The title “Say You’re One of the Them” written by Uwem Akpan, by origin a Nigerian has been picked up by Oprah’s Book Club.
Her selection of Akpan’s debut collection marks the first time Oprah Winfrey has ever chosen a book of short stories, according to Oprah’s Harpo Productions. The book rainmaker says, ”These stories left me stunned and profoundly moved.”
In accordance with the press release, told in five different fables, every fable from the angle of an African child character, “Say You’re One of Them” lucidly holds the spirit of kids in the form of incredible ruining. This literary title has been published in 2008, thus this literary work encompasses Africa showing its splendor and predicament alike.
Uwem Akpan, the author of the book was borne in Ikot Akpan Eda, a famous city of Nigeria. Akpan after studying philosophy and English at the Universities namely Creighton and Gonzaga, he studied religion for three years at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
He had assumed the task of Jesuit Priest in 2003 afterwards he obtained his MFA credential exclusively in Creative Writing, from the University of Michigan in 2006. “My Parents’ Bedroom” a fable from his brief fable compilation, “Say You’re One of Them,” was one of five brief fables by African writers selected as final candidates for The Caine Prize for African Writing 2007.
“Say You’re One of Them” succeeded the Commonwealth Writers’ Award for Best 1st Literary Work (Africa Region) 2009 and PEN/Beyond Margins Award 2009 and was final candidate for the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Novel. In 2007, Akpan offered services as a teacher at Jesuit College in Harare, Zimbabwe. Now he performs as teacher at Christ the King Church, Ilasamaja-Lagos, Nigeria.