Helon HABILA

Helon HABILA
  • Africa
  • Western Africa
  • Nigeria
English

Helon HABILA began his career in journalism, a s the literary editor for the Lagos-based Vanguard Newspaper. In 2000, he won two of the country's major literary awards for his poem, "Another Age,"and for his short story, "The Butterfly and the Artist." In 2001, his short story, "Love Poems," won him the coveted Caine Prize for African Writing. Then his debut novel, Waiting for an Angel (2003), which follows the difficulties faced by a young journalist writing under military rule in a country like Nigeria, won the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Book, African Region. He is currently the African Writing Fellow at the University of East Anglia in the UK and has a new novel, Measuring Time, due out in 2005. Mr. Habila is participating courtesy of the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation and the William B. Quarton International Writing Program Scholarship.

Happening Now

  • We regret the passing, on April 11, 2024, of the distinguished Romanian author and critic Dan Cristea, who served as the editor in chief of the Luceafărul de Dimineață cultural monthly. In addition to being an alum of the 1985 Fall Residency, Cristea received his PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of Iowa.

  • Our congratulations to 1986 Fall Residency writer Kwame Dawes, who has been named the new poet laureate of Jamaica.

  • Congratulations to our colleagues Jennifer Croft and Aron Aji, who are among those serving as judges for the National Book Awards this year, in their case in the category of translated literature.

  • Ranjit Hoskote’s speech at the 2024 Goa Literary Festival addresses the current situation in Gaza.

  • In NY Times, Bina Shah worries about the state of Pakistani—and American—democracy.

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