Akwaeke Emezi: Difference between revisions

| pronouns=[[they/them]]<ref>https://www.instagram.com/azemezi/</ref><ref name="deLeon">{{Cite web |title=‘This Is a Possibility’: Akwaeke Emezi Writes a Trans Story Where Nobody Gets Hurt |last=de León |first=Concepción |work=New York Times |date=9 September 2019 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/books/akwaeke-emezi-pet-freshwater.html}}</ref>

| gender=[[nonbinary]]<ref name="Emezi2018">{{Cite web |title=Transition |last=Emezi |first=Akwaeke |work=The Cut |date=January 2018 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.thecut.com/2018/01/writer-and-artist-akwaeke-emezi-gender-transition-and-ogbanje.html}}</ref>

'''Akwaeke Emezi''' is an lgbo and Tamil writer and video artist, best known for their debut novel ''Freshwater'', a semi-autobiographical story starring a trans protagonist named Ada who is an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogbanje ogbanje] or "spirit child".<ref name="Akbar">{{Cite web |title=Akwaeke Emezi: ‘I’d read everything – even the cereal box’ |last=Akbar |first=Arifa |work=the Guardian |date=20 October 2018 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/20/akwaeke-emezi-interview-freshwater }}</ref> Their second book, ''Pet'', released on September 10, 2019, is about a transgender teenager named Jam living in a world where adults refuse to acknowledge the existence of monsters. A third book, titled ''The Death of Vivek Oji'', is due out in 2020.<ref name="deLeon" />

Emezi wrote ''Freshwater'' while working towards their Master's of Fine Arts degree at Syracuse University, and it was published in 2018.<ref name="Gray">{{Cite web |title='Freshwater' Writer Akwaeke Emezi Reclaims Afro-Indigenous Spirituality Beyond Fable Or Mythology |last=Gray |first=Arielle |work=wbur.org |date=10 October 2018 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.wbur.org/artery/2018/10/10/akwaeki-emezi-afro-indigenous-spirituality-freshwater}}</ref><ref name="Bausells">{{Cite web |title=The Nonbinary Author Centering African Narratives Erased by Colonialism |last=Bausells |first=Marta |work=Vice |date=21 February 2018 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/neq4mq/akwaeke-emezi-freshwater-book-interview}}</ref> In 2019, it was nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction; this was the first time a trans or nonbinary author had been nominated for the prize.<ref name="Parsons">{{Cite web |title=Opinion: Be careful before celebrating the recognition of Akwaeke Emezi |last=Parsons |first=Vic |work=The Independent |date=6 March 2019 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/trans-author-womens-fiction-prize-a8810681.html}}</ref> The judges were not aware of Emezi being nonbinary when ''Freshwater'' was selected (the book jacket referred to the author with "she/her"), but Emezi was reportedly happy to be among the selected.<ref name="Wood">{{Cite web |title=Women's Prize to formulate new policy around gender criteria |last=Wood |first=Heloise |work=TheBookseller.com |date=2 April 2019 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.thebookseller.com/news/womens-prize-longlist-akwaeke-emezi-longlist-gender-policy-980156 |quote=Professor Kate Williams, chair of judges, previously told the Guardian that the judges were not aware of Emezi’s gender identity when they selected Freshwater, but they did check that Emezi was happy to be longlisted before the announcement. }}</ref>

''Freshwater'' received multiple other accolades as well, including the African Speculative Fiction Society's 2019 Nommo Award for Best Novel<ref name="Nommo">{{Cite web |title=Announcing the 2019 Nommo Award Winners |author= |work=Tor.com |date=25 October 2019 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.tor.com/2019/10/25/announcing-the-2019-nommo-award-winners/ }}</ref> and the 2019 Otherwise Award, for sci-fi and fantasy "works that expand and explore our understanding of gender". Otherwise Award juror [[Bogi Takács]] said, "''Freshwater'' gives me hope, room to grow into myself as a reader, and a sense of relation that emerges across continents and traditions; with all our commonalities and differences".<ref name="Lothian">{{Cite web |title=Akwaeke Emezi wins 2019 Otherwise Award! Honor List Announced |last=Lothian |first=Alexis |work=Otherwise Award |date=11 April 2020 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://otherwiseaward.org/2020/04/akwaeke-emezi-wins-2019}}</ref> Variety.com reported that FX was developing a TV series based on the novel.<ref name="Otterson">{{Cite web |title=FX to Develop Series Adaptation of Akwaeke Emezi’s ‘Freshwater’ With Tamara P. Carter (EXCLUSIVE) |last=Otterson |first=Joe |work=Variety |date=22 May 2019 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/akwaeke-emezi-freshwater-fx-series-tamara-p-carter-exclusive-1203223781/}}</ref>