Chris Abani

Author profile

born

December 27, 1966 in Nigeria

gender

male

website

http://www.chrisabani.com/

genre

Literature & Fiction

About this author

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Christopher Abani (or Chris Abani) is a Nigerian author.

He was a political prisoner in Nigeria at various times during 1985 and 1991. At times he was held in solitary confinement and he was held on death row for some time after being sentenced to death for treason.

He is a Professor at the University of California, Riverside and the recipient of the PEN USA Freedom-to-Write Award, the 2001 Prince Claus Awards, a Lannan Literary Fellowship, a California Book Award, a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award and the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. Selections of his poetry appear in the online journal Blackbird.

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Books by Chris Abani

Average rating: 3.84 · 1,670 ratings · 290 reviews · 27 distinct works

	GraceLand 3.71 avg rating — 797 ratings — published 2004 — 6 editions	My rating:
	Song for Night 4.06 avg rating — 272 ratings — published 2007 — 5 editions	My rating:
	Becoming Abigail 3.71 avg rating — 208 ratings — 3 editions	My rating:
	The Virgin of Flames 3.69 avg rating — 173 ratings — published 2007 — 6 editions	My rating:
	Hands Washing Water 4.28 avg rating — 40 ratings — published 2006	My rating:
	Kalakuta Republic 4.43 avg rating — 30 ratings — published 2000 — 2 editions	My rating:
	DAPHNE'S LOT 4.30 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2003	My rating:
	DOG WOMAN 4.27 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 2004	My rating:
	Sanctificum 4.29 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2010	My rating:
	Feed Me the Sun: Collected Long Poems 4.75 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2010	My rating:

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Quotes by Chris Abani

“You know, you can steel your heart against any kind of trouble, any kind of horror. But the simple act of kindness from a complete stranger will unstitch you.”
― Chris Abani

7 people liked it

“What I've come to learn is that the world is never saved in grand messianic gestures, but in the simple accumulation of gentle, soft, almost invisible acts of compassion, everyday acts of compassion. In South Africa they have a phrase called ubuntu. Ubuntu comes out of a philosophy that says, the only way for me to be human is for you to reflect my humanity back at me. ”
― Chris Abani

tags: compassion , humanity , world

6 people liked it

“The question is, how do I balance narratives that are wonderful with narratives of wounds and self-loathing? And this is the difficulty that I face. I am trying to move beyond political rhetoric to a place of ethical questioning. I am asking us to balance the idea of our complete vulnerability with the complete notion of transformation or what is possible.”
― Chris Abani

1 person liked it

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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College Students! : WINNERS for November!	32	116	Oct 22, 2009 06:03pm
Great African Reads: Who Fears Death	8	31	Jun 30, 2010 07:43pm
Literary Fiction ...: Discussion: Graceland	45	37	Sep 08, 2010 05:05pm
Readers Against P...: Book Suggestions	79	54	Jun 28, 2011 02:33pm
The Next Best Boo...: Top Reads of 2010	26	242	Aug 17, 2011 05:31am
Challenge: 50 Books: Deborah's 50 books for 2011	126	136	Dec 30, 2011 05:40pm
Literary Fiction ...: Member Input Needed	23	51	May 21, 2012 07:00pm
Around the World ...: Nigeria	8	52	May 30, 2012 01:29pm

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