28-year-old Nigerian writer, Arinze Ifeakandu, has won the £20,000 (N11.5m) Swansea University Dylan Thomas prize for a “kaleidoscopic reflection of queer life and love in Nigeria”.
The prize is one of the most prestigious awards for young writers. It recognises literary works by authors aged 39 or under.
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Arinze Ifeakandu won the 2023 Dylan Thomas prize for his debut short story collection, ‘God’s Children Are Little Broken Things’, which features nine stories that examine queer love, family and loneliness against the backdrop of Nigerian society.
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The story collection also received the Republic of Consciousness prize for the United States and Canada in 2022, as well as the Story prize Spotlight award.
Ifeakandu was born in Kano, Nigeria and he is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
Congratulations to him!