Chigozie Obioma

With contributions by: William Boyd, Candice Carty-Williams, Imtiaz Dharker, Roddy Doyle, Pico Iyer, Robert Macfarlane, Andy Miller, Jackie Morris, Jan Morris, Sisonke Msimang, Dina Nayeri, Chigozie Obioma, Michael Ondaatje, David Pilling, Max Porter, Philip Pullman, Alice Pung, Jancis Robinson, S. F. Said, Madeleine Thien, Salley Vickers, John Wood and Markus Zusak'This story, like so many stories, begins with a gift. The gift, like so many gifts, was a book...' So begins the essay by Robert Macfarlane that inspired this collection. In this cornucopia of an anthology, you will find essays by some of the world's most beloved novelists, nonfiction writers, essayists and poets. 'You will see books taking flight in flocks, migrating around the world, landing in people's hearts and changing them for a day or a year or a lifetime. 'You will see books sparking wonder or anger; throwing open windows into other languages, other cultures, other minds; causing people to fall in love or to fight for what is right. 'And more than anything, over and over again, you will see books and words being given, received and read - and in turn prompting further generosity.' Published to coincide with the 20th anniversary of global literacy non-profit, Room to Read, The Gifts of Reading forms inspiring, unforgettable, irresistible proof of the power and necessity of books and reading. Inspired by Robert Macfarlane Curated by Jennie Orchard

Visionen är till en början grumlig - som något man ser genom vått glas. Men sakteliga klarnar den, och fram tonar en mansgestalt i ett rum med en glödlampa hängande från taket i två färgadeledningar. Det är en ung man, mörkhyad och med ett pojkaktigt ansikte. I Vägen till det nya landet följer vi Kunle, en blyg universitetsstudent i 1960-talets Lagos. När inbördeskriget bryter ut i Nigeria blir hans yngre bror Tunle fast i krigszonen. Tyngd av skuldkänslor gentemot sin rullstolsburne bror ger sig Kunle ut på en livsfarlig sökinsats för att rädda honom. Det är så han rekryteras till Biafras utbrytararmé och dras in i en ofrivillig odyssé genom det krigshärjade landet. På sin resa genom Nigeria tvingas han ut i strid, blir sårad mer än en gång, svävar mellanliv och död - och förälskar sig. Trots krigets fasor knyter han starka vänskapsband med människor som för alltid kommer att förändra hans värld. Mitt i kaoset får han dessutom handskas med en profetia gjord av en lokal siare: han är en abami eda - en som kommer att dö och återvända till livet. Men vad betyder det? Och kommer Kunle att finna sin bror till slut? Berättelsen är delvis ett svar på Chinua Achebes bok om samma krig, There Was a Country, skriven tolv år efter krigsslutet men publicerad först 2012 - ett talande exempel på hur inbördeskriget inte bara splittrade grannar och familjer, utan också lämnade sår som aldrig läker. Chigozie Obioma är något sällsynt en genuin originalröst. I hans värld blandas verklighet och folklore, och hans sätt att skriva är helt unikt. - The Wall Street JournalNominerad till New American Voices Award

When a country is torn apart by civil war, Kunle and Tunde are separated, each on opposite sides. Desperate to find his brother, Kunle’s search becomes one of atonement, leading him to join an army and to fight in a war he barely understands. Amidst the chaos, he forms deep, lifelong friendships and falls in love. But his ultimate hope remains: to reunite with his family. An emotionally powerful masterpiece, Chigozie Obioma’s odyssey of brotherhood, love, and extraordinary courage set against the backdrop of the Biafran War captures the essence of a young man’s quest for redemption in a nation ablaze.

Da Kunles yngre bror forsvinder som hans land eksploderer i borgerkrig, må Kunle ud på en umulig redningsmission. Romanen foregår i Nigeria i slutningen af 1960'erne, og er den episke historie om en genert, boglig studerende hjemsøgt af langvarig skyldfølelse og skam, som må gå i krig for at frigøre sig selv. Kunles søgen efter sin bror bliver en rejse af forsoning, og Kunle bliver indkaldt til den biafranske oprørshær og tvunget til at udkæmpe en krig han næsten ikke forstår, alt imens han navigerer i profetierne af en lokal seer, der har udpeget Kunle til en "AbamiEda" - en, der vil dø og vende tilbage til livet.? Historien om en ung mand, der søger forløsning i et land i brand, Chigozie Obiomas roman er en odyssé gennem broderskab, kærlighed og ufatteligt mod under en af de mest ødelæggende konflikter i Afrikas historie. Sammenfletningen af myte og realisme bliver til en spændende, inspireret og følelsesmæssigt kraftfuld roman, VEJEN TIL LANDET er Chigozie Obiomas mesterværk.?? Dobbelt Booker Prize finalist ?

A sweeping, heart-racing, mystical novel about a university student in Lagos trying to save his brother, and himself, amid the chaos of Nigeria's civil war--a story of love, friendship, and personal triumph by the two-time Booker Prize finalist and "the heir to Chinua Achebe" (New York Times) "A wondrous novel."--Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, author of Chain-Gang All Stars, finalist for the National Book Award "Chigozie Obioma is that rare thing: an original. His world is a mix of the real and the folkloric, and his writing sounds like no one else's."--The Wall Street JournalLonglisted for the Dublin Literary Award, the Joyce Carol Oates Prize, and the New American Voices Award - Named a Best Book of the Year by The Boston Globe, The Economist, and Kirkus Reviews The first images of the vision are grainy--like something seen through wet glass. But slowly it clears, and there appears the figure of a man. Set in Nigeria in the late 1960s, The Road to the Country is the epic story of a shy, bookish student haunted by long-held guilt who must go to war to free himself. When his younger brother disappears as the country explodes in civil war, Kunle must set out on an impossible rescue mission. Kunle's search for his brother becomes a journey of atonement that will see him conscripted into the breakaway Biafran army and forced to fight a war he hardly understands, all while navigating the prophecies of a local Seer, he who marks Kunle as an abami eda--one who will die and return to life. The story of a young man seeking redemption in a country on fire, Chigozie Obioma's novel is an odyssey of brotherhood, love, and unimaginable courage set during one of the most devastating conflicts in the history of Africa. Intertwining myth and realism into a thrilling, inspired, and emotionally powerful novel, The Road to the Country is the masterpiece of Chigozie Obioma, a writer Salman Rushdie calls "a major voice" in literature.

'Obioma is truly the heir to Chinua Achebe' New York Times'Remarkable' Alice Walker 'A major new African writer' Salman RushdieAt first the vision is grainy-like something seen through wet glass. But slowly it clears, and there appears the figure of a man. When Kunle's younger brother disappears as his country explodes in civil war, Kunle must set out on an impossible rescue mission. Set in Nigeria in the late 1960s, The Road to the Country is the epic story of a shy, bookish student haunted by long-held guilt and shame who must go to war to free himself. Kunle's search for his brother becomes a journey of atonement that will see Kunle conscripted into the breakaway Biafran army and forced to fight a war he hardly understands, all while navigating the prophecies of a local Seer, he who marks Kunle as an Abami Eda-one who will die and return to life. The story of a young man seeking redemption in a country on fire, Chigozie Obioma's novel is an odyssey of brotherhood, love, and unimaginable courage set during one of the most devastating conflicts in the history of Africa. Intertwining myth and realism into a thrilling, inspired, and emotionally powerful novel, The Road to the Country is Chigozie Obioma's masterpiece.

THE TWICE BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR'Obioma is truly the heir to Chinua Achebe' New York Times'Incredibly moving and hopeful' Nadifa Mohamed'Remarkable' Alice Walker 'A major voice' Salman Rushdie'A wondrous novel’ Nana Kwame Adjei-BrenyahAt first the vision is grainy but slowly it clears, and there appears the figure of a man. When a country is plunged into civil war, two brothers on either side of it are divided. They will try to find their way back to each other. Kunle's search for his sibling Tunde becomes a journey of atonement which sees him conscripted into the army to fight a war he hardly understands. Once there, he will forge friendships to last a lifetime, and he will meet a woman who will change his world forever. But will he find his brother? The story of a young man seeking redemption in a nation on fire, Chigozie Obioma's novel is an odyssey of brotherhood, love and unimaginable courage set during the Biafran War. Intertwining myth and realism into a thrilling, inspired and emotionally powerful novel, The Road to the Country is a masterpiece.***MORE PRAISE FOR THE ROAD TO THE COUNTRY AND CHIGOZIE OBIOMA***'Chigozie Obioma brings the Biafran War to life in a visceral yet mystical way. Loss, pain and grief are etched onto a canvas that seems timeless and endless. I grieve for those lost in that doomed declaration of independence but celebrate those, such as Chigozie, who carry their torches’ Nadifa Mohamed‘This powerfully evocative and intimate book is unarguably Obioma’s finest. Through subtle, piercing, and gripping language, he renders those seemingly simple but unforgettable moments when our lives intertwine with history, anchoring you to the pages until the end. The Road to the Country will remind you that our existence is the histories of past, present, and the future—and the importance of understanding that. This is among the best books I’ve read in a while and is certainly destined to be a classic’ Ishmael Beah‘A spectacular blend of realism and mysticism, The Road to the Country is Chigozie Obioma at his finest. He is a novelist in a league of his own’ Imbolo Mbue'A remarkable talent' Independent‘Chigozie Obioma is a gifted and original storyteller’ Jennifer Clement'Few contemporary novels achieve the seductive panache of Obioma's heightened language’ Guardian‘One of the most exciting voices of modern African literature’ Financial Times‘A truly gifted writer, Obioma has proven yet again that he's a literary treasure’ Nicole Dennis-Benn

