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Edition 5 (2018) Winner
Ayobami Adebayo
アヨバミ・アデバヨ
Ayobami Adebayo
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1988-01-29 （Lagos, Nigeria）
- Nationality
- Nigeria
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Lagos (born) → Ilesa (childhood) → Ile-Ife (grew up near Obafemi Awolowo University) → United Kingdom (study/residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Novelist
- Active Years
- 2010-
- Influenced By
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Margaret Atwood
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obafemi Awolowo University | — | Literature in English | BA, MA (Literature in English) | — | Nigeria |
| University of East Anglia | — | Creative Writing (Prose fiction) | MA (Creative Writing) | — | United Kingdom |
Obafemi Awolowo University
Literature in English
Degree:
BA, MA (Literature in English)
Country:
Nigeria
Holds BA and MA in Literature in English
University of East Anglia
Creative Writing (Prose fiction)
Degree:
MA (Creative Writing)
Country:
United Kingdom
Awarded an International Bursary
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The Future Awards Africa (Arts & Culture) | — | — | The Future Awards Africa | Winner |
| 2019 | 9mobile Prize for Literature | Stay With Me | — | 9mobile Prize for Literature | Winner |
| 2020 | Prix Les Afriques | Reste avec moi (French translation of Stay With Me) | — | Prix Les Afriques | Winner |
| 2023 | Booker Prize (Longlisted) | A Spell of Good Things | — | Booker Prize | Longlisted |
| 2024 | Dylan Thomas Prize (Shortlisted) | A Spell of Good Things | — | Dylan Thomas Prize | Shortlisted |
| 2024 | Encore Award (Shortlisted) | A Spell of Good Things | — | Royal Society of Literature | Shortlisted |
The Future Awards Africa (Arts & Culture)
2017
Organization:
The Future Awards Africa
Result:
Winner
9mobile Prize for Literature
2019
Work:
Stay With Me
Organization:
9mobile Prize for Literature
Result:
Winner
Prix Les Afriques
2020
Work:
Reste avec moi (French translation of Stay With Me)
Organization:
Prix Les Afriques
Result:
Winner
Booker Prize (Longlisted)
2023
Work:
A Spell of Good Things
Organization:
Booker Prize
Result:
Longlisted
Dylan Thomas Prize (Shortlisted)
2024
Work:
A Spell of Good Things
Organization:
Dylan Thomas Prize
Result:
Shortlisted
Encore Award (Shortlisted)
2024
Work:
A Spell of Good Things
Organization:
Royal Society of Literature
Result:
Shortlisted
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Stay With Me
2017 NovelA debut novel about marriage, family, love and loss in Nigeria, focusing on the pressures surrounding childbirth and personal relationships.
FamilyMarriageMotherhoodLoss
Translations
- Translated into multiple languages (including French as 'Reste avec moi')
A Spell of Good Things
2023 NovelA novel about family secrets and bonds, thwarted hopes, and the brutal realities of a society rife with inequality; a critique of class and abuse of power.
Family secretsSocial inequalityAbuse of power
Bibliography
- Stay With Me (2017)
- A Spell of Good Things (2023)
Translations of Works
- Reste avec moi (French translation of Stay With Me)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical prose with strong character focusRealist depiction of emotional nuance
- Recurring Motifs
- FamilyMotherhood and childrenMarital lifeSocial class
Legacy
Ayobami Adebayo gained international attention with her debut novel and is regarded as one of the prominent young voices in contemporary Nigerian literature. Her awards and translations have secured her a global readership.
In Popular Culture
- Featured in major media reviews and included in notable books of the year lists
Quotes
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"Ayobami Adebayo is an exceptional storyteller... She writes not just with extraordinary grace but with genuine wisdom about love and loss."
Source: Michiko Kakutani (The New York Times review) (2017)
Trivia
- Married to writer Emmanuel Iduma (wedding reported as taking place in 2020)
- Stay With Me has been translated into more than 18 languages (some translations have received awards)
- Served as a judge for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2024 and announced as a Booker Prize jury member for 2025