Nigerian Author Voted ‘Literary Person Of The Year

Lola Shoneyin Nigeria poet and novelist has been named the Literary Person of the Year by African portal Brittle Paper.

Shoneyin, who is the third recipient of the prize, was named for her extraordinary contribution to the growth and development of “creative culture” on the continent.

 “Both in her writing and her work as a community leader, Shoneyin tirelessly advocates for a culture of creative and critical thought,” says Dr. Ainehi Edoro, founder of Brittle Paper.

“In 2017, Shoneyin, more than anyone else out there, has worked the hardest to provide platforms where communities of readers and writers are empowered to think, do, and create,” Edoro adds.

Aside from her own writing, which has been internationally lauded, Shoneyin was also one of the founders of Nigerian indie publishing house Ouida Books, which has made the works of Nnedi Okorafor and Ayobami Adebayo available to Nigerian readers.