På den nigerianske landsbygda oppdager den unge hønsebonden Chinonso en dag en kvinne som prøver å kaste seg utfor en bro. Den forskrekkede mannen hiver to av sine fineste fugler ned i elven for å vise jenta hvor farlig et fall kan være. Det blir innledningen til et kjærlighetsforhold mellom Chinonso og Ndali. Men Ndali sliter med å se for seg en fremtid omgitt av høns, og hennes velstående familie motsetter seg forholdet fordi Chinonso mangler utdannelse. Den avvisningen inspirerer ham til å selge alt han eier for å dra fra Nigeria til en annen del av verden og lære - bare for å oppleve at han blir lurt, og at drømmen om en fremtid sammen med Ndali blir stadig mer uoppnåelig. Et kor av minoriteter er fortalt av Chinonsos chi. Det er i igbo-kulturen en voktende ånd som har levd å hundrevis av år. Romanens sammenveving av nigerianske igbo-tradisjoner og elementer av gresk drama, gjør at den kan leses som en moderne variant av Homers Odysseen. En hjerteskjærende beretning om skjebne - og om viljen til å utfordre skjebne. «Det er nesten drøyt hvor bra denne romanen er ... Obioma løfter en fattig hønsebonde på den nigerianske lands.bygda inn i verdens.litteraturens .ypperste liga ... Det er mesterlig gjort.» Eskil Skjeldal, Vårt land

Chinonso, en ung fjerkræavler, forelsker sig i en kvinde, Ndali, som han en aften redder fra selvmord på en af broerne over byens flod. Hun er fra en velstående familie. Han er i deres øjne fattig og udannet. Han sælger derfor alt, hvad han ejer, for at købe sig vej til et universitet på Cypern. Men da han når frem, opdager han, at ikke alle spiller et ærligt spil i den store industri med at skaffe mennesker vej til et bedre liv. Og der bliver længere og længere tilbage til hans elskede Ndali og hans hjemby. Den Man Booker shortlistede Chigozie Obioma har skrevet et hjertegribende drama om kærlighed og den lemfældige omgang med menneskeskæbner i immigrationsstrømmen fra Afrika mod Europa - med undertoner af Homers Odyssé og afrikansk mytologi.

A heartbreaking story about a Nigerian poultry farmer who sacrifices everything to win the woman he loves, by Man Booker Finalist and author of The Fishermen, Chigozie Obioma. It is more than a superb and tragic novel; it's a historical treasure.-Boston Globe Set on the outskirts of Umuahia, Nigeria and narrated by a chi, or guardian spirit, An Orchestra of Minorities tells the story of Chinonso, a young poultry farmer whose soul is ignited when he sees a woman attempting to jump from a highway bridge. Horrified by her recklessness, Chinonso joins her on the roadside and hurls two of his prized chickens into the water below to express the severity of such a fall. The woman, Ndali, is stopped her in her tracks. Bonded by this night on the bridge, Chinonso and Ndali fall in love. But Ndali is from a wealthy family and struggles to imagine a future near a chicken coop. When her family objects to the union because he is uneducated, Chinonso sells most of his possessions to attend a college in Cyprus. But when he arrives he discovers there is no place at the school for him, and that he has been utterly duped by the young Nigerian who has made the arrangements... Penniless, homeless, and furious at a world which continues to relegate him to the sidelines, Chinonso gets further away from his dream, from Ndali and the farm he called home. Spanning continents, traversing the earth and cosmic spaces, and told by a narrator who has lived for hundreds of years, the novel is a contemporary twist of Homer's Odyssey. Written in the mythic style of the Igbo literary tradition, Chigozie Obioma weaves a heart-wrenching epic about destiny and determination.

Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2019, a heart-wrenching epic about the tension between fate and free will.

"En omistlig roman." Svenska Dagbladet "Jag har inte blivit så gripen av en roman på mycket länge." Aftonbladet Chigozie Obioma är tillbaka med en ödesmättad Romeo och Julia-historia om en fattig bondpojke och den passionerade kärlek som förändrar hans liv. Chinonso råkar passera förbi just när Ndali tänker hoppa från en bro. Mot alla odds blir de förälskade, men Ndalis välbeställda föräldrar kan inte erkänna en obildad bonde i familjen. De gör allt de kan för att tvinga isär det unga paret. Chinonso inser att det bara finns en lösning: Han måste lämna Nigeria för att skaffa sig en fin europeisk utbildning. Men inget blir som han tänkt sig. Minoritetsorkestern är en drabbande berättelse om passion, uppoffringar och mänsklig dumdristighet." Oj, vilken rik roman [...] Chigozie Obioma har berättelsens många skikt i sina händer. Han knuffar den gamla historien in i vår tid och trollar så att också det magiska blir realistiskt." Helsingborgs Dagblad " ... ett slags episk urberättelse som svävar genom tid och rum, högt ovanför människan och hennes klagande sång"DN"En mäktig roman i lättflytande översättning." BTJ "en mycket mänsklig roman. [...] Rekommenderas!"mosstanten.se"Ett litterärt modernt mästerverk som verkligen borde få många att upptäcka en suverän berättare. (...) Minoritetsorkestern ger mig som läsare en bländande skildring där tradition möter modernismen i tiden." Blaskans blogg, kulturblogg

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2019From the author of the Booker-shortlisted novel, The Fishermen'Obioma is truly the heir to Chinua Achebe' New York TimesA young farmer named Chinonso prevents a woman from falling to her death. Bonded by this strange night on the bridge, he and Ndali fall in love, but it is a mismatch according to her family who reject him because of his lowly status. Is it love or madness that makes Chinonso think he can change his destiny? Set across Nigeria and Cyprus, An Orchestra of Minorities, written in the mythic style of the Igbo tradition, weaves a heart-wrenching tale about fate versus free will.________________________________________________________________________________'A spectacular artistic leap' Guardian'Brilliantly original' The Economist'A remarkable talent' Independent'Few contemporary novels achieve the seductive panache of Obioma's heightened language, with its mixture of English, Igbo and colourful African-English phrases, and the startling clarity of the dialogue. The story is extreme; yet its theme is a bid for mercy for that most fragile of creatures - a human' Eileen Battersby, Guardian

'Chigozie Obioma is a writer to watch' The Economist Umuahia, Nigeria. Chinonso, a young poultry farmer, sees a woman attempting to jump to her death from a highway bridge. Horrified by her recklessness, Chinonso joins her on the roadside and hurls two of his most prized chickens into the water below to demonstrate the severity of the fall. The woman, Ndali, is moved by his sacrifice. Bonded by this strange night on the bridge, Chinonso and Ndali fall in love. But Ndali is from a wealthy family, and when they officially object to the union because he is uneducated, Chinonso sells most of his possessions to attend a small college in Cyprus. Once in Cyprus, he discovers that all is not what it seems. Furious at a world which continues to relegate him to the sidelines, Chinonso gets further and further away from his dream, from Ndali and the place he called home. In this contemporary twist of Homer's Odyssey, in the mythic style of the Igbo literary tradition, Chigozie Obioma weaves a heart-wrenching epic about the tension between destiny and determination. 'Chigozie Obioma truly is the heir to Chinua Achebe' New York Time Book Review

