Caleb Azumah Nelson

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Caleb Azumah Nelson
Born1993 or 1994[1]
Nationality (legal)British-Ghanaian
Occupations
  • Writer
  • photographer
Notable workOpen Water (2021); Small Worlds (2023)
AwardsCosta Book Award for First Novel
Betty Trask Award
Somerset Maugham Award
Dylan Thomas Prize

Caleb Azumah Nelson (born 1993)[2] is a British–Ghanaian writer and photographer. His 2021 debut novel, Open Water, won the Costa Book Award for First Novel.[3][4]

Personal life[edit]

Azumah Nelson grew up in and currently lives in southeast London (Bellingham).[5] For the first six years of his life, he lived with his maternal grandmother after she moved to London from Ghana, though she eventually returned to her home country.[6] Although Azumah Nelson hopes to travel more and visit Ghana again, he intends to remain in Bellingham for most of his life.[6]

He was educated at a "predominantly black primary school" before obtaining a scholarship to the "elite" independent Alleyn's School in the "affluent neighbourhood of Dulwich", which waived all his fees.[7][8]

Beyond writing and photography, Azumah Nelson played violin for 10 years.[6]

Azumah Nelson's dream to become an author began as a teenager. In 2019, after his godfather, aunt, and three of his grandparents died,[9] he quit his job at Apple and began writing full time.[4]

Photography[edit]

Azumah Nelson began shooting using a film camera when he was around 18 years old.[6]

He believes his "writing and photography go hand in hand; they both act as sites of honest expression, and encourage me to think about how I see the world, how I move through it, how I love and express that love. When I’m confronted by the blank page, in a way, I’m confronting myself, who I am, all of the nuances which make me. There’s a freedom in affording myself or others this kind of space, to just be themselves, even if that’s for a brief moment."[10]

In 2019, Azumah Nelson won the Palm* Photo People's Choice prize[11] and was shortlisted for the Palm* Photo Prize.[12]

Writing[edit]

Azumah Nelson's writing has been published in Litro and The White Review.[5]

His short story "Pray" was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award (2020).[12][13]

Although he is inspired by many artists, Azumah Nelson has stated that his primary role models are Zadie Smith, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Kendrick Lamar, Barry Jenkins, and his parents.[13]

Azumah Nelson has won much acclaim for his first two novels.

Open Water (2021)[edit]

Main article: Open Water (novel)

Azumah Nelson's debut novel, Open Water, was published on 4 February 2021 by Viking Press. It won a Costa Book Award for First Novel,[1] and from the Society of Authors a Betty Trask Award (for a first novel by a writer under 35)[14] as well as the Somerset Maugham Award,[15] among other accolades.[16]

Small Worlds (2023)[edit]

Azumah Nelson's second novel, which he wrote in three months, was published by Viking in 2023.[17] Rights for a television adaptation have been acquired by Block Media.[18][19]

Small Worlds has been described by The Voice as "an exhilarating and expansive novel about the worlds we build for ourselves, the worlds we live, dance and love within."[16] It was characterised by Buzz magazine as "a stunningly poetic novel about identity, grief, and jazz."[20] Colin Grant's analysis in The Guardian included observations about it being "an affecting meditation on the migrant experience,"[21] while the reviewer for i newspaper stated that "at times Small Worlds feels like the most sensitive book ever written, because no matter how serious its themes – race riots, a parent’s depression – Azumah Nelson deals with it with profound tenderness."[22]

Small Worlds won the 2024 Dylan Thomas Prize.[23][24]

Awards[edit]

Lit Awards
Year Work Award Result Ref.
2020 "Pray" BBC National Short Story Award — Shortlisted [12][13]
2021 Open Water Booklist's Best First Novels — Top 10 [25]
Costa Book Award First Novel Won [3][4]
Desmond Elliott Prize — Longlisted [26]
Waterstones Book of the Year — Shortlisted [27]
2022 Betty Trask Award — Won [13]
Somerset Maugham Award — Won [13]
2024 Small Worlds Dylan Thomas Prize — Won [28]

