Orimili

Shortlisted for the 1992 Commonwealth Best First Book Award. Orimili is the profound story of a father looking to deepen his cultural roots and find identity within his community. But gaining the town elders' respect proves more difficult than he ever imagined. Despite the respect and wealth Orimili has accumulated over the years, there remains one last barrier to his recognition within the town of Okocha – the title of Ozo. The most important symbol of nobility and honour, Orimili is desperate to finally have the title and ensure his status as an integral part of the community. Writing with remarkable poise, Amechi Akwanya charts Orimili's difficult journey to citizenship, offering a compelling insight into the customs of mid-twentieth century Nigeria and the universal desire for acceptance.

Rev. Fr. Amechi Akwanya is a writer and professor born in 1952 in Anambra state, Nigeria. Akwanya gained a BA in philosophy and theology at Bigard Memorial Seminary before moving to Maynooth College at the National University of Ireland where he studied English and geography. He returned to Nigeria in 1989, having achieved his PhD in English. Akwanya is the founder of the Africa and World Literature: University of Nigeria Journal of Literary Studies and was editor of Okike: An African Journal of New Writing, founded by Chinua Achebe. Akwanya's debut novel, Orimili, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Best First Book Award in 1992. He is currently Professor of English and Literary Studies at the University of Nigeria and has served as the Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies.