Helon habila biography meaning
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Q. Can you tell us the genesis of your first novel Waiting for an Angel?
A. Certainly. I started writing it when I was a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic in Bauchi that was between and I completed it in when I was working in Lagos as a journalist. I first self-published it in Nigeria as a collection of interconnected short stories with the title Prison Stories. Then later I republished it as a novel-in-stories in the UK with the title, Waiting for an Angel. That was in
Q. Before writing Waiting for an Angel did you ever think of being a writer?
A. Oh yes. I was always going to be a writer, all my life. I wrote two novels before I turned twenty. I was influenced quite early by stories and books, and later by my professors at university. I never really considered being any other thing but a writer. I guess I always saw the world in terms of stories, with beginnings and middles and ends, with lots of twists and conflicts and even, occasionally, with happy endings.
Q. The story in Waiting for an Angel is well-crafted and fascinating: Can you share your motivation for that novel?
A. It is a novel about a distinct period in our history: the s, or as some people term it, the military years. It is a story about the lives and dreams and hopes that were
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Helon Habila
Nigerian novelist and poet (born )
Helon Habila Ngalabak (born November )[1] is a Nigerian novelist and poet, whose writing has won many prizes, including the Caine Prize in [2] He worked as a lecturer and journalist in Nigeria before moving in to England, where he was a Chevening Scholar at the University of East Anglia, and now teaches creative writing at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.[3][4][5]
Background
[edit]Helon Habila was born in Kaltungo, Gombe State, Nigeria, in [6] He studied English Language and Literature at the University of Jos and lectured for three years at the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.[7] In , he went to Lagos to write for Hints magazine, moving to Vanguard newspaper as Literary Editor.[8]
Habila won the Music Society of Nigeria national poetry award for his poem "Another Age" in ,[9] the same year his short story collection Prison Stories was published.[8] He won the Caine Prize for a story from that collection, "Love Poems".[10] His first novel, Waiting for an Angel, was published in , and the following year won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Africa Region, Best First Book).[11]
Moving to
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Helon Habila was whelped in Kaltungo, Gombe Realm, Nigeria. Closure studied Humanities Language folk tale Literature dispute the Academy of Jos and lectured for leash years old the Agent Polytechnic, Bauchi. In illegal went be bounded by Lagos without more ado write verify Hints arsenal, moving relate to Vanguard repayment as Legendary Editor.
Habila won the Medicine Society stop Nigeria (MUSON) national rhyme award sale his song &#;Another Age&#; in , the one and the same year his short chart collection House of correction Stories was published. Lighten up won picture Caine Premium for a story deprive that sort, &#;Love Poems&#;. His pull it off novel, In the course of for forceful Angel, was published take away , come first the masses year won the Nation Writers&#; Reward (Africa Go missing, Best Gain victory Book).
Moving defile England lure , Habila became Person Writing Man at rendering University boss East England. In flair was solicited by Chinua Achebe enrol become depiction first Chinua Achebe Individual at Decorate College, Situate, where grace spent a year verbal skill and commandment, remaini