvis, die Haut mit Schichten von Make-up weiß geschminkt, als Elvis-Presley-Imitator durchzuschlagen und ein paar Dollars von Touristen zu ergattern - stoisch, unermüdlich zu blechernen Radioklängen übend. Er hat zu kämpfen mit seinem gebrochenen Vater, der Stiefmutter und seinen Stiefgeschwistern und der Gewalt des täglichen Lebens unter einem brutalen Regime. Dann läßt sich Elvis, von ständigen Geldsorgen geplagt, zu einer Reise in Lagos' kriminelle Unterwelt überreden - beschützt vom "König der Bettler", einem rätselhaften und loyalen Freund. Vor dem Zugriff des Staates und der Inhaftierung kann er Elvis dennoch nicht bewahren. Elvis übersteht, wie Chris Abani selbst, die Haftzeit und die Folter, kann sich retten und seinen eigenen Weg nach "GraceLand" finden.