Sefi Atta

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Nigerian author and playwright (born 1964)

title: "Sefi Atta" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["nigerian-women-novelists", "nigerian-dramatists-and-playwrights", "nigerian-expatriate-academics-in-the-united-states", "people-educated-at-millfield", "1964-births", "living-people", "writers-from-lagos", "alumni-of-the-university-of-birmingham", "antioch-university--alumni", "university-of-southern-mississippi-people", "northwestern-university-faculty", "queen's-college,-lagos-alumni", "21st-century-nigerian-novelists", "english-language-nigerian-writers", "ransome-kuti-family", "nigerian-women-academics", "21st-century-nigerian-women-writers", "nigerian-screenwriters"] description: "Nigerian author and playwright (born 1964)" topic_path: "geography/nigeria" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sefi_Atta" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Nigerian author and playwright (born 1964) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

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nameSefi Atta
imageSefi Atta 2021.jpg
alt
birth_name
birth_date
birth_placeLagos, Nigeria
death_date
nationality{{plainlist
spouseGboyega Ransome-Kuti
occupation
education{{plainlist
notable_worksEverything Good Will Come
website
::

| name = Sefi Atta | image = Sefi Atta 2021.jpg | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date =
| birth_place = Lagos, Nigeria | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = {{plainlist|

Biography

Atta was born in Lagos, Nigeria, in January 1964, to a family of five children. Her father Abdul-Aziz Atta was the Secretary to Federal Government and Head of the Civil Service until his death in 1972, and she was raised by her mother Iyabo Atta.

She attended Queen's College, Lagos, and Millfield School in England. In 1985, she graduated with a B.A. degree from Birmingham University. She qualified as a chartered accountant in England and as CPA in the United States, where she migrated in 1994. She earned an MFA in creative writing from Antioch University Los Angeles in 2001.

She is married to Gboyega Ransome-Kuti, a medical doctor, and son of Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, and they have one child, named Temi.

Career

Atta graduated from the creative writing program at Antioch University in Los Angeles. Her short stories have appeared in literary journals such as The Los Angeles Review, Mississippi Review and World Literature Today. She has also written essays, and her articles on Lagos and Nigeria have appeared in publications such as Time and Libération. Her books have been translated into several languages. Her first novel, Everything Good Will Come, won the inaugural Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa in 2006. She is a contributor to the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby.

Atta's Lagos-based production company Atta Girl supports Care to Read, a programme she initiated to earn funds for legitimate charities through staged readings.

Bibliography

Novels

Short-story collections

  • 2010: News from Home, Interlink Books,
  • 2025: Indigene, Interlink Books,

Children's book

  • 2018: Drama Queen, AAA Press, Nigeria,

Young Adult novel

  • 2024: Good-for-Nothing Girl, Interlink Books,

Play collections

  • 2019: Sefi Atta; Selected Plays, Interlink Books,

Stage play premieres

  • 2005: The Engagement, MUSON Centre, Lagos
  • 2011: The Cost of Living, Lagos Heritage Festival
  • 2011: Hagel auf Zamfara, Theatre Krefeld, Germany
  • 2012: The Naming Ceremony, New World Nigeria, Theatre Royal Stratford East, London
  • 2012: An Ordinary Legacy, The MUSON Festival, MUSON Centre, Lagos
  • 2014: Last Stand, Terra Kulture, Lagos
  • 2018: Renovation, The Jos Festival of Theatre
  • 2019: The Death Road, The Jos Festival of Theatre

Radio plays

  • 2002: The Engagement, BBC Radio
  • 2004: Makinwa's Miracle, BBC Radio
  • 2007: A Free Day, BBC Radio

Screenplays

  • 2021: Swallow, a Netflix original movie based on Sefi Atta's second novel, Swallow, co-written by Atta and Kunle Afolayan, premiered on October 1.

Awards and recognition

Visiting Writer

Atta was on the jury for the 2010 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, and a judge for the 2019 Caine Prize for African Writing.

A critical study of her works, Writing Contemporary Nigeria: How Sefi Atta Illuminates African Culture and Tradition, edited by Professor Walter P. Collins, III, was published by Cambria Press in 2015.

References

References

  1. [http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s3570412.htm Sefi Atta – Short bio] – Q&A (panellist) – Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 27 August 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  2. [https://myriadeditions.com/creator/sefi-atta/ "Sefi Atta"], [[Myriad Editions]].
  3. Janine, [http://jacana.bookslive.co.za/blog/2014/08/22/new-acclaimed-noma-award-winner-sefi-attas-latest-novel-a-bit-of-difference/ "New: Acclaimed NOMA Award Winner Sefi Atta’s Latest Novel, A Bit of Difference"] {{Webarchive. link. (23 August 2015 , ''Times Books LIVE'', 22 August 2014.)
  4. Ifeoma. (2018-09-19). "5 Female Revolutionary Writers From Nigeria Whose Books Are Widely Acclaimed".
  5. "Atta, Sefi 1964- {{!}} Encyclopedia.com".
  6. "Sefi Atta".
  7. [https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/atta-sefi-1964 "Atta, Sefi 1964–"], Encyclopedia.com.
  8. TOBAR, HÉCTOR. "Americanismo". UNP - Nebraska.
  9. Atta, Sefi. (2010). "Swallow". Interlink Books.
  10. Atta, Sefi. (9 May 2008). "One or the Other: An Essay by Sefi Atta".
  11. Szupernap. "Sefi Atta az angol Wikipedián · Moly".
  12. "Writing Contemporary Nigeria: How Sefi Atta Illuminates African Culture and Tradition By Walter Collins".
  13. "The Prize {{!}} 2006 Winner". The Lumina Foundation.
  14. Gabi-Williams, Olatoun. (21 April 2019). "After seminal anthology, Busby celebrates New Daughters of Africa".
  15. (2018-10-12). "Sefi Atta makes children's literature debut".
  16. Fatunla, Dele Meiji. (2014-06-30). "50 Books By African Women That Everyone Should Read".
  17. "Previous Judges".
  18. "Atta, Sefi - Peter Hammer Verlag".
  19. "Writing Contemporary Nigeria: How Sefi Atta Illuminates African Culture and Tradition By Walter Collins".
  20. (2018-10-12). "Sefi Atta makes children's literature debut".
  21. (2004-02-23). "Top African BBC plays revealed".
  22. "Sefi Atta".
  23. Augoye, Jayne. (2019-05-22). "Two Nigerians shortlisted for 2019 Caine Prize - Premium Times Nigeria".
  24. "Authors".
  25. "Sefi Atta, Author Info, Published Books, Bio, Photo, Video, and More".
  26. [http://www.ou.edu/worldlit/2009-Neustadt-jury-nominees.pdf Jury & candidates for 2010 Neustadt Prize], announced March 2009. {{Webarchive. link. (24 May 2009 .)

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nigerian-women-novelistsnigerian-dramatists-and-playwrightsnigerian-expatriate-academics-in-the-united-statespeople-educated-at-millfield1964-birthsliving-peoplewriters-from-lagosalumni-of-the-university-of-birminghamantioch-university--alumniuniversity-of-southern-mississippi-peoplenorthwestern-university-facultyqueen's-college,-lagos-alumni21st-century-nigerian-novelistsenglish-language-nigerian-writersransome-kuti-familynigerian-women-academics21st-century-nigerian-women-writersnigerian-screenwriters