Yemisi Aribisala Explained

Yemisi Aribisala
Birth Name:Yẹ́misí Aríbisálà
Birth Date:27 April 1973
Birth Place:Nigeria
Nationality:Nigerian
Other Names:Yẹ́misí Ogbe
Education:University of Wolverhampton, University of Wales
Occupation:Writer

Yemisi Aribisala (born 27 April 1973) is a Nigerian essayist, writer, painter, and food memoirist. She has been described as having a "fearless, witty, and unapologetic voice"[1] Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, Vogue magazine, Chimurenga, Popula, Google Arts & Culture, The Johannesburg Review of Books, Critical Muslim 26: Gastronomy, Sandwich Magazine (The African Scramble), The Guardian (UK), Aké Review, and Olongo Africa.

Aribisala is renowned for her work in documenting Nigerian food as an entry point to thinking and understanding the culture and society. Her first book, Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex, and the Nigerian Taste Buds, won the John Avery Prize at the André Simon Book Awards 2016.[2] [3] Her work has also appeared in New Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Writing by Women of African Descent (edited by Margaret Busby, 2019),[4] In the Kitchen: Essays on Food and Life, and The Best American Food Writing 2019 (edited by Samin Nosrat).[5]

Aribisala currently lives in London, United Kingdom.[6]

Life and career

Aribisala attended the University of Wolverhampton, England, where she obtained a law degree in 1995. She subsequently earned a master's degree in Legal Aspects of Maritime Affairs and International Transport from the University of Wales, Cardiff, in 1997.

Writing

She was the founding editor of the trailblazing Nigerian literary and culture publication Farafina Magazine.[7]

From 2009 to 2011, she was the food columnist at the now-defunct, groundbreaking 234Next newspaper, where she first gained public attention, writing under the name Yẹ́misí Ogbe. She regularly contributes to literary publications, including the Chimurenga Chronicle, the avant-garde culture newspaper.

Works

Longthroat Memoirs

On 31 October 2016, Aribisala's debut book of essays was published in Nigeria by Cassava Republic Press. It was titled Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex, and the Nigerian Taste Buds, a collection of essays exploring "the cultural politics and erotics of Nigerian cuisine".[8] It has been well received, being shortlisted for an André Simon Food and Drink Book Award and winning the John Avery Award.[9]

Of her work the following has been said: "It is difficult to translate senses through words, but Aribisala manages to communicate the tastes, tickles and aromas of various African spices and ingredients wonderfully."[10] The book has been described as "part straight cookbook, part cultural history, part travelogue, part intimate confessional, it's as complex and mysterious as one of the Nigerian soups Aribisala describes so evocatively in its pages"[11] and a work "that carries the weight of so much cultural and literary burden, and manages to discharge it with grace and style."[12] "[S]he joins thinkers like Chinua Achebe in rejecting the stereotype of the African writer as a mere storyteller, not a thinker."[13]

She has been compared to writers such as Aminatta Forna and Binyavanga Wainaina who "play with the ontology of the 21st century African memoir, and oscillate between the deeply personal and the distinctly political"; a book that is a "mouth-watering appraisal of the cultural politics and erotics of Nigerian cuisine".[14] The pages [of her book] sing with her clever, beautiful prose and sharp eye.[15] It is a work "redolent with spice, rippling with humour and sexual innuendo, her memoirs conjure up fantasies that can only be satisfied by reading another chapter."[16]

The cover image was designed by UK-based artist Lynn Hatzius https://www.lynnhatzius.com/illustration/book-covers, who said that her intention with the artwork was "to show how food culture is an ingrained part of us... I wanted the cover image to convey the joy of this and to invite the reader into Yemisi Aribisala's own celebration of food."[17]

Prizes and honours

In January 2017, Aribisala's debut book Longthroat Memoirs won the John Avery Prize at the André Simon Book Awards 2016.

In March 2017, Aribisala was listed as one of the 100 inspiring women in Nigeria in 2017.[18]

On 13 February 2018, Longthroat Memoirs: Soups Sex & Nigerian Taste Buds was shortlisted for the 2018 Art of Eating Prize. https://artofeating.com/prize/short-list/

In May 2018 Longthroat Memoirs: Soups Sex & Nigerian Taste Buds won a Gourmand World Cookbook Award in C13 African-Published in Africa category. https://www.cookbookfair.com/index.php/login/itemlist/category/11-winners

