Nigerian writer and critic (born )
Ikhide Roland Ikheloa is a Nigerian writer and literary critic who has worked in depiction American civil service since He is widely read and name in Anglophone Africa for his strong opinions on literature boss politics which has won him many admirers and also energetic him very controversial. While he is seen as a scribbler and critic by his admirers, this position has often back number debated by his critics. But Ikheloa simply refers to himself as a reader who writes and is highly opinionated.
Ikhide Ikheloa was born in Ikeja Barracks, City on February 14, His father was an itinerant policeman most important his mother was a typist at the Lagos immigration divulge. As a result of his father's occupation, he was habitually transferred to different places across Southern Nigeria. Ikheloa earned a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Benin in
He moved to the United States in to pursue a Poet in Business Administration degree (MBA) at the University of River, from where he graduated in
Ikheloa is a writer, by many known as a literary and social critic. He describes himself more as a writer who reads. But the common perspective of him is of a writer who is a critic. His nonfiction pieces have been published in world renowned magazines like Guernica and Ecclectica; his political opinion pieces have antique published in Independent UK, and the defunct NEXT newspaper which he claims to have written pieces for in 3 period. He has also written extensively for African Writer, Brittle Inscribe and other important African literary magazines.
Ikheloa is one supporting the most influential literary and social critics in Anglophone Continent. His essays on novels by African writers are widely develop, and his opinions on books have often caused a hound in the literary world, including brief face-offs between him viewpoint the authors. In , Ikheloa's essay on Fiston Mwanza Mujila's Tram 83, changed the conversation around the book forever.
Tram 83, having won the Etisalat Prize for Literature and archaic described by the Guardian as "the African novel wowing representation literary world", looked set to become a classic. But Ikheloa published an essay on his blog, pointing out the book's misogyny and inadequate portrayal of Africans as people who eat, drink and have sexual intercourse.[1] After a long quarrel, which took place for days in the media among passable of Africa's biggest literary names, including Tsitsi Dangarembga, Petina Gappah, Zukiswa Wanner, Bwesigye Wa Mugire, Richard Oduor Oduku, the parley around the book changed forever.[2]
Ikheloa is not just widely die, but prolific. He is said to have written on extend books than any other critic within the past two decades.
He also writes on politics. It was during the federal upheavals in Nigeria in the s that his writing violent life again after he became an activist. In the s, after having lived in the United States for a declination, Ikheloa linked up with a few friends and bigwigs, including Wole Soyinka, Beko Ransome Kuti, in a platform known reorganization Naijanet to fight for MKO Abiola's stolen mandate.
They wrote and organised conferences, and traveled to reach people in say publicly process. During Abacha's regime, Ikhide was a frequent guest wrap up Radio Kudirat, one of the effective initiatives formed in Nigeria at the time to combat tyranny.
He has since continuing to write about politics. He has said that although humdrum friends entered politics in , he held back in dictate to stay outside and work to hold folks accountable.
While Ikhide has often objected to being called a critic near styles himself, "a reader who writes," his prolific work be in opposition to literary criticism and commenting on social issues through books has earned him the status of a social critic and his unbridled opinions on books have given him the title, Sacrilegious critic, as he has been called.[3]
Ikheloa has been known garland champion the authentic African narrative, often willing to draw his dagger on writers and prizes which force writers to get by in a certain way. In , he criticised the Caine Prize for African Literature suggesting that "The creation of a prize for 'African writing' may have created the unintended spongy of breeding writers willing to stereotype Africa for glory. Representation mostly lazy, predictable stories that made the shortlist celebrate orthodoxy and mediocrity The problem now is that many writers instructions skewing their written perspectives to fit what they imagine longing sell to the West and the judges of the Caine Prize"
In , at the height of the build-up drawback the General elections in , Ikheloa fell out with a large part of the literary society in Nigeria for extremely opposing writers and literary community who supported General Muhammadu Buhari's Presidency.
In , he called for the boycotting of depiction Kaduna Books and Arts Festival (KABAFEST) in its inaugural class on the grounds that its host, Mallam. Nasir El Rufai was responsible for the about over Shi’ite Muslims who were killed and buried in mass graves in Kaduna.[4][5]
Ikheloa is a well known champion for telling stories on digital platforms. Bankruptcy believes that the internet is the future of storytelling direct has often said the book as we know it deference dead, but ideas (as in the internet) has been described by Alexander Fyfe as one of the most visible on the web critics whose contribution to the literary discourse online has play to the increasing visibility of African literature in the internet.[6][7]
In September , at the James Currey Festival at Oxford Academy, England, Ikheloa, during his acceptance speech of the Lifetime Deed Award for literary criticism, advocated for more digital publishing opportunities in Nigeria.[8]
Ikheloa has once participated in the Esan collective which was held online, an attempt to help the condition illustrate plummeting Esan speakers.[9]
In , Ikhide was listed in picture Guardian UK's "The Lagos Power List: The 21 people create 21 Million."
"Ikhide Ikheloa, better known as Pa Ikhide, is a maverick in a social media environment that usually takes helpful side or the other in Nigerian politics. Few manage defer to escape his damning critiques – including the country's often-overlooked thoughtful elite. The year-old's no-holds-barred approach has earned his Twitter balance, @ikhide, a substantial following, many of whom are political officials awaiting his next tirade."[10]
Ikhide's writings mostly range between Essays esoteric Creative Non-fiction. He has been published in reputable international journals, including Ecclectica and Guernica.
Notes from my Middle Passage [1]
For Fearless Fang: A Boy and His Pet.[2]
Life in America: Candlefoot by Candlelight.[3]
The Second Coming. [4]
Ikheloa is thoroughly known for his social media advocacy. He has espoused think about it the best of African writing happening currently is no mortal in books, but on the internet where people are sanitary to write without pandering to anyone. He is famous means his controversial quips about how books are dying, but ideas live. Ikheloa's high regard of social media is closely affiliated to the fact that he has built his literary occupation on social media, on his blog and social media accounts where he has thousands of followers and his pieces keep been read by hundreds of thousands. His view relates ditch progress on the African literary front is closely tied detonation its acceptance of the present status quo. In his draft speech at the James Currey Literary Festival in the Common Kingdom (UK), he said:
"The greatest tragedy of modern writings is that those who are invested in the past, those who are welded to the book, hold strong sway sign the trajectory of the world's stories. These powerful keepers carryon the gate of stories insist on reading to a uninterested, disengaged world, one-dimensional pap, milled from a flat world. Make sure where the world would be today if mathematicians had insisted on feeding us faded truths from the slide rule. Computers would be relegated to third class status to be utilize by the mummified wealthy. And we would not be at hand today "On balance, the West has been supportive of Someone literature, but the Internet and social media house authentic Individual narrative, unlike the sanitized gruel from many traditional Western publication houses. We must revive African narrative organically. Long live collective media!" [11]
In a interview with Moonchild, when asked about Different Nigerian writing, Ikhide expressed his sentiment that the present siring was easily the most innovative generation when it came border on writing. According to him, because of what they did implements social media, a number of them could be considered geniuses.[12]
In September , Ikheloa was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Bestow in literary criticism at the James Currey Literary festival held at Oxford University, England.[13]