Caleb Azumah Nelson Explained

Caleb Azumah Nelson
Birth Date:[1]
Alma Mater:Coventry University
Nationality:British-Ghanaian
Notable Works:Open Water (2021); Small Worlds (2023)
Awards:CostaFirst Novel (2021)
Betty Trask Award (2022)
Somerset Maugham Award (2022)
Dylan Thomas Prize (2024)

Caleb Azumah Nelson (born 1993)[2] is a British–Ghanaian writer and photographer. His 2021 debut novel, Open Water, won the Costa Book Award for First Novel.[3] [4]

Personal life

Azumah Nelson grew up in and currently lives in London.[5] For the first six years of his life, he lived with his maternal grandmother after she moved to London from Ghana, though she eventually returned to her home country.

He was educated at a "predominantly black primary school" before obtaining a scholarship to the independent Alleyn's School London.[6] [7] He graduated from Coventry University.[8]

Beyond writing and photography, Azumah Nelson played violin for 10 years.

Azumah Nelson's dream to become an author began as a teenager in 2019, after his godfather, aunt and three of his grandparents died.[9] Thereafter, Azumah Nelson handed in his notice at Apple and began writing full time.[4]

Photography

At 18 years old Azumah Nelson began using a film camera to continue his passion for photography.[10]

Azumah Nelson believes his "writing and photography go hand in hand; as they both act as sites of honest expression, that continually encourage him to think about how he sees the world, to motivate others and himself and move through it through the eyes of the lens, and how he loves the truth of the lens and expresses that love in his photography. When confronted by the blank page, in a way, he is confronting himself, as a man through all of the nuances . “There’s a freedom in affording myself or others this kind of space, to just be themselves, even if that’s for a brief moment"[11]

In 2019, Azumah Nelson won the Palm* Photo People's Choice prize[12] and was shortlisted for the Palm* Photo Prize.

Writing

Azumah Nelson's writing has been published in Litro and The White Review.

His short story "Pray" was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award (2020).[13] [14]

Although he is inspired by many artists, Azumah Nelson has stated that his primary role models are Zadie Smith, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Kendrick Lamar, Barry Jenkins, and his parents.

Open Water (2021)

See main article: Open Water (novel). Azumah Nelson's debut novel, Open Water, was published on 4 February 2021 by Viking Press. It won a Costa Book Award for First Novel, from the Society of Authors a Betty Trask Award (for a first novel by a writer under 35),[15] and the Somerset Maugham Award,[16] and received additional recognition or nominations for other accolades.[17]

Small Worlds (2023)

Azumah Nelson's second novel, that he wrote in three months, was published by Viking Press in 2023.[18] Rights for a television adaptation have been acquired by Block Media.[19] [20]

Small Worlds has been described by The Voice as "an exhilarating and expansive novel about the worlds we build for ourselves, the worlds we live, dance and love within." It was characterised by Buzz magazine as "a stunningly poetic novel about identity, grief, and jazz."[21] Colin Grant's analysis in The Guardian included observations about it being "an affecting meditation on the migrant experience,"[22] while the reviewer for i newspaper stated that "at times Small Worlds feels like the most sensitive book ever written, because no matter how serious its themes – race riots, a parent’s depression – Azumah Nelson deals with it with profound tenderness."[23]

Small Worlds was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction in 2023[24] and won the 2024 Dylan Thomas Prize.[25] [26]

Awards

Lit Awards !Year!Work!Award!Category!Result!Ref.
2020"Pray"BBC National Short Story Award—
2021Open WaterBooklist's Best First Novels—[27]
Costa Book AwardFirst Novel
Desmond Elliott Prize—[28]
Waterstones Book of the Year—[29]
2022Betty Trask Prize and AwardsBetty Trask Award
—
2023Small WorldsOrwell PrizePolitical Fiction
2024Dylan Thomas Prize—[30]

