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]
Caleb Azumah Nelson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993 or 1994[1] |
| Nationality | British-Ghanaian |
| Occupations |
|
| Notable work | Open Water (2021); Small Worlds (2023) |
| Awards | Costa Book Award for First Novel Betty Trask Award Somerset Maugham Award Dylan Thomas Prize |
Personal life edit
Azumah Nelson grew up in and currently lives in southeast London (Bellingham).[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.[6] Although Azumah Nelson hopes to travel more and visit Ghana again, he intends to remain in Bellingham for most of his life.[6]
He was educated at a "predominantly black primary school" before obtaining a scholarship to the "elite" independent Alleyn's School in the "affluent neighbourhood of Dulwich", which waived all his fees.[7][8]
Beyond writing and photography, Azumah Nelson played violin for 10 years.[6]
Azumah Nelson's dream to become an author began as a teenager. In 2019, after his godfather, aunt, and three of his grandparents died,[9] he quit his job at Apple and began writing full time.[4]
Photography edit
Azumah Nelson began shooting using a film camera when he was around 18 years old.[6]
He believes his "writing and photography go hand in hand; they both act as sites of honest expression, and encourage me to think about how I see the world, how I move through it, how I love and express that love. When I’m confronted by the blank page, in a way, I’m confronting myself, who I am, all of the nuances which make me. 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."[10]
In 2019, Azumah Nelson won the Palm* Photo People's Choice prize[11] and was shortlisted for the Palm* Photo Prize.[12]
Writing edit
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).[12][13]
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.[13]
Azumah Nelson has won much acclaim for his first two novels.
Open Water (2021) edit
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] and from the Society of Authors a Betty Trask Award (for a first novel by a writer under 35)[14] as well as the Somerset Maugham Award,[15] among other accolades.[16]
Small Worlds (2023) edit
Azumah Nelson's second novel, which he wrote in three months, was published by Viking in 2023.[17] Rights for a television adaptation have been acquired by Block Media.[18][19]
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."[16] It was characterised by Buzz magazine as "a stunningly poetic novel about identity, grief, and jazz."[20] Colin Grant's analysis in The Guardian included observations about it being "an affecting meditation on the migrant experience,"[21] 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."[22]
Small Worlds won the 2024 Dylan Thomas Prize.[23][24]
Awards edit
| Year | Work | Award | Result | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | "Pray" | BBC National Short Story Award | — | Shortlisted | [12][13] |
| 2021 | Open Water | Booklist's Best First Novels | — | Top 10 | [25] |
| Costa Book Award | First Novel | Won | [3][4] | ||
| Desmond Elliott Prize | — | Longlisted | [26] | ||
| Waterstones Book of the Year | — | Shortlisted | [27] | ||
| 2022 | Betty Trask Award | — | Won | [13] | |
| Somerset Maugham Award | — | Won | [13] | ||
| 2024 | Small Worlds | Dylan Thomas Prize | — | Won | [28] |
Bibliography edit
Novels edit
- Open Water (2021)
- Small Worlds (2023)
Short stories edit
- A Little Unsteadily into Light (2022, New Island Books)[29]
References edit
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Caleb Azumah Nelson". United Artists. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Caleb Azumah Nelson". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ "For Caleb Azumah Nelson, There's Freedom in Feeling Seen (Published 2021)". 7 April 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Palm* Photo Prize 2021". Palm*. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Graphic novel wins at the 2022 Society of Authors' Awards". Society of Authors. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Somerset Maugham Awards". The Society of Authors. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ a b Campbell, Joel (5 May 2023). "Caleb Azumah Nelson delivers 'Small Worlds'". The Voice.
- ^ Lamont, Tom (30 April 2023). "Novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson: 'there is a wholeness in living life not always afforded to black people". The Observer.
- ^ Fraser, Katie (10 January 2023). "Brock Media will adapt Nelson's 'contemporary masterpiece' for the screen". The Bookseller. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "Sarah Brocklehurst's Brock Media wins rights to Small Worlds" (Press release). BBC Media Centre. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "SMALL WORLDS by Caleb Azumah Nelson: a stunningly poetic novel about identity, grief, and jazz". Buzz. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "Review | Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson review – dancing in Peckham". The Guardian. 3 May 2023.
- ^ Duerden, Nick (4 May 2023). "Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson, review: A mesmerising Peckham love story". 1.
- ^ Brown, Lauren (16 May 2024). "Caleb Azumah Nelson wins Dylan Thomas Prize for Small Worlds". The Bookseller. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ Bryan, Nicola (16 May 2024). "British-Ghanaian writer wins Dylan Thomas Prize". BBC News. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ Seaman, Donna (1 November 2021). "Top 10 First Novels: 2021". Booklist. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ Blau, Jessica Anya (20 April 2021). "Awards: Desmond Elliott Longlist". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Creamer, Ella (16 May 2024). "Caleb Azumah Nelson wins £20,000 Dylan Thomas prize for Small Worlds". The Guardian.
- ^ "A Little Unsteadily Into Light". New Island Books. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
External links edit
- "We meet Lewisham's breakthrough novelist", Catford Chronicle, February 2021.
- Lauren Christensen, "For Caleb Azumah Nelson, There’s Freedom in Feeling Seen", The New York Times, 7 April 2021.
- Killian Fox, "On my radar: Caleb Azumah Nelson’s cultural highlights", The Guardian, 12 February 2022.