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Caleb Azumah Nelson

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Caleb Azumah Nelson
Born1993 or 1994[1]
Occupation
  • Writer
  • photographer
NationalityBritish-Ghanaian
Alma materCoventry University
Notable worksOpen Water (2021); Small Worlds (2023)
Notable awardsCosta—First Novel (2021)
Betty Trask Award (2022)
Somerset Maugham Award (2022)
Dylan Thomas Prize (2024)

Caleb Azumah Nelson (born 1993)[2] is a British–Ghanaian writer and photographer. His 2021 debut novel, Open Water, won the Costa Book Award for First Novel.[3][4]

Personal life

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Azumah Nelson grew up in and currently lives in London.[5] For the first six years of his life, he lived with his maternal grandmother after she moved to London from Ghana, though she eventually returned to her home country.

He was educated at a "predominantly black primary school" before obtaining a scholarship to the independent Alleyn's School London.[6][7] He graduated from Coventry University.[8]

Beyond writing and photography, Azumah Nelson played violin for 10 years.[9]

Azumah Nelson's dream to become an author began as a teenager in 2019, after his godfather, aunt and three of his grandparents died.[10] Thereafter, Azumah Nelson handed in his notice at Apple and began writing full time.[4]

Photography

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At 18 years old Azumah Nelson began using a film camera to continue his passion for photography.[9]

Azumah Nelson believes his "writing and photography go hand in hand; as they both act as sites of honest expression, that continually encourage him to think about how he sees the world, to motivate others and himself and move through it through the eyes of the lens, and how he loves the truth of the lens and expresses that love in his photography. When confronted by the blank page, in a way, he is confronting himself, as a man through all of the nuances . “There’s a freedom in affording myself or others this kind of space, to just be themselves, even if that’s for a brief moment"[11]

In 2019, Azumah Nelson won the Palm* Photo People's Choice prize[12] and was shortlisted for the Palm* Photo Prize.[13]

Writing

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Azumah Nelson's writing has been published in Litro and The White Review.[5]

His short story "Pray" was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award (2020).[13][14]

Although he is inspired by many artists, Azumah Nelson has stated that his primary role models are Zadie Smith, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Kendrick Lamar, Barry Jenkins, and his parents.[14]

Open Water (2021)

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Main article: Open Water (novel)

Azumah Nelson's debut novel, Open Water, was published on 4 February 2021 by Viking Press. It won a Costa Book Award for First Novel,[1] from the Society of Authors a Betty Trask Award (for a first novel by a writer under 35),[15] and the Somerset Maugham Award,[16] and received additional recognition or nominations for other accolades.[17]

Small Worlds (2023)

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Azumah Nelson's second novel, that he wrote in three months, was published by Viking Press in 2023.[18] Rights for a television adaptation have been acquired by Block Media.[19][20]

Small Worlds has been described by The Voice as "an exhilarating and expansive novel about the worlds we build for ourselves, the worlds we live, dance and love within."[17] It was characterised by Buzz magazine as "a stunningly poetic novel about identity, grief, and jazz."[21] Colin Grant's analysis in The Guardian included observations about it being "an affecting meditation on the migrant experience,"[22] while the reviewer for i newspaper stated that "at times Small Worlds feels like the most sensitive book ever written, because no matter how serious its themes – race riots, a parent’s depression – Azumah Nelson deals with it with profound tenderness."[23]

Small Worlds was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction in 2023[24] and won the 2024 Dylan Thomas Prize.[25][26]

Awards

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Lit Awards
Year Work Award Category Result Ref.
2020 "Pray" BBC National Short Story Award — Shortlisted [13][14]
2021 Open Water Booklist's Best First Novels — Top 10 [27]
Costa Book Award First Novel Won [3][4]
Desmond Elliott Prize — Longlisted [28]
Waterstones Book of the Year — Shortlisted [29]
2022 Betty Trask Award — Won [14]
Somerset Maugham Award — Won [14]
2023 Small Worlds Orwell Prize Political Fiction Shortlisted [24]
2024 Dylan Thomas Prize — Won [30]

Bibliography

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Novels

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  • Open Water (2021)
  • Small Worlds (2023)

Short stories

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References

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  1. ^ a b Armitstead, Claire (21 January 2022). "Interview | 'I yelled with joy': how Caleb Azumah Nelson went from Apple store employee to Costa First Novel award winner". The Guardian. London.
  2. ^ "Caleb Azumah Nelson". United Artists. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Awards: Costa Book Category, Aussie Prime Minister's Literary Winners". Shelf Awareness. 5 January 2022. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Flood, Alison (4 January 2022). "Caleb Azumah Nelson wins Costa first novel award for Open Water". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Caleb Azumah Nelson". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  6. ^ "For Caleb Azumah Nelson, There's Freedom in Feeling Seen (Published 2021)". 7 April 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  7. ^ Lamont, Tom (30 April 2023). "Novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson: 'there is a wholeness in living life not always afforded to black people'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Coventry University graduate receives glowing reviews on debut novel". Coventry University. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b Wang, Mary (23 April 2021). "Caleb Azumah Nelson: 'The confrontation with myself enabled me to find a brief freedom.'". Guernica. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  10. ^ Shaffi, Sarah; Vincent, Alice (11 January 2021). "2021 debuts: get to know our new authors". Penguin Publishing Group. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  11. ^ Pearce, Isabella; Washington, Mario; Robathan, Hannah (6 May 2021). "Caleb Azumah Nelson: "Open Water is for the young Black people who don't see themselves reflected in literature"". Shado Magazine. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Palm* Photo Prize 2021". Palm*. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  13. ^ a b c "31 Questions with Caleb Azumah Nelson". Wigtown Book Festival. 4 August 2021. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  14. ^ a b c d e Bamber, Belinda (5 January 2022). "Under The Cover... With Caleb Azumah Nelson - Culture". Country and Town House. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Graphic novel wins at the 2022 Society of Authors' Awards". Society of Authors. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Somerset Maugham Awards". The Society of Authors. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  17. ^ a b Campbell, Joel (5 May 2023). "Caleb Azumah Nelson delivers 'Small Worlds'". The Voice.
  18. ^ Lamont, Tom (30 April 2023). "Novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson: 'there is a wholeness in living life not always afforded to black people". The Observer.
  19. ^ Fraser, Katie (10 January 2023). "Brock Media will adapt Nelson's 'contemporary masterpiece' for the screen". The Bookseller. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  20. ^ "Sarah Brocklehurst's Brock Media wins rights to Small Worlds" (Press release). BBC Media Centre. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  21. ^ "SMALL WORLDS by Caleb Azumah Nelson: a stunningly poetic novel about identity, grief, and jazz". Buzz. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  22. ^ "Review | Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson review – dancing in Peckham". The Guardian. 3 May 2023.
  23. ^ Duerden, Nick (4 May 2023). "Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson, review: A mesmerising Peckham love story". 1.
  24. ^ a b "Kingsolver, Azumah Nelson and Kenway shortlisted for Orwell Prizes". The Bookseller. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  25. ^ Brown, Lauren (16 May 2024). "Caleb Azumah Nelson wins Dylan Thomas Prize for Small Worlds". The Bookseller. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  26. ^ Bryan, Nicola (16 May 2024). "British-Ghanaian writer wins Dylan Thomas Prize". BBC News. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  27. ^ Seaman, Donna (1 November 2021). "Top 10 First Novels: 2021". Booklist. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  28. ^ Blau, Jessica Anya (20 April 2021). "Awards: Desmond Elliott Longlist". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  29. ^ Nygaard, Mads (29 October 2021). "Awards: Kirkus Winners; Waterstones Book of the Year Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  30. ^ Creamer, Ella (16 May 2024). "Caleb Azumah Nelson wins £20,000 Dylan Thomas prize for Small Worlds". The Guardian.
  31. ^ "A Little Unsteadily Into Light". New Island Books. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
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