Bibliography

Novels

Short stories

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Interview 'I yelled with joy': how Caleb Azumah Nelson went from Apple store employee to Costa First Novel award winner. Claire Armitstead. Claire. Armitstead. The Guardian. London. 21 January 2022.
  2. Web site: Caleb Azumah Nelson. United Artists. 18 May 2024.
  3. Web site: 2022-01-05 . Awards: Costa Book Category, Aussie Prime Minister's Literary Winners . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220105131550/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4142#m54897 . 2022-01-05 . 2022-01-07 . Shelf Awareness.
  4. News: Flood . Alison . 2022-01-04 . Caleb Azumah Nelson wins Costa first novel award for Open Water . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220106085144/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jan/04/caleb-azumah-nelson-wins-costa-first-novel-award-for-open-water . 2022-01-06 . 2022-01-07 . The Guardian . en.
  5. Web site: Caleb Azumah Nelson. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211006103238/https://www.nationalbook.org/people/caleb-azumah-nelson/. 2021-10-06. 2022-01-07. National Book Foundation. en-US.
  6. News: 2021-04-07 . For Caleb Azumah Nelson, There's Freedom in Feeling Seen (Published 2021) . en . 2023-08-09.
  7. News: Lamont . Tom . 2023-04-30 . Novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson: 'there is a wholeness in living life not always afforded to black people' . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-08-09 . 0261-3077.
  8. Web site: Coventry University graduate receives glowing reviews on debut novel. Coventry University. 4 March 2021. 25 August 2024.
  9. Web site: Shaffi. Sarah. Vincent. Alice. 2021-01-11. 2021 debuts: get to know our new authors. live. 2022-01-07. Penguin Publishing Group. 2021-08-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20210812211745/https://penguin.co.uk/articles/2021/january/debut-novels-2021-fiction-reading.html.
  10. Web site: Wang. Mary. 2021-04-23. Caleb Azumah Nelson: 'The confrontation with myself enabled me to find a brief freedom.'. 2022-01-07. Guernica. en-US. 2021-05-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20210516130842/https://www.guernicamag.com/miscellaneous-files-caleb-azumah-nelson/. live.
  11. Web site: Pearce. Isabella. Washington. Mario. Robathan. Hannah. 2021-05-06. Caleb Azumah Nelson: "Open Water is for the young Black people who don’t see themselves reflected in literature". live. 2022-01-07. Shado Magazine. en-US. 2021-05-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20210513170224/https://shado-mag.com/all/caleb-azumah-nelson-open-water-is-for-the-young-black-people-who-dont-see-themselves-reflected-in-literature/.
  12. Web site: Palm* Photo Prize 2021. live. 2022-01-07. Palm*. 2021-03-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20210301151215/https://contests.picter.com/palm-photo-prize-2021.
  13. Web site: 4 August 2021. 31 Questions with Caleb Azumah Nelson. live. 2022-01-07. Wigtown Book Festival. en-US. 2021-10-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20211009103316/https://www.wigtownbookfestival.com/blog/31-questions-with-caleb-azumah-nelson.
  14. Web site: Bamber. Belinda. 2022-01-05. Under The Cover... With Caleb Azumah Nelson - Culture. live. 2022-01-07. Country and Town House. en-GB. 2022-01-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20220105104138/https://www.countryandtownhouse.co.uk/culture/caleb-azumah-nelson-interview/.
  15. Web site: Graphic novel wins at the 2022 Society of Authors’ Awards. Society of Authors. 1 June 2022. 18 May 2024.
  16. Web site: Somerset Maugham Awards. The Society of Authors. 18 May 2024.
  17. News: Caleb Azumah Nelson delivers 'Small Worlds'. The Voice. Joel. Campbell. 5 May 2023.
  18. News: 30 April 2023. Tom. Lamont. The Observer. Novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson: 'there is a wholeness in living life not always afforded to black people.
  19. Brock Media will adapt Nelson's 'contemporary masterpiece' for the screen. Katie. Fraser. The Bookseller. 10 January 2023. 12 May 2023.
  20. Sarah Brocklehurst’s Brock Media wins rights to Small Worlds. BBC Media Centre. 10 January 2023. 18 May 2024.
  21. Web site: SMALL WORLDS by Caleb Azumah Nelson: a stunningly poetic novel about identity, grief, and jazz. Buzz. 12 May 2023. 12 May 2023.
  22. News: Review Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson review – dancing in Peckham. The Guardian. 3 May 2023.
  23. News: Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson, review: A mesmerising Peckham love story. Nick. Duerden. 1. 4 May 2023.
  24. Web site: Kingsolver, Azumah Nelson and Kenway shortlisted for Orwell Prizes . 2024-07-05 . The Bookseller . En.
  25. Caleb Azumah Nelson wins Dylan Thomas Prize for Small Worlds. Lauren. Brown. The Bookseller. 16 May 2024. 18 May 2024.
  26. Web site: British-Ghanaian writer wins Dylan Thomas Prize. Nicola. Bryan. BBC News. 16 May 2024. 18 May 2023.
  27. Web site: Seaman . Donna . 2021-11-01 . Top 10 First Novels: 2021 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220107150741/https://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=9755821 . 2022-01-07 . 2022-01-07 . Booklist.
  28. Web site: Blau . Jessica Anya . 2021-04-20 . Awards: Desmond Elliott Longlist . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210427005500/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3968 . 2021-04-27 . 2022-01-07 . Shelf Awareness.
  29. Web site: Nygaard . Mads . 2021-10-29 . Awards: Kirkus Winners; Waterstones Book of the Year Shortlist . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211119094807/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4102 . 2021-11-19 . 2022-01-07 . Shelf Awareness.
  30. News: Caleb Azumah Nelson wins £20,000 Dylan Thomas prize for Small Worlds. Ella. Creamer. The Guardian. 16 May 2024.
  31. Web site: A Little Unsteadily Into Light . 2023-01-28 . New Island Books.

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