An African literary giant Ben Okri celebrates his birthday today. Okri, a Nigerian poet and novelist turns 58. Okri is considered one of the foremost African authors in the post-modern and post-colonial traditions. He won the Man Booker Prize for The Famished Road (1991).
Ben Okri was born in Minna in west central Nigeria to Grace and Silver Okri in 1959. Okri is considered one of the foremost African authors in the post-modern and post-colonial traditions.
He won the Man Booker Prize for The Famished Road (1991), and he has received numerous accolades for his works. The list of nominations and awards include: 1987 Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa Region, Best Book) – Incidents at the Shrine, 1988 Guardian Fiction Prize – Stars of the New Curfew (shortlisted), and 2001 Order of the British Empire (OBE). The writer has received numerous honorary doctoral awards over the years for his remarkable literary works.
Happy Birthday Ben Okri