Ben Okri

About the Artist

Ben Okri was born on March 15, 1959, in Minna, Nigeria. He is a Nigerian novelist, poet, and short-story writer best known for blending everyday reality with the supernatural in his work. He was educated at Urhobo College in Warri and later at the University of Essex in England. These experiences shaped his outlook and writing. His early novels, 'Flowers and Shadows' (1980) and 'The Landscapes Within' (1981), use surreal imagery to examine political unrest and corruption in Nigeria. Okri is also known for his short stories. Collections such as 'Incidents at the Shrine' (1986) and 'Stars of the New Curfew' (1988) draw heavily on Nigerian spiritual beliefs, where the physical world and the spirit world exist side by side. His most famous work, 'The Famished Road' (1991), won the Booker Prize. The novel follows Azaro, an abiku (spirit child), and explores themes of survival, identity, and social struggle. The story continues in 'Songs of Enchantment' (1993) and 'Infinite Riches' (1998), forming a trilogy that reflects life in a nation facing constant instability. Other novels by Okri include 'Astonishing the Gods' (1995), 'Dangerous Love' (1996), 'In Arcadia' (2002), 'Starbook' (2007), 'The Age of Magic' (2014), and 'The Freedom Artist' (2019). Across these works, he consistently merges the ordinary with the mythical. As a poet, Okri has published collections such as 'An African Elegy' (1992) and 'Mental Flight' (1999), focusing on endurance, disorder, and hope. His essays, including 'A Way of Being Free' (1997) and 'A Time for New Dreams' (2011), reflect on culture, freedom, and Africa's place in the world. Though not directly political, Okri's writing insists on African self-determination and imagination. His work has earned international acclaim while remaining imbibed in Nigerian experience.