Okey Ndibe
Encyclopedia
Okey Ndibe is a novelist, political columnist, and essayist. Of Igbo ethnicity, Ndibe was born in Yola, Nigeria
. He is the author of Arrows of Rain, a critically acclaimed novel published in 2000. He relocated to the United States in 1988 to serve as founding editor of African Commentary, a magazine described as "award-winning and widely acclaimed." Ndibe's essay, "My Biafran Eyes," about his childhood experience of war, is published in the Dzanc Best of the Web 2008. He teaches fiction and African literature at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. His poetry is published in New West African Poets, edited by the Gambian writer, Tijan Sallah. Ndibe has taught at Simon's Rock of Bard College in Great Barrington, MA, Connecticut College, New London, CT, and the University of Lagos (as a Fulbright scholar). He is finishing work on a new novel titled foreign gods, incorporated as well as a memoir, An African Doing Dutch in America. Ndibe is co-editor (with the Zimbabwean writer, Chenjerai Hove) of a collection of essays titled Writers, Writing on Conflicts and Wars in Africa (Adonis Abbey, 2009).
, Nigeria. His father was a postal worker, and his mother was a teacher. His early life in Nigeria was marked by the Biafran War, a subject that he later wrote about.
. In the United States, Ndibe helped to found African Commentary, a magazine described as "award-winning and widely acclaimed.” He continued to write for magazines and papers in the United States, winning the 2001 Association of Opinion Page Editors award for best opinion essay in an American newspaper for his piece Eyes to the Ground: The Perils of the Black Student.
, Bard College at Simon's Rock, and, currently, Trinity College (Connecticut)
.
, The Fabian Society Journal, Black Issues Book Review
, BBC Online. He has contributed poetry to "An Anthology of New West African Poets". His first novel is titled Arrows of Rain and he is currently working on his second novel, foreign gods, incorporated.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. He is the author of Arrows of Rain, a critically acclaimed novel published in 2000. He relocated to the United States in 1988 to serve as founding editor of African Commentary, a magazine described as "award-winning and widely acclaimed." Ndibe's essay, "My Biafran Eyes," about his childhood experience of war, is published in the Dzanc Best of the Web 2008. He teaches fiction and African literature at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. His poetry is published in New West African Poets, edited by the Gambian writer, Tijan Sallah. Ndibe has taught at Simon's Rock of Bard College in Great Barrington, MA, Connecticut College, New London, CT, and the University of Lagos (as a Fulbright scholar). He is finishing work on a new novel titled foreign gods, incorporated as well as a memoir, An African Doing Dutch in America. Ndibe is co-editor (with the Zimbabwean writer, Chenjerai Hove) of a collection of essays titled Writers, Writing on Conflicts and Wars in Africa (Adonis Abbey, 2009).
Birth and young life
Okey Ndibe was born in YolaYola, Nigeria
Yola is the capital city and administrative center of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Located on the Benue River, it has a population of 88,500 . Established in 1841, Yola was the capital of a Fulani state until it was taken by the British in 1901. Daytime temperatures can easily exceed during the dry...
, Nigeria. His father was a postal worker, and his mother was a teacher. His early life in Nigeria was marked by the Biafran War, a subject that he later wrote about.
Coming to America
Ndibe worked in Nigeria as a journalist and magazine editor, and came to the United States in 1988 at the invitation of famous Nigerian writer Chinua AchebeChinua Achebe
Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe popularly known as Chinua Achebe is a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic...
. In the United States, Ndibe helped to found African Commentary, a magazine described as "award-winning and widely acclaimed.” He continued to write for magazines and papers in the United States, winning the 2001 Association of Opinion Page Editors award for best opinion essay in an American newspaper for his piece Eyes to the Ground: The Perils of the Black Student.
Work as a Professor
Ndibe has worked as a professor at several colleges, including Connecticut CollegeConnecticut College
Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut.The college was founded in 1911, as Connecticut College for Women, in response to Wesleyan University closing its doors to women...
, Bard College at Simon's Rock, and, currently, Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
.
Selected works
Ndibe is an author of short fiction, novels, poetry and political commentary. He is a regular columnist for NEXT, a Nigerian newspaper (www.234next.com). He also contributes to many other publications, including The Hartford CourantThe Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is a morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury...
, The Fabian Society Journal, Black Issues Book Review
Black Issues Book Review
Black Issues Book Review was a bimonthly magazine published in the U.S. in which books of interest to African-American readers were reviewed. It was published from 1999 through 2007....
, BBC Online. He has contributed poetry to "An Anthology of New West African Poets". His first novel is titled Arrows of Rain and he is currently working on his second novel, foreign gods, incorporated.