Caine Prize for African Writing
1 appearances
-
Edition 11 (2010) Winner
Olufemi Terry
オルフェミ・テリー
Olufemi Terry
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- Sierra Leone
- Nationality
- Sierra Leonean
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Nigeria (grew up) → United Kingdom (grew up) → Côte d'Ivoire (grew up) → Stuttgart, Germany (resident) → United States (studied in New York)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Journalist
- Active Years
- 2006-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University in New York (unspecified) | — | — | — | — | United States |
| University of Cape Town | Creative Writing (MA) | Creative Writing | MA | 2007-2008 | South Africa |
University in New York (unspecified)
Country:
United States
Reported to have studied at a university in New York; details unspecified
University of Cape Town
Creative Writing (MA)
/ Creative Writing
Degree:
MA
Period:
2007-2008
Year of Graduation:
2008
Country:
South Africa
Received an MA in Creative Writing in 2008
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Caine Prize for African Writing | Stickfighting Days | — | Caine Prize organization | winner |
Caine Prize for African Writing
2010
Work:
Stickfighting Days
Organization:
Caine Prize organization
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Stickfighting Days
2010 Short storyA short story portraying a combative culture and camaraderie on an epic, cinematic scale. Originally published in Chimurenga and republished in outlets such as The Guardian.
ViolenceRitualCamaraderieAfrican diaspora
The Sum of All Losses
Novel (debut, forthcoming)Debut novel reportedly in progress or forthcoming. Terry stated that winning the Caine Prize would help with the novel's publication.
LossMigration & diasporaIdentity
Lamu Squat
2006 Short storyA short story set in Lamu, Kenya. Published online in Guernica in 2011.
IsolationLocal communitiesMovement
Digitalis Lust
Short storyA short story exploring isolation set in Cape Town. Included in the Caine Prize annual collection.
LonelinessUrban life
Dark Triad
Short storyA short story published in Blip Magazine and included in the Caine anthology To See the Mountain; explores characters' inner lives.
InteriorityPersonality
Bibliography
- Stickfighting Days
- Lamu Squat
- Digitalis Lust
- Dark Triad
- The Sum of All Losses (forthcoming)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Epic, cinematic proseTightly-woven short fiction with high tension
- Recurring Motifs
- Violence and ritualLoss and diasporaCamaraderie and masculinity
Legacy
Gained prominence after winning the 2010 Caine Prize. Recognized for short fiction about the African diaspora, violence, and loss; regarded as a promising literary talent.
Quotes
-
Ambitious, brave and hugely imaginative, Olufemi Terry's Stickfighting Days presents a heroic culture that is Homeric in its scale and conception. The execution of this story is so tight and the presentation so cinematic, it confirms Olufemi Terry as a talent with an enormous future.
Source: Fiammetta Rocco (literary editor at The Economist; chair of the Caine Prize judges) (2010) -
He said he was "overwhelmed for at least the first hour."
Source: Olufemi Terry (acceptance remarks) / reported by BBC (2010)
Trivia
- Won the 2010 Caine Prize and received a prize of £10,000.
- Born in Sierra Leone, grew up in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and Côte d'Ivoire.
- Received an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town in 2008.
- Writes about the African diaspora but has said it is unhelpful to view African writers as a unique grouping seeking authenticity.