SUCCESS STORIES, PUBLICATIONS AND AWARDS PROFILE
About Ben Okri
Okri started writing novels and articles in 1976 after being rejected by a Nigerian institution. While employed by a paint firm, he created a play and a book. After moving to England, he attended the University of Essex to study comparative literature before continuing to write in London. In 1980, Longman released his debut book, Flowers and Shadows, about a boy disillusioned with Nigeria’s corrupt culture after learning that his father is a member. In contrast to The Landscapes Within (1981), the main character, Omovo, is a young painter who lives in Lagos in Okri’s novel, which he says is “not autobiographical at all” (Wilkinson 1992:79). © 2004-2014 Daria Tunca.
PUBLISHING TIMELINE OF BEN OKRI
Ben Okri’s Publishing Journey
Ben Okri read his way through his father’s library and found his true vocation. He began writing at a very early age. He began with poetry and then published articles and essays about the living conditions of the poor in the slums of Lagos. Then he wrote short stories and eventually what was to become his first novel, ‘Flowers and Shadows.’
‘The Famished Road’ is the first book in The Famished Road Trilogy, which included ‘Songs of Enchantment’ and ‘Infinite Riches.’ Since then there have been many novels, books of poems, collections of essays. The Famished Road won the Booker Prize that year. It was the first Booker Prize winner to go straight to number one in the paperback bestseller lists. The novel has been highly influential in the decades since its release. When President Clinton went to Africa for the first time, he quoted extensively from The Famished Road. Most of Okri’s novels and peoms were published in the United Kingdom by Longman, Jonathan Cape, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, and by Head of Zeus.
AWARD AND PRIZE-WINNING TIMELINE OF BEN OKRI
Ben Okri’s Awards and Prizes
Ben Okri’s works have won numerous national and international prizes, including the Booker Prize for Fiction. He has also received many honorary doctorates for his contribution to Literature. Recently, his Grenfell poem, on Channel Four YouTube, has received more than 6million visits on Facebook.
VARIOUS LANGUAGES TRANSLATIONS OF OKRI’S NOVELS
Translations of Ben Okri’s Novels
Ben Okri’s novels have been translated into several major languages, including:
- French – Some of Okri’s novels have been translated into French, such as “The Famished Road” (La route de la faim) and “In Arcadia” (Dans l’Arcadie).
- Spanish – Spanish translations of Okri’s novels include titles like “The Famished Road” (El río de la vida) and “Astonishing the Gods” (Asombrando a los dioses).
- German – Okri’s works have also been translated into German, with novels like “The Famished Road” (Weg ohne Namen) and “Starbook” (Die geheimen Fragmente eines verschollenen Buches).
- Italian – Italian translations of Okri’s novels include titles like “The Famished Road” (La strada famelica) and “The Age of Magic” (L’età della magia).
- Dutch – Some of Okri’s novels have been translated into Dutch, with titles like “The Famished Road” (De hongerende weg) and “Dangerous Love” (Gevaarlijke liefde).
These are just a few examples of the languages to which Ben Okri’s novels have been translated. His works have gained international recognition and been made available in several other languages as well.