Betty Trask Prize and Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 27 (2010) Winner
Nadifa Mohamed
ナディーファ・モハメド
Nadifa Mohamed
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1981 （Hargeisa, Somali Democratic Republic (now Somaliland)）
- Nationality
- Somali, British
- Languages
- English, Somali
- Residence History
- Hargeisa, Somaliland → London, United Kingdom
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Lecturer
- Active Years
- 2008-
- Affiliations
- Royal Holloway, University of London, New York University (Distinguished Writer in Residence), Royal Society of Literature (Fellow)
- Memberships
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL)
- Influenced By
- Her father and Somali oral tradition
- Nominations
- Guardian First Book Award (2010), Dylan Thomas Prize (2010), John Llewellyn Rhys Prize (2010), Orange Prize for Fiction (2010) – longlisted, Dylan Thomas Prize (2014) – longlisted, Booker Prize (2021) – shortlisted
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Hilda's College, Oxford | Modern History and Politics | — | BA | 1997–2000 | United Kingdom |
St Hilda's College, Oxford
Modern History and Politics
Degree:
BA
Period:
1997–2000
Year of Graduation:
2000
Country:
United Kingdom
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Betty Trask Award | Black Mamba Boy | — | Society of Authors | 受賞 |
| 2013 | Granta 'Best of Young British Novelists' | — | — | Granta (magazine) | 選出 |
| 2014 | Africa39 (Hay Festival) | — | — | Hay Festival | 選出 |
| 2014 | Somerset Maugham Award | The Orchard of Lost Souls | — | Society of Authors | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Prix Albert Bernard | — | — | Prix Albert Bernard | 受賞 |
| 2022 | Wales Book of the Year | The Fortune Men | — | Wales Book of the Year / Wales Arts Review | 受賞（トリプルクラウン: Rhys Davies Trust Fiction Award, People's Choice, 総合賞） |
| 2024 | Honorary Doctor of Literature Honoris Causa, Royal Holloway | — | 名誉学位 | Royal Holloway, University of London | 授与 |
| 2021 | The Booker Prize | The Fortune Men | — | The Booker Prize Foundation | 最終候補（ショートリスト） |
Betty Trask Award
2010
Work:
Black Mamba Boy
Organization:
Society of Authors
Result:
受賞
Granta 'Best of Young British Novelists'
2013
Organization:
Granta (magazine)
Result:
選出
Africa39 (Hay Festival)
2014
Organization:
Hay Festival
Result:
選出
Somerset Maugham Award
2014
Work:
The Orchard of Lost Souls
Organization:
Society of Authors
Result:
受賞
Prix Albert Bernard
2016
Organization:
Prix Albert Bernard
Result:
受賞
Wales Book of the Year
2022
Work:
The Fortune Men
Organization:
Wales Book of the Year / Wales Arts Review
Result:
受賞（トリプルクラウン: Rhys Davies Trust Fiction Award, People's Choice, 総合賞）
Honorary Doctor of Literature Honoris Causa, Royal Holloway
2024
Category:
名誉学位
Organization:
Royal Holloway, University of London
Result:
授与
The Booker Prize
2021
Work:
The Fortune Men
Organization:
The Booker Prize Foundation
Result:
最終候補（ショートリスト）
Awards & Nominations
Somerset Maugham Award
1 appearances
Works
Major Works
Black Mamba Boy
2010 Historical fiction (semi-autobiographical)A semi-autobiographical novel based partly on the life of the author's father, following movement across Yemen, Somalia and beyond in the 1930s–40s and depicting lives under colonial rule.
DiasporaColonial historyFamilyIdentity
The Orchard of Lost Souls
2013 Historical fictionSet on the eve of the Somali civil war, the novel focuses on a village and examines mother–daughter relationships, community fracture and the impact of impending conflict from women's perspectives.
WarWomen's experiencesFamilyBroken communities
The Fortune Men
2021 Historical fiction (based on a true story)Based on the true story of Mahmood Mattan, who was wrongfully convicted and executed in Cardiff in 1952, the novel explores injustice, racism and the experiences of immigrant communities.
RacismMiscarriage of justiceImmigrant experienceEmpathy
Bibliography
- Black Mamba Boy (2010)
- The Orchard of Lost Souls (2013)
- The Fortune Men (2021)
- Selected short stories, essays and articles
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- RealismHistorical portrayalNarrative-driven prose
- Recurring Motifs
- HomelandFamily historyMigration and diasporaColonial memorySocial injustice
Legacy
Nadifa Mohamed is internationally recognised as a leading Somali–British writer. The Fortune Men was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, raising the profile of Somali voices in the UK. Through her writing, teaching and media work she has contributed significantly to conversations about diaspora and colonial memory.
Academic Societies
- Royal Society of Literature
In Popular Culture
- Presenter of Channel 4 historical documentaries (2023–2024)
Quotes
-
The novel grew out of a desire to learn more about my roots, to elucidate Somali history for a wider audience and to tell a story that I found fascinating.
Source: WDN Interview with Nadifa Mohamed (WardheerNews), 2011 (2011) -
'The Fortune Men' confirms her as a literary star of her generation.
Source: The Guardian review (Ashish Ghadiali, 2021) (2021)
Trivia
- Selected in Granta's 'Best of Young British Novelists' (2013).
- One of the first British Somali novelists to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize (2021).
- Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature as part of the '40 Under 40' initiative (2018).
- Awarded an Honorary Doctor of Literature, Royal Holloway (2024).