Individual Listing

4153 CHASS INT SOUTH
University of California
Riverside, CA 92521

Abani, Christopher U

Professor of Creative Writing

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Creative Writing


Biography

Chris Abani's prose includes the novels The Virgin of Flames (Penguin, 2007) GraceLand (FSG, 2004/Picador 2005), Masters of the Board (Delta, 1985) and the novellas, Becoming Abigail (Akashic, 2006) and Song For Night (Akashic, 2007). His poetry collections are Hands Washing Water (Copper Canyon, 2006), Dog Woman (Red Hen, 2004), Daphne's Lot (Red Hen, 2003), and Kalakuta Republic (Saqi, 2001). He is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Riverside and the recipient of the PEN USA Freedom-to-Write Award, the Prince Claus Award, a Lannan Literary Fellowship, a California Book Award, a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award & the PEN Hemingway Book Prize.

Former Institution

Antioch University

Degrees

Ph.D. Literature and Creative Writing 2004

University of Southern California

M.A. English 2002

University of Southern California

M.A. Gender, Society, and Culture 1995

Birkbeck College

B.A. English and Literary Studies 1991

Imo State University

Awards

2008 Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
2007 PEN American Center, Beyond Margins Award.
2007 New York Libraries, Books for Teens Selection
2007 New York Times, Editor's Choice.
2007 Pushcart Press, nomination.
2007 Barnes and Noble, Discovery Selection
2007 PEN American Center, Beyond Margins Award.
2006 Pushcart Press , nomination
2006 Black Expressions Book Club.
2006 IMPAC, Dublin Literary Award finalist.
2006 New York Times, Editor's Choice.
2006 Essence Magazine, Book Club Selection.
2002 Imbongi Ysizwe Poetry International Award. South Africa.
2001 PEN Center USA West International Freedom-to-Write Award. USA.
2001 Prince Claus of the Netherlands International Writing Award. The Netherlands.


Research Area

Poetics and Poetry, Creative Writing, Postcolonial Literature (African and Caribbean), Twentieth Century Literature (British and American), Gender Studies, Jazz and West African Music.

Publications

Books

Poetry:

Dog Woman. Red Hen Press, California, USA. Fall 2004.
Maar mijn hart is onvergankelijk (My Heart Is Unending): Selected Poems (In Bilingual English-Dutch translation) Wagner & Van Sauten, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 2003.
Daphne's Lot. Red Hen Press, California, USA. 2003.
Kalakuta Republic.Saqi Books, London, UK. 2000.

Novels:

Graceland. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, USA. 2004.
Masters of the Board. Delta, Nigeria. 1985.

Plays

The Poet, The Soldier, The Lover and The Paper-Kite Maker. Commissioned by The Kennedy Foundation as a play for young adults and staged at The Actor's Gang, Hollywood. Written and directed by Chris Abani. Co-director, Antonia Carneval. 2003.

Song of a Broken Flute. Commissioned by Center for Igbo Studies, Imo State University, Nigeria. Written and Directed by Chris Abani. 1990.


Room at the Top. Imo State Broadcasting Station (Television), Nigeria. Written by Chris Abani. 1985.