 | |
| Author | Helon Habila |
|---|---|
| Genre | Petrofiction |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
Publication date | August 5, 2010 |
| ISBN | 978-0-241-14486-2 |
Oil on Water is a 2010 petrofiction novel by Nigerian author Helon Habila. [1] [2] The novel documents the experience of two journalists as they try to rescue a kidnapped European wife in the oil landscape of the Niger Delta. The novel explores themes of both the ecological and political consequences of oil conflict and petrodollars in the delta. [3] [4] [5]
Oil on Water is a story about two people, Rufus, an emerging journalist, and Zaq, a famous reporter.They went to the Niger Delta in pursuit of an abducted white woman named Isabel Floode, who was used as a bargaining chip in Nigeria's civil war.
The novel was well received. Orion magazine called it "a powerful work, one that reaffirms that art done well is always big enough to contain politics". [3] The Guardian's Rachel Aspden called it a "powerful, accomplished third novel [that] displays a growing pessimism about journalism's capacity to effect change." [4]
| Year | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa) | Shortlist | [6] [7] |
| 2012 | PEN/Open Book Award | Shortlist | [8] [9] |
| 2013 | Orion Book Award | Shortlist | [10] |
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author who is regarded as a central figure in postcolonial feminist literature. She is the author of the award-winning novels Purple Hibiscus (2003), Half of a Yellow Sun (2006) and Americanah (2013). Her other works include the book essays We Should All Be Feminists (2014); Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions (2017); a memoir tribute to her father, Notes on Grief (2021); and a children's book, Mama's Sleeping Scarf (2023).
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Bayelsa state is a state in the South South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta. Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from Rivers State, making it one of the newest states in the federation. The capital, Yenagoa, is susceptible to high risk of annual flooding. It shares a boundary with Rivers State to the east and Delta State to the north across the Niger River for 17 km and the Forçados River for 198 km, with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean dominating its southern borders. It has a total area of 10,773 square kilometres (4,159 sq mi). The state comprises eight local government areas: Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Brass and Southern Ijaw. The state is the smallest in Nigeria by population as of the 2006 census. Being in the Niger Delta, Bayelsa State has a riverine and estuarine setting, with bodies of water within the state preventing the development of significant road infrastructure.
The current conflict in the Niger Delta first arose in the early 1990s over tensions between foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Delta's minority ethnic groups who feel they are being exploited, particularly the Ogoni and the Ijaw. Ethnic and political unrest continued throughout the 1990s despite the return to democracy and the election of the Obasanjo government in 1999. Struggle for oil wealth and environmental harm over its impacts has fueled violence between ethnic groups, causing the militarization of nearly the entire region by ethnic militia groups, Nigerian military and police forces, notably the Nigerian Mobile Police. The violence has contributed to Nigeria's ongoing energy supply crisis by discouraging foreign investment in new power generation plants in the region.
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