Emezi’s debut novel Freshwater is heavily autobiographical, and wrestles with the limitations of existing in a single body. Akwaeke Emezi’s social media followers love the videos they posts of themselves dancing when they are in a particularly good mood—and, lately, they have had many reasons to celebrate. The Igbo and Tamil writer’s debut novel, Freshwater, was published to resounding praise in early 2018, prompting the sale of two future novels. Both the protagonist of their unflinching bildungsroman and the author identify as ogbanje—in Emezi’s words, “an Igbo spirit that’s born into a human body, a kind of malevolent This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 50 Angela Trimbur An all-out tour de force. Arts & Culture Issue 50 On the Shelf Writer Hua Hsu on faxes and friendship. Arts & Culture Issue 49 Amalie Smith The Danish arts writer finding clarity between the lines. Arts & Culture Issue 47 Julia Bainbridge On the life-enhancing potential of not drinking alcohol. Arts & Culture Food Issue 46 At Work With: Deb Perelman The little blog that could: An interview with Smitten Kitchen’s unflappable founder. Arts & Culture Issue 45 Lisa Taddeo On writing the secret lives of women.
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