E.C. Osondu
Encyclopedia
E. C. Osondu is a Nigerian writer
known for his short stories
. His story "Waiting" won the 2009 Caine Prize
, for which he had been a finalist in 2007. Osondu's stories have been published in Agni
, Guernica
, Vice
, Fiction
, and The Atlantic. Voice of America, his debut collection of short stories was published in 2010.
In Nigeria
, Osondu was an advertising
copywriter. In 2008, he was a fellow at Syracuse University
in creative writing. In 2010, he is an assistant professor of English at Providence College
, teaching courses in creative writing, Introduction to Literature, and the Development of Western Civilization.
"Waiting," published in October 2008 by Guernica magazine
, describes life in a refugee camp
from a child's point of view. Meakin Armstrong, the magazine's fiction editor, noted that "it isn't pretentious nor rife with literary trickery. It's simply a well-told story about a kind of life most of us couldn't even begin to imagine." In addition to the £10,000 cash award, the Caine Prize also brought Osondu a month's residency at Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C.
Osondu's "Voice of America" is included in Gods and Soldiers: The Penguin
Anthology of Contemporary African Writing (2009).
Nigerian literature
Nigeria has produced many prolific writers. Many have won accolades for their writing abilities, including Daniel O. Fagunwa, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Femi Osofisan, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Cyprian Ekwensi, Buchi Emecheta, Elechi Amadi Ben Okri...
known for his short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
. His story "Waiting" won the 2009 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 which he had been a finalist in 2007. Osondu's stories have been published in Agni
AGNI (magazine)
AGNI is an American literary magazine that publishes poetry, fiction, essays, reviews, interviews, and artwork twice a year in print and biweekly online from its home at Boston University...
, Guernica
Guernica Magazine
Guernica / A Magazine of Art and Politics is a biweekly online site that publishes art and photography, fiction, and poetry, from around the world, along with nonfiction such as letters from abroad, investigative pieces and opinion pieces on international affairs and U.S. domestic policy...
, Vice
Vice (magazine)
VICE is a free magazine and media conglomerate founded in Montreal, Quebec and currently based in New York City.Vice is available in 27 countries...
, Fiction
Fiction Magazine
Fiction is a literary magazine founded in 1972 by Mark Jay Mirsky, Donald Barthelme, and Max Frisch. It is published by the City College of New York....
, and The Atlantic. Voice of America, his debut collection of short stories was published in 2010.
In Nigeria
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...
, Osondu was an advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
copywriter. In 2008, he was a fellow at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in creative writing. In 2010, he is an assistant professor of English at Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
, teaching courses in creative writing, Introduction to Literature, and the Development of Western Civilization.
"Waiting," published in October 2008 by Guernica magazine
Guernica Magazine
Guernica / A Magazine of Art and Politics is a biweekly online site that publishes art and photography, fiction, and poetry, from around the world, along with nonfiction such as letters from abroad, investigative pieces and opinion pieces on international affairs and U.S. domestic policy...
, describes life in a refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
from a child's point of view. Meakin Armstrong, the magazine's fiction editor, noted that "it isn't pretentious nor rife with literary trickery. It's simply a well-told story about a kind of life most of us couldn't even begin to imagine." In addition to the £10,000 cash award, the Caine Prize also brought Osondu a month's residency at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Osondu's "Voice of America" is included in Gods and Soldiers: The Penguin
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
Anthology of Contemporary African Writing (2009).
External links
- Review of Voice of America
- Text of "Waiting"
- Text of "A Letter from Home" at AGNIonline
- Interview with E.C. Osondu by Temitayo Olofinlua at Bella Naija
- BBC interview with Osondu by Molara Wood at http://www.bbc.co.uk/africabeyond/africanarts/19163.shtml Africa BeyondAfrica BeyondAfrica Beyond is a project celebrating African arts and culture in the UK, supported by Arts Council England, the British Broadcasting Corporation, the British Museum, the Southbank Centre, iniva and other partners....
: Celebrating African Arts in the UK] - Guernica fiction editor Meakin Armstrong on Osondu's award