Bibliography[edit]

Novels[edit]

  • Open Water (2021)
  • Small Worlds (2023)

Short stories[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Armitstead, Claire (21 January 2022). "Interview | 'I yelled with joy': how Caleb Azumah Nelson went from Apple store employee to Costa First Novel award winner". The Guardian. London.
  2. ^ "Caleb Azumah Nelson". United Artists. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Awards: Costa Book Category, Aussie Prime Minister's Literary Winners". Shelf Awareness. 5 January 2022. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Flood, Alison (4 January 2022). "Caleb Azumah Nelson wins Costa first novel award for Open Water". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Caleb Azumah Nelson". National Book Foundation. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Wang, Mary (23 April 2021). "Caleb Azumah Nelson: 'The confrontation with myself enabled me to find a brief freedom.'". Guernica. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  7. ^ "For Caleb Azumah Nelson, There's Freedom in Feeling Seen (Published 2021)". 7 April 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  8. ^ Lamont, Tom (30 April 2023). "Novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson: 'there is a wholeness in living life not always afforded to black people'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  9. ^ Shaffi, Sarah; Vincent, Alice (11 January 2021). "2021 debuts: get to know our new authors". Penguin Publishing Group. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  10. ^ Pearce, Isabella; Washington, Mario; Robathan, Hannah (6 May 2021). "Caleb Azumah Nelson: "Open Water is for the young Black people who don't see themselves reflected in literature"". Shado Magazine. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Palm* Photo Prize 2021". Palm*. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  12. ^ a b c "31 Questions with Caleb Azumah Nelson". Wigtown Book Festival. 4 August 2021. Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  13. ^ a b c d e Bamber, Belinda (5 January 2022). "Under The Cover... With Caleb Azumah Nelson - Culture". Country and Town House. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Graphic novel wins at the 2022 Society of Authors' Awards". Society of Authors. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Somerset Maugham Awards". The Society of Authors. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  16. ^ a b Campbell, Joel (5 May 2023). "Caleb Azumah Nelson delivers 'Small Worlds'". The Voice.
  17. ^ Lamont, Tom (30 April 2023). "Novelist Caleb Azumah Nelson: 'there is a wholeness in living life not always afforded to black people". The Observer.
  18. ^ Fraser, Katie (10 January 2023). "Brock Media will adapt Nelson's 'contemporary masterpiece' for the screen". The Bookseller. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Sarah Brocklehurst's Brock Media wins rights to Small Worlds" (Press release). BBC Media Centre. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  20. ^ "SMALL WORLDS by Caleb Azumah Nelson: a stunningly poetic novel about identity, grief, and jazz". Buzz. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Review | Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson review – dancing in Peckham". The Guardian. 3 May 2023.
  22. ^ Duerden, Nick (4 May 2023). "Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson, review: A mesmerising Peckham love story". 1.
  23. ^ Brown, Lauren (16 May 2024). "Caleb Azumah Nelson wins Dylan Thomas Prize for Small Worlds". The Bookseller. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  24. ^ Bryan, Nicola (16 May 2024). "British-Ghanaian writer wins Dylan Thomas Prize". BBC News. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  25. ^ Seaman, Donna (1 November 2021). "Top 10 First Novels: 2021". Booklist. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  26. ^ Blau, Jessica Anya (20 April 2021). "Awards: Desmond Elliott Longlist". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  27. ^ Nygaard, Mads (29 October 2021). "Awards: Kirkus Winners; Waterstones Book of the Year Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  28. ^ Creamer, Ella (16 May 2024). "Caleb Azumah Nelson wins £20,000 Dylan Thomas prize for Small Worlds". The Guardian.
  29. ^ "A Little Unsteadily Into Light". New Island Books. Retrieved 28 January 2023.

External links[edit]

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