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Onyeka Nwelue

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Onyeka Nwelue
Dr. Onyeka Nwelue Portrait
Dr. Onyeka Nwelue Portrait
BornOnyekachukwu George Nwelue
(1988-01-31) 31 January 1988 (age 36)
Ezeoke Nsu, Imo State, Nigeria
Occupation
  • Novelist
  • filmmaker
  • editor
  • publisher
Alma materUniversity of Nigeria
Period2000–present

Onyeka Nwelue (listenⓘ; born 31 January 1988) is a Nigerian scholar, filmmaker, publisher and jazz musician signed to Amsterdam-based record label, Walboomers Music.[1] He has published over 35 books, including The Strangers of Braamfontein, described by Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, as "raunchy".[2]

Nwelue is founder of the James Currey Society, through which he established James Currey Prize for African Literature and the James Currey Fellowship in cooperation with the African Studies Centre, University of Oxford.[3] Nwelue was an Academic Visitor to the University of Oxford[4] and Visiting Scholar in the University of Cambridge,[5] but his tenure at both institutions concluded under contentious circumstances in March 2023.[6]

In 2024, Nwelue threw his hat in the ring to bid for the position of Chancellor, University of Oxford.[7]

Early life

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Nwelue's father, Chukwuemeka Samuel Nwelue (1945–2022), was a politician; his mother Catherine Ona Nwelue was a social scientist.[8] His aunt, Professor Leslye Obiora, was Nigeria's former Minister of Mines and Steel. On his maternal side, he is a descendant of Obua Ajukwu, a 17th century war minister and military leader from Oguta[9].

At 16, Nwelue left his family home in South-east Nigeria, and boarded a night bus bound for Lagos alone to attend a literary event organized by Nobel Laureate- Professor Wole Soyinka[10].

Career

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Author

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He is the author of 35 books, and in 2024 he was reportedly signed to Katalin Mund Literary Agency, Budapest.[11]

In 2018, the Association of Nigerian Authors shortlisted The Beginning of Everything Colourful and The Lagos Cuban Jazz Club for their Annual Fiction Prize and Annual Poetry Prize respectively.[12] In 2021, Nwelue was again shortlisted in both the categories, respectively for The Strangers of Braamfontein and An Angel on the Piano.[13]

In 2023, his shortlisted Novel The Nigerian Mafia Mumbai won The Association of Nigerian Authors prose fiction prize.[14]

He was the director of the inaugural edition of the James Currey Literary Festival, which took place at University of Oxford in 2022.[15]

Over the Span of his career, he is publicly friends with Praise Akinlami, a Nigerian entrepreneur and youth advocate.

Director

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His documentary House of Nwapa was shortlisted in the Best Documentary category at the 2017 Africa Movie Academy Awards.[16] The next year, Nwelue adapted his novella Island of Happiness into an Igbo film, Agwaetiti Obiụtọ, which was shortlisted in the Best First Feature Film and Best Film in an African Language categories at the 2018 Africa Movie Academy Awards.[17]

His feature film, The Other Side of History[18] had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).[19][20]

In 2018, he won the Best Director Prize at the Newark International Film Festival for his film Agwaetiti Obiuto (Island of Happiness), which was shot entirely in Igbo Language and premiered at Harvard University.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rapheal (31 August 2023). "Onyeka Nwelue celebrates freedom with Quimbombo". The Sun Nigeria. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  2. ^ www.premiumtimesng.com https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/586493-beyond-nwelue-an-enabling-environment-by-wole-soyinka.html?tztc=1. Retrieved 6 January 2025. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ Bankole, Idowu (1 January 2022). "Amazing story of Onyeka Nwelue, Nigerian youth who founded James Curreý Society in UK". Vanguard News. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  4. ^ Nation, The (3 August 2021). "Oxford University names Onyeka Nwelue Fellow - The Nation". The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  5. ^ Idika, Kalu (12 October 2022). "Nigerian-born prof, Onyeka Nwelue joins Cambridge University as visiting scholar". News Band. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  6. ^ www.premiumtimesng.com https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/586056-nigerian-author-dismissed-from-university-of-oxford.html. Retrieved 6 January 2025. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ Wesley, Henry (16 August 2024). "Nigerian Author Nwelue Bids for Oxford Chancellor". The Africa Daily Post. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  8. ^ "Obituary: Sir Chukwuemeka Samuel Nwelue". The Lagos Review. 2022. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  9. ^ "How Soyinka influenced my writing career – Onyeka Nwelue". Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  10. ^ "How Soyinka influenced my writing career – Onyeka Nwelue". Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  11. ^ Rapheal (8 March 2024). "Onyeka Nwelue joins Katalin Mund Agency". The Sun Nigeria. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  12. ^ Adebisi, Yemi (7 October 2018). "ANA Releases Shortlist Of 2018 Literary Prizes". Independent. Nigeria. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  13. ^ Phenomenal (21 October 2021). "Onyeka Nwelue, Kehinde Akano, others make ANA prizes short list". Phenomenal. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  14. ^ "History | Association of Nigerian Authors". www.ananigeria.org. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  15. ^ Reporters, Our (13 July 2022). "Oxford University: Black publishers to headline literary festival". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  16. ^ Odunsi, Wale (16 May 2017). "AMAA 2017: Nollywood movies top nominations [Full list]". Daily Post Nigeria. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  17. ^ "Photos | Wole Soyinka Hosts Private Screening of Onyeka Nwelue's AMAAs-Nominated Film, Agwaetiti Obiụtọ". Brittle Paper. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  18. ^ Other Side of History (2021) | Drama. Retrieved 6 January 2025 – via m.imdb.com.
  19. ^ "Ojukwu's biopic 'Other Side of History' to premiere at TIFF 2024 | Western Post". 1 September 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  20. ^ "The Otherside of History". TIFF. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  21. ^ 3bkeditor (25 September 2018). "Nwelue Wins a Film Director Prize at Newark Film Festival". Retrieved 11 January 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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