Blessings (novel)
 | |
| Author | Chukwuebuka Ibeh |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Viking Books |
Publication date | 4 June 2024 |
| ISBN | 9780735248052 |
Blessings is a 2024 novel by Nigerian author Chukwuebuka Ibeh. It was published by Penguin Random House's Viking Books imprint in 2024.[1][2]
Plot summary
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (June 2024) |
Author
[edit]Chukwuebuka Ibeh was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 2000.[3] He is currently pursuing an MFA degree at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.[4] His writing, described by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as "so wonderfully observant...with a nostalgia for the past",[5] has appeared in McSweeney's Quarterly Review,[6] The New England Review of Books, Dappled Things.[7] and Lolwe.[8] In 2019, he was named by Electric Literature as one of the "Most Promising New Voices of Nigerian Fiction".[9]
Development and publication
[edit]Viking Books announced its acquisition of Ibeh's "miraculous" debut novel in October 2022.[10] In May 2023, a year before the book's release, the film rights were sold to The Artists Partnership, a talent agency based in London.[4] In that same month, Ibeh gave a TEDx Talk entitled "What Are African Values?" delivered at TEDxWUSTL in St Louis, Missouri.[11]
Reception
[edit]Blessings was positively received, including public recommendation from Zadie Smith.[12] In The New York Times, Joshua Barone praised the novel's prose, describing it as "revelatory yet unresolved, simple yet polyphonic, hopeful yet full of heartbreak."[13] A five-star review in The Telegraph called it "a smart literary attack on Nigeria's anti-gay laws."[14] The Observer described the novel as a "poignant tale of a talented and sensitive Nigerian boy, Obiefuna, who is caught by his conservative father in a clinch with another young man", ultimately deeming it "an emotive, affecting debut".[3] Buzz Magazine called it "a profound exploration of identity and acceptance."[15] The Sunday Times called it "a moving debut about love and loneliness."[16]
In a slightly less enthusiastic review, The Times Literary Supplement praised the book's "remarkably well-executed scenes", while saying it expected "a more compelling portrayal of the city and people of Port Harcourt".[17]
Blessings was longlisted for the 2024 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.[18] The book landed among Esquire's list of recommended books of 2024.[19] USA Today named it among the year's "best books by Black authors".[20]
References
[edit]- ^ "Chukwuebuka Ibeh | Blessings". Penguin Books Ltd.
- ^ Ghosh, Kuhelika (1 November 2022). "22-Year-Old Chukwuebuka Ibeh's Debut Novel Blessings Will Be Published By Viking in 2024". Brittle Paper. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ a b Mamata, Bidisha (3 March 2024). "Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh review – when a clinch is a crime". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ a b Ghosh, Kuhelika (18 May 2023). "Chukwuebuka Ibeh's Forthcoming Novel Secures Film Agent and 4 International Book Deals". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Purple Hibiscus Literary Evening Event with Chimamanda Adichie". Brittle Paper. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Mary, Queen of Angels 2021". McSweeney's. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ "Mary, Queen of Angels 2021". Dappled Things. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ Lolwe; Troy (18 May 2020). "The Ache of Longing - Chukwuebuka Ibeh". Lolwe. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ Zimmerman, Jess (11 July 2019). "Meet the Most Promising New Voices of Nigerian Fiction". Electric Literature. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Bayley, Sian (31 October 2022). "Viking scoops 'miraculous' début by Ibeh in exclusive submission". The Bookseller. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ What Are African Values? | Chukwuebuka Ibeh | TEDxWUSTL, 26 May 2023, retrieved 21 March 2024
- ^ Ghosh, Kuhelika (25 September 2023). "The Debut Novel Zadie Smith Wants Everyone to Read: Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Barone, Joshua (4 June 2024). "A Queer Coming-of-Age Tale, Set in a Brutal Anti-Gay World". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ Waters, Katherine (7 February 2024). "A smart literary attack on Nigeria's anti-gay laws". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "BLESSINGS: a profound exploration of identity and acceptance". Buzz Magazine. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Blessings", Library Marketing, Penguin Random House.
- ^ Shirbon, Estelle (1 March 2024). "Magic and terror – Same-sex love in a hostile Nigeria". TLS.
- ^ Digital, Make (30 April 2024). "2024 Longlist". Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ Wong, Henry (1 May 2024). "The Biggest Books Landing on Your Reading List in 2024". Esquire. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ Mangino, Samantha (23 February 2024). "These are some of the best books by Black authors to read in 2024". Reviewed. Retrieved 8 June 2024.