A heartbreaking story about a Nigerian poultry farmer who sacrifices everything to win the woman he loves, by Man Booker Finalist and author of The Fishermen, Chigozie Obioma. "It is more than a superb and tragic novel; it's a historical treasure."-Boston Globe Set on the outskirts of Umuahia, Nigeria and narrated by a chi, or guardian spirit, An Orchestra of Minorities tells the story of Chinonso, a young poultry farmer whose soul is ignited when he sees a woman attempting to jump from a highway bridge. Horrified by her recklessness, Chinonso joins her on the roadside and hurls two of his prized chickens into the water below to express the severity of such a fall. The woman, Ndali, is stopped her in her tracks. Bonded by this night on the bridge, Chinonso and Ndali fall in love. But Ndali is from a wealthy family and struggles to imagine a future near a chicken coop. When her family objects to the union because he is uneducated, Chinonso sells most of his possessions to attend a college in Cyprus. But when he arrives he discovers there is no place at the school for him, and that he has been utterly duped by the young Nigerian who has made the arrangements... Penniless, homeless, and furious at a world which continues to relegate him to the sidelines, Chinonso gets further away from his dream, from Ndali and the farm he called home. Spanning continents, traversing the earth and cosmic spaces, and told by a narrator who has lived for hundreds of years, the novel is a contemporary twist of Homer's Odyssey. Written in the mythic style of the Igbo literary tradition, Chigozie Obioma weaves a heart-wrenching epic about destiny and determination.

In a small town in western Nigeria, four young brothers - the youngest is nine, the oldest fifteen - use their strict father's absence from home to go fishing at a forbidden local river. They encounter a dangerous local madman who predicts that the oldest brother will be killed by another. This prophecy breaks their strong bond and unleashes a tragic chain of events of almost mythic proportions. Passionate and bold, The Fishermen is a breathtakingly beautiful novel firmly rooted in the best of African storytelling. With this powerful debut, Chigozie Obioma emerges as one of the most original new voices of modern African literature.

In a small Nigerian town, Ben and Obembe, along with their two older brothers, slip away to fish at a forbidden river. Unnoticed and carefree, they keep coming back until one day a madman's prophecy changes the course of their lives forever. Adapted by Gbolahan Obisesan from the Man Booker Prize-shortlisted novel by Chigozie Obioma, The Fishermen is a powerful allegory of brotherhood, vengeance and fate. It was first seen at HOME, Manchester, in 2018, before a tour of the UK including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in a co-production between New Perspectives and HOME. 'A remarkable, mythic book' Alice Walker on The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma

Da Benjamin og hans brødres far tager nordpå for at arbejde, forandres drengenes liv for altid. Farens strenge orden opløses, og drengene strejfer nu omkring og går på opdagelse. I stedet for at passe deres skole begynder de at fiske i byens flod, som engang var et livgivende sted, men nu er forbudt, uren og livsfarlig. Ved floden møder de en dag den gale mand, Abulu, som i et syn forudser, at den ældste af dem, Ikenna, vil blive myrdet af sine brødre. Profetien forgifter fra da af Ikennas liv, og familien hvirvles ind i et mareridt af konflikter og smerte, der udfordrer deres tætte bånd.‘Vi var fiskere’ er en roman om en uforglemmelig barndom i 1990’ernes Nigeria, og en historie om rivalisering og broderkærlighed, mytisk og universel. Set gennem familiens skæbne er romanen også en fortælling om Afrika og dets voldsomme politiske, økonomiske og religiøse modsætninger iblandet kontinentets episke skønhed. Shortlistet til The Man Booker Prize 2015.

En sensasjonell debut og en nydelig afrikansk roman om oppvekst, overtro og de ubønnhørlige konsekvensene av brutt tillit og forspilte muligheter. Nigeria i 1990-årene. Fire brødre i den lille byen Akure benytter farens fravær til å dra på fisketur i en elv som de har fått streng beskjed om å holde seg unna. På vei hjem med fangsten støter de en dag på Abulu, en galning som er beryktet for sine spådomskunster. De terger ham på gutters vis, like vågale som de er skremte, men han kommer mot dem som en gammeltestamentlig profet og forkynner at den eldste, Ikenna, vil bli drept av en av sine brødre, en fisker. Denne spådommen skal forfølge guttene og gradvis tære på de skjøre familiebåndene. Moren blir innlagt på sykehus, og faren - familieoverhodet som har båret på ambisiøse drømmer om at guttene skulle bli leger, advokater, ingeniører og flyvere - bryter sammen i erkjennelse av at han ikke kan beskytte dem. Og hvis den gale spåmannen har rett, hvilken av brødrene vil da bli Ikennas morder? Det hjelper lite at de til stadighet forsikrer ham: «Ingen av oss vil drepe deg - vi er ikke engang ordentlige fiskere.» Den forbudte elven ble nominert til Booker-prisen og har vunnet flere internasjonale priser. Boken er utgitt eller under utgivelse på 24 språk.