An Unusual Grief

Last updated

An Unusual Grief is a 2022 novel written by Yewande Omotoso and published by Cassava Republic Press. Set in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa, the novel narrates the experience of Mojisola as she tries to trace the life of her daughter who has committed suicide. [1] [2] The review in The Guardian notes: "An Unusual Grief reveals itself as a beautiful book that offers emotional truth to its readers, and a feeling of consolation for the imperfections we are all making our peace with, all the time." [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Barnes</span> English writer (born 1946)

Julian Patrick Barnes is an English writer. He won the Man Booker Prize in 2011 with The Sense of an Ending, having been shortlisted three times previously with Flaubert's Parrot, England, England, and Arthur & George. Barnes has also written crime fiction under the pseudonym Dan Kavanagh. In addition to novels, Barnes has published collections of essays and short stories.

<i>Setting Free the Bears</i> Novel by John Irving

Setting Free the Bears is the first novel by American author John Irving, published in 1968 by Random House.

<i>The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas</i> 2006 novel by John Boyne

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a 2006 historical fiction novel by Irish novelist John Boyne. The plot concerns a German boy named Bruno whose father is the commandant of Auschwitz and Bruno's friendship with a Jewish detainee named Shmuel.

Bankole Ajibabi Omotoso, also known as Kole Omotoso, was a Nigerian writer and intellectual best known for his works of fiction and in South Africa as the "Yebo Gogo man" in adverts for the telecommunications company Vodacom. His written work is known for its dedication and commitment to fusing a socio-political reappraisal of Africa and respect for human dignity into most of his works.

<i>In the Springtime of the Year</i> 1973 novel by Susan Hill

In the Springtime of the Year is a 1973 novel by Susan Hill. Hill has stated that the book was inspired by the sudden death from a heart attack of her fiance, David Lepine, an organist at Coventry Cathedral, and thus is, in terms of emotional content at least, semi-autobiographical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modjaji Books</span> South African independent publisher

Modjaji Books is a South African small-scale independent publisher. Started in 2007 by Colleen Higgs, it is an independent press that publishes the writings of Southern African women. Many Modjaji titles have gone on to be nominated for and to win prestigious literary awards both in South Africa and internationally.

C. M. Taylor is the pen name of Craig Taylor, an English novelist, screenwriter and lecturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Stone Quarry</span> American film production company

The Stone Quarry Inc. is an American production company established in 2004 by filmmaker Zack Snyder, his wife Deborah Snyder and their producing partner Wesley Coller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanessa Kirby</span> British actress (born 1988)

Vanessa Nuala Kirby is an English actress. She made her professional acting debut on stage, with acclaimed performances in the plays All My Sons (2010), A Midsummer Night's Dream (2010), Women Beware Women (2011), Three Sisters (2012), and as Stella Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9mobile Prize for Literature</span> Award

The 9mobile Prize for Literature was created by Etisalat Nigeria in 2013, and is the first ever pan-African prize celebrating first-time African writers of published fiction books. Awarded annually, the prize aims to serve as a platform for the discovery of new creative talent out of the continent and invariably promote the burgeoning publishing industry in Africa. The winner receives a cash prize of £15,000 in addition to a fellowship at the University of East Anglia.

Andrew Michael Hurley is a British writer whose debut novel, The Loney, was published in a limited edition of 350 copies on 1 October 2014 by Tartarus Press and was published under Hodder and Stoughton's John Murray imprint in 2015 (ISBN 9781473619821). He was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Open Book programme "British Gothic" in October 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akin Omotoso</span> Nigerian film director, writer, and actor (born 1974)

Akin Omotoso is a Nigerian film director, writer, and actor. He is best known for directing the 2022 film Rise. Both his father Kole Omotoso and his sister Yewande Omotoso are also writers.

Yewande Omotoso is a South African-based novelist, architect and designer, who was born in Barbados and grew up in Nigeria. She currently lives in Johannesburg. Her two published novels have earned her considerable attention, including winning the South African Literary Award for First-Time Published Author, being shortlisted for the South African Sunday Times Fiction Prize, the M-Net Literary Awards 2012, and the 2013 Etisalat Prize for Literature, and being longlisted for the 2017 Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction. She is the daughter of Nigerian writer Kole Omotoso, and the sister of filmmaker Akin Omotoso.

Mohale Mashigo, born Kgomotso Carol Mashigo is a South African singer-songwriter, novelist, and former radio presenter. Her debut novel The Yearning won the 2017 University of Johannesburg Prize for South African Debut Writing and was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award 2018. She lives in Cape Town.

The Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses is an annual British literary prize founded by the author Neil Griffiths. It rewards fiction published by UK and Irish small presses, defined as those with fewer than five full-time employees. The prize money – initially raised by crowdfunding and latterly augmented by sponsorship – is divided between the publishing house and the author.

Nigerians in South Africa are people currently residing in South Africa, who were either born, raised in or have ancestry from Nigeria.

<i>Waffles + Mochi</i> American childrens cooking television series

Waffles + Mochi is an American children's cooking puppet television series. Produced by Higher Ground Productions with Michelle Obama as executive producer, it was released on Netflix on March 16, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gbenga Omotoso</span> Nigerian politician and journalist (born 1961)

Gbenga Omotoso is a journalist, writer and columnist. He was the editor at The Nation newspaper until he was appointed as the Commissioner in charge of the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy. He was sworn in 2019 by the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. His tenure ended in 2023 after the first term of Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu. He was re-appointed as the commissioner for information and strategy and sworn in 2023 by the governor

<i>The Woman Next Door</i> (novel) 2016 novel by Yewande Omotoso

The Woman Next Door is a 2016 novel written by Yewande Omotoso. It is Omotoso's second novel, and her first to be published in the US. The story focuses on two elderly widows in Cape Town, one black and one white, who begin as acrimonious neighbors but come to know each other better after an accident. The novel was first conceived in 2012, and draws on Omotoso's research on Apartheid in South Africa and Jewish history in Cape Town. Thematically, the novel combines a serious examination of post-Apartheid reconciliation with witty debates between its characters.

References

  1. 1 2 Norris, Barney (11 December 2021). "An Unusual Grief by Yewande Omotoso review – the aftermath of tragedy". The Guardian . Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  2. Yishau, Olukorede S. (1 January 2023). "An uncommon death in the family: A review of Yewande Omotoso's An Unusual Grief". The Lagos Review . Retrieved 3 January 2023.