The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 358 pages and is available in hardcover format. Official website of uwem akpan, author of say youre one of them, 2009 oprah book club selection. Uwem akpans stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel theyve ever encountered africa so immediately. Uwem akpan, born the 19 may 1971, is a nigerian jesuit priest and the author of say youre one of them 2008, a collection of five stories each set in a different african country published by. Say youre one of them by uwem akpan overdrive rakuten. Say youre one of them by uwem akpan the greatest books. Say youre one of them by uwem akpan all african books.
Vogue megan ogrady akpan wants you to see and feel africa, its glory and its pain. I found myself objecting out loud, rooting for the children, not wanting to believe that the evil would prevail. Uwem akpan addressed his other vocation in an interview, saying, a key vatican ii document makes it very clear that the joys and anguish of the world are the joys and anguish of the church. Beautiful and devastating, the five tales found in say youre one of them are at once compelling and painful to read. In 2007, akpan taught at a jesuit college in harare, zimbabwe.
Jennifer reese, entertainment weekly ew pick grade a a startling debut collection. Nothing interests maman today, not even jean, her favorite child. Say youre one of them by uwem akpan, paperback barnes. Even when his twelveyearold sister takes to the streets to raise these meager funds, his dream cant be. In 2007 uwem akpans story, my parents house, was shortlisted for the caine prize, which recognises the best short fiction from africa. After studying philosophy and english at creighton and gonzaga universities, he studied theology for three years at the catholic university of eastern africa. The first edition of the novel was published in january 1st 2008, and was written by uwem akpan. Say youre one of them npr coverage of say youre one of them by uwem akpan. The eightyearold narrator of an exmas feast needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in order to attend school.
A collection of five stories by uwem akpan, a nigerian pastor, say youre one of them is a hardhitting social commentary on the plight of african children. Awe is the only appropriate response to uwem akpans stunning debut, say youre one of them, a collection of five stories so ravishing and sad that i regret ever wasting superlatives on fiction that was merely very good. In this extract from say youre one of them, a collection of short stories by ukem akpan, two parents shield their daughter from a terrible secret. The stories are set in different african countries, each one depicting its own problems. Say youre one of them by akpan, uwem and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Uwem akpan was born in ikot akpan eda in southern nigeria.
Uwem akpan has given nameless invisible victims a voice that is understandable and easily empathetical by people everywhere. Now he serves at christ the king church, ilasamajalagos, nigeria. From child trafficking to interreligious conflicts, uwem akpan reveals. Say youre one of them say youre one of them is in a word, haunting. After studying philosophy and english at creighton and gonzaga universities, he studied theology for. Unflinching evil in say youre one of them the debut shortstory collection by nigerian writer and jesuit priest uwem akpan offers a sobering view of a. Deirdre donahue, usa today s ay youre one of them gives voice to africas children in beautifully crafted prose and stunning detail. Just a few pages into his debut collection, it is easy to see why. Bookbrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Say youre one of them uwem akpan each story in this jubilantly acclaimed collection pays testament to the wisdom and resilience of children, even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances. In say youre one of them, a jesuit priest named uwen akpan personalizes the violence in a series of hardhitting, fastmoving stories that make us understand it in a new, visceral way. Uwem akpan s first published short story, an exmas feast, appeared in the new yorkers debut fiction issue in 2005. Say youre one of them is a collection of short stories by nigerian writer uwem akpan, first published in 2008.
Publication date 20080609 topics short stories single author. Awe is the only appropriate response to uwem akpan s stunning debut, say youre one of them, a collection of five stories so ravishing and sad that i regret ever wasting superlatives on fiction that was merely very good. Containing five stories, each set in a different african country, this collection won the 2009 commonwealth writers prize africa region and the 2009 beyond margins award. Or with a change of emphasis, it can be read as say. These extraordinary stories centre on african conflicts as seen through the eyes of children and describes their resilience and endurance in heartbreaking detail. Uwem akpan answers your questions about being a jesuit priest, what his childhood was like and the role his faith played in writing say youre one of them.
Uwem akpan s searing say youre one of them captures a ravaged africa through the dryeyed gaze of children trying to maintain a sense of normalcy amid chaos. Uwem akpan is a nigerian jesuit priest and writing teacher living in zimbabwe, and his stories are garnering much acclaim. The eightyearold narrator of an exmas feast needs only enough money to buy books and pay feesin order to attend school. And you do, which makes this an extraordinary book. Uwem akpans debut story collection, say youre one of them, is also an attempt to give witness. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Uwem akpans stunning stories humanize theperils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel theyve ever encountered africa so immediately. I read each paragraph, afraid, anxious of the next. Say youre one of them shines a light on the poverty and violence that exists in many african nations. Q and a with say youre one of them author uwem akpan. The eightyearold narrator of an exmas feast needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in. Say youre one of them proves that great fiction often can reveal more truth than a whole shelf of memoirs and histories.
Official website of uwem akpan, author of say youre one. Say youre one of them by uwem akpanakpans debut collection focuses on the lives of african children, and all are bleak says alyssa mcdonald. It can be read as say your one them, as in, when the bad guys come, say your one of them to save yourself. A family live in a makeshift shanty in urban kenya. Download say youre one of them audiobook by uwem akpan.
Free download or read online say youre one of them pdf epub book. The storys portrait of a family living together in a makeshift shanty in urban kenya, and their attempts to find gifts of any kind for the impending christmas holiday, gives a matteroffact reality to the most extreme circumstancesand signaled the arrival of a. Has reading say youre one of them changed the way you think about these issues. Say youre one of them uwem akpans stunning stories humanize theperils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel theyve ever encountered africa so immediately. Akpan focuses on the damage done to children in particular, relating atrocities through their tragically limited understanding. The main characters of this fiction, cultural story are. Excerpt from say youre one of them by uwem akpan, plus. Akpan, a nigerian jesuit priest currently assigned to a seminary in zimbabwe, doesnt. Say youre one of them, by uwem akpan the independent. She acts dumb, bewitched, like a goat that the neighborhood children have fed sorghum beer. Praise for say youre one of them and author uwem akpan.