Okechukwu Nzelu
Lecturer in Creative WritingResearch Interests
Most of my work is in long-form fiction, although I occasionally write essays and short fiction. Much of my writing centres on Black British life, queerness, family (whether genetic or chosen) and faith. My debut novel The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney (Dialogue Books/Little,Brown, 2019) is about a half-Nigerian teenage girl who is determined to learn about her Igbo heritage. My second novel, Here Again Now (Dialogue Boooks/Little,Brown, 2022), is inspired by the Book of Ruth from the Old Testament.
PhD Supervision Interests
My research mostly focuses on long fiction (although I write some short fiction and the odd personal essay). I am interested in exploring identity, queerness, religion, race and colonialism. I am interested in questions of what Britishness means today, and stories of immigrants and their descendants. Formally, I am interested in playing with structure and point of view, and considering how tragedy and/or comedy can be wielded in fiction.
Scottish Book Trust New Writers' Awards 2023 Judge
15/07/2023 → 30/11/2023
Consultancy
BBC National Short Story Award 2023 Judge
13/03/2023 → 26/09/2023
Consultancy
West Dean College
Visiting an external academic institution
The Booker Prize Winner at HOME in Partnership with MUBI
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
Paterson Joseph
Hosting a Non-Academic Visitor
Black History Month RAP Party
Invited talk
Crossing Boundaries and Borders in Literature
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Copyright Licensing Agency (External organisation)
Membership of board
Africa Writes
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Audible x Out on the Page
Symposium
Brighton Book Festival
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Hay Festival
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Here Again Now Book Launch
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Public Online Reading with Okechukwu Nzelu
Invited talk
C Pam Zhang and Bryan Washington
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Centering the Black Queer Experience through Storytelling
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Dialogue Books Proof Party
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (External organisation)
Membership of board
Thrive x Pride: Robert Jones Jnr in Conversation with Okechukwu Nzelu
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Betty Trask Award
Prize (including medals and awards)
Northern Writers Award
Prize (including medals and awards)
Kingston University Big Read
Other distinction