Elnathan John is a full time writer, novelist, satirist and as he likes to say, a “recovering” lawyer. He was born in Kaduna, Nigeria in 1982. He attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained his law degree.
Elnathan is well-known for his satire which ridicules systemic corruption. He wittily talks about currents affairs in his writings. For instance, in his famous “Dear Buhari” letters. Nobody is spared from John’s sharp tongue, not even the president. Similarly, his fiction documents the Northern Nigerian experience he fears is often overlooked.
Elnathan began writing full time in 2012 and in 2013, his short story was shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing.
Subsequently, his story titled Flying graced the Caine Prize shortlist in 2015. Since then, he has gone on to win numerous awards.
Read also: Teju Cole: A brief biography
Some of his other awards include:
- Shortlist for the Nigeria Prize for Literature, 2016
- Long list for the Etisalat Prize for African Literature
- Miles Morland Writing Scholarship, 2018
Published books
- Born on a Tuesday
- Becoming Nigerian
- On Ajayi Crowther Street
According to Jenny Lyons, “Born on a Tuesday is a powerful and compelling debut novel set in Nigeria during the time of a political uprising.”
Above all, Elnathan remains an important voice in the Nigerian literary and political spaces. In 2019, he was one of the judges of the Man Booker International Prize. At the same time, his writings have been published in Sunday Trust, Chimurenga, Pet Contra, Evergreen Review, e.t.c.
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