Somerset Maugham Award
1 appearances
Helen Oyeyemi
ヘレン・オイェイェミ
Heren Oyeyemi
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1984-12-10 （Ibadan, Nigeria）
- Nationality
- British, Nigerian
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Ibadan, Nigeria → Lewisham, South London, UK → Prague, Czech Republic
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, writer of short stories
- Active Years
- 2004-2024
- Affiliations
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
- Memberships
- Royal Society of Literature (FRSL)
- Nominations
- 2009 Shirley Jackson Award finalist (White Is for Witching), 2014 Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist (Boy, Snow, Bird)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School | — | — | A-levels | — | United Kingdom |
| Corpus Christi College, Cambridge | — | Social and Political Sciences | — | — | United Kingdom |
Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School
Degree:
A-levels
Year of Graduation:
2003
Country:
United Kingdom
Wrote first novel The Icarus Girl while studying for A-levels
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Social and Political Sciences
Year of Graduation:
2006
Country:
United Kingdom
Plays performed by fellow students during college
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | PEN Open Book Award | What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours | — | PEN America | Winner |
| 2010 | Somerset Maugham Award | White Is for Witching | — | — | Winner |
PEN Open Book Award
2016
Work:
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
Winner
Somerset Maugham Award
2010
Work:
White Is for Witching
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours
2016 Short story collectionA collection of stories linked by keys.
keysidentityrace
The Icarus Girl
2005 NovelStory of a girl torn between Nigeria and UK.
twinssupernaturalcultural clash
White Is for Witching
2009 Gothic novelHaunted house and racism.
housewitchcraftracism
Boy, Snow, Bird
2014 NovelRetelling of Snow White exploring race and beauty.
racebeautyfairytale
Bibliography
- The Icarus Girl (2005)
- The Opposite House (2007)
- White Is for Witching (2009)
- Mr. Fox (2011)
- Boy, Snow, Bird (2014)
- What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours (2016)
- Gingerbread (2019)
- Peaces (2021)
- Parasol Against the Axe (2024)
- Juniper's Whitening (2004, play)
- Victimese (2005, play)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- fantasticalsurrealfairytale retellingsmulticultural
- Recurring Motifs
- haunted houseskeysmythologyracial identity
Legacy
British novelist born in Nigeria, known for fantastical retellings of fairytales and myths. Multiple awards, resides in Prague.
Trivia
- Raised in Lewisham, South London from age 4.
- Published first novel at 18 while at A-levels.
- Has lived in Prague since 2013; 2024 novel first set in Czech Republic.