Nigeria Boy
Nigeria Boy
Thu, June 17, 12-14, Zoom 931 4120 3142, Passcode: 154421 (Artist Fellows)
Abstract
Written in non-standard English, Nigeria Boy is a novel which follows the story of a young Nigerian man forced to emigrate to Ghana in search of a better life than the one he was dealt at birth. Searching for a way to change his harsh circumstances, he discovers the boxing neighbourhood of Bukom, in Accra, known for its long legacy of producing fierce boxing champions. With nothing but the clothes on his back, two good friends, the hope of reuniting with the woman he loves back home, and determination to make something of himself, he falls into the boxing world. Quickly, he discovers it is neither easy nor simple. There are dark shadows, complex rivalries, unexpected temptations and the loss of what he holds most dear cluttering his path. Will he transcend all these and rise to the pinnacle of the world he has chosen? Or are his dreams doomed to remain just out of reach, causing him to fall back into the abyss of the life he came from? Nigeria Boy is an exploration of class inequality, poverty and language in West Africa. My presentation will focus on this on-going project, examining core issues and themes, culminating in a brief reading.