Selected writings

Notable interviews/excerpts/reviews

Notes and References

  1. News: Sarah Ladipo Manyika's Seven Bold And New International Voices. Vela. Sarah Ladipo . Manyika. Sarah Ladipo Manyika. 21 December 2016.
  2. News: Yemisi Aribisala becomes first black African to win John Avery award. Saminu. Machunga. 26 January 2017. TheCable Lifestyle. en-US. 31 January 2017.
  3. Web site: 2015 Andre Simon Book Awards – the annual awards for food and drink books.. www.andresimon.co.uk. 21 December 2016.
  4. Web site: Power to define yourself The diaspora of female black voices. Ladee. Hubbard. TLS. 10 May 2019. 20 July 2021.
  5. Web site: The Best American Food Writing 2019. Publishers Weekly. 8 November 2019.
  6. News: A Luxurious Squash and Lamb Stew for the Holidays. Ligaya. Mishan. The New York Times. 25 October 2023.
  7. Web site: Nigeria is not a country: Of ogbono, snails, sex, eccles, and hell's longing. Pa Ikhide. 5 February 2017. Ikhide R. . Ikheloa. 20 July 2021.
  8. Web site: Publisher's expansion brings Nigerian writers to world stage. Fick. Maggie. 27 November 2016. Financial Times. 21 December 2016.
  9. Web site: Yemisi Aribisala's John Avery Award Win Puts African Food Writing on World Map. Otosirieze. Obi-Young. Brittle Paper. 6 February 2017. 20 July 2021.
  10. Web site: Reading like a writer: An annotated reading list. Stier. Jordan. 30 October 2015. Stier of the Nation. 21 December 2016.
  11. Web site: In Praise of Longthroat Memoirs: Meeting the Person of Nigerian Food – Marta Maretich. martamaretich.com. 21 December 2016.
  12. Web site: A Book for the Tasting – Village Factor. villagefactor.com. en-GB. 31 January 2017.
  13. Web site: Nigeria is not a country: Of ogbono, snails, sex, eccles, and hell's longing. 5 February 2017. Pa Ikhide. Ikhide. 6 February 2017.
  14. News: Africa, not a single story. Goyal. Sana. 17 February 2017. livemint.com. 18 February 2017.
  15. News: Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds. Sue. Quinn. 12 February 2017. Pen & Spoon. 18 February 2017. en-US.
  16. News: BOOK REVIEW: Hearty and hilarious taste of Nigerian life. Madeleine. Morrow. BusinessDay. 11 May 2017. 5 June 2017. en-US.
  17. Web site: Yemisi Aribisala's 'Longthroat Memoirs' A Book About Soups, Sex And Nigerian Taste Buds. Banke. Caine. Farabale Weekly. 28 October 2016. 21 December 2016.
  18. News: Amina Mohammed, Mo Abudu, Somkele Idhalama & more! YNaija.com and Leading Ladies Africa present the 100 most inspiring women in Nigeria. 8 March 2017. YNaija. 10 March 2017. en-GB.
  19. Web site: 2021-02-03. Boy in a Gèlè. Yemisi. Aribisala. 2021-02-20. Olongo Africa. en.
  20. Aribisala. Yemisi. The Beauty and Burden of Being a Nigerian Bride. 2021-02-20. The New Yorker. en-us.
  21. The Girls Who Fainted at the Sight of an Egg. Aribisala. Yemisi. 2 January 2018. The New Yorker. 2 January 2018. 0028-792X.
  22. Web site: Sister Outsider The Chimurenga Chronic. Yemisi. Aribisala. chimurengachronic.co.za. en-US. 10 March 2017.
  23. News: Nigeria's New Feminism – Say-You-Are-One-Of-Us-Or-Else. Yẹ́misí. Aríbisálà. 13 October 2016. ktravula – a travelogue!. en-US. 21 December 2016.
  24. Web site: Mother Hunger. Aribisala. Yemisi. 7 November 2015. Medium. 21 December 2016.
  25. Web site: Fish Soup As Love Potions The Chimurenga Chronic. Yemisi . Aribisala. chimurengachronic.co.za. 1 March 2013. 21 December 2016.
  26. News: Nollywood Kiss. 11 June 2012. PowerMoneySex. 18 February 2017. en-US.
  27. Web site: Giving It All Away in English The Chimurenga Chronic. chimurengachronic.co.za. 21 December 2016.
  28. Web site: High Heeled Fork – General Writing: Idea, Thinking, Opinion. Aribisala. Yemisi. 15 December 2015. Medium. 21 December 2016.
  29. Web site: Birthing the American The Chimurenga Chronic. chimurengachronic.co.za. Yemisi. Aribisala. 20 December 2013. 21 December 2016.
  30. Web site: Nigeria's Superstar Men of God The Chimurenga Chronic. Yemisi. Aribisala. chimurengachronic.co.za. 21 December 2016.
  31. Web site: Guest Blog: Yemisi Ogbe on Nigeria and a culture of disrespect. 23 August 2012. Ikhide. 21 December 2016.
  32. Web site: 'That Guy No Be Ordinary' The Chimurenga Chronic. chimurengachronic.co.za. 21 December 2016.
  33. News: 'My repression is as legitimate as your freedom': A Conversation with Yẹ́misí Aríbisálà . Kola. Tubosun. 20 February 2017. AfricanWriter.com. 2 March 2017. en-US.
  34. News: 'People try to squeeze Nigerian food into an all-encompassing African label'. Aribisala. Yemisi. 4 February 2017. The Guardian. 10 March 2017. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  35. News: The Gannet Q&A: Yemisi Aribisala . 16 March 2017. The Gannet. 16 March 2017. en-US.
  36. News: 'Words move more deliberately than visual images.' An Interview with Yemisi Aribisala. Lauren. Smith. Short Story Day Africa. 19 April 2017. 4 May 2017. en-ZA.
  37. Web site: Calabar Winch The Chimurenga Chronic. Akin. Adesokan. chimurengachronic.co.za. en-US. 6 April 2017.
  38. News: A Book for the Tasting. 21 January 2017. Village Factor. 6 April 2017. en-GB.
  39. https://republic.com.ng/february-march-2022/first-draft-yemisi-aribisala/ The pandemic helped me return to physical books': Yemisi Aribisala's First Draft"

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Yemisi Aribisala".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.