Chike Frankie Edozien

Chike Frankie Edozien
Born (1970-06-10) June 10, 1970 (age 54)
Occupations
  • Writer
  • journalist
OrganizationNew York University

Chiké Frankie Edozien is a Nigerian-American writer and journalist.[1][2] He is currently the director of New York University, Accra. He directed the New York University Journalism Institute's Ghana based Reporting Africa program from 2008 to 2019. He is a journalist who honed his skills writing about government, health and cultural issues for a variety of publications.

He is the author of the 2017 book Lives of Great Men, a Lambda Literary Award winner.[3] Lives was shortlisted for the Randy Shilts Award for Non-Fiction in 2018 by the Publishing Triangle.[4] Edozien has spoken about the themes of freedom, perseverance, and courage expressed in Lives around the world from India[5][6][7][8][9][10] to Australia[11] to New Zealand[12] to South Africa[13][14] and Nigeria[15] as well as Ghana[16] and the United States.[17]

His work has been examined in universities around the world from Yale University[18] to New York University[19] to Manchester Metropolitan University[20] as well as Kristu Jayanti College, Bangalore,[21] University of Delhi,[22][non-primary source needed] and more.

Originally published in the UK and US by Rikki Beadle-Blair and John R. Gordon's Team Angelica Press, in July 2018 it was brought out in South Africa by Jacana Books. Lives is available in West Africa and East Africa since 2018 on Ouida Books.

Lives is an exploration of the lives of contemporary LGBTQ men and women on the African continent and in the diaspora. Edozien's "Shea Prince" was shortlisted for the 2018 Gerald Kraak Human Rights Award and his "Last Night in Asaba" was shortlisted again in 2019 for the Gerald Kraak and was part of the book As You Like It earning him a second Lambda award in 2019.[23] His "Forgetting Lamido" was also anthologized in Safe House: Exploration in Creative Nonfiction. In 2018 Edozien wrote the introduction for the New Internationalist Edition of Queer Africa: Selected Stories a collection of drawn from two ground breaking anthologies from around Africa.

His work has appeared in The Times (UK), Vibe, Time, Transition Magazine, Out Traveler, Black AIDS Institute, The Advocate, Quartz, New York Times, Jalada, Atlas Obscura and more.

Edozien is a founding member of Afrolit Sans Frontieres Festival, a virtual literary festival founded by South African author and curator Zukiswa Wanner as a response to the curfews and lockdowns related to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.

He was awarded New York University's Martin Luther King, Jr Faculty Award in 2017 for excellence in teaching, community building, social justice advocacy and leadership. While living in New York, Edozien was an award-winning New York Post reporter for 15 years, and its City Hall reporter from 1999 to 2008 where he was the lead writer on legislative affairs. He covered crime, courts, labor issues, human services, public health and politics, reporting from around the country and abroad for the paper.

Edozien's work on the shooting death of Amadou Diallo by four New York police officers was featured in episode three of Netflix's Trial by Media ("41 Shots").[24] He is one of the over 100 African writers to speak out in an unprecedented open letter against police brutality worldwide.

References

  1. ^ "Frankie Edozien". NYU Journalism. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "Review: Chike Frankie Edozien's Lives Of Great Men | Kanyinsola Olorunnisola". Brittle Paper. October 26, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  3. ^ "Lambda Literary awardees include Carmen Maria Machado, John Rechy, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor". Windy City Times, June 5, 2018.
  4. ^ "The Randy Shilts Award for Gay Nonfiction". The Publishing Triangle. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  5. ^ "Frankie Edozien – Jaipur Literature Festival". jaipurliteraturefestival.org/. September 17, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  6. ^ "The Hindu Lit for Life 2019 | How to write a memoir". April 2019. Archived from the original on September 7, 2021 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "Reading and discussion with author Chiké Frankie Edozien". indulgexpress.com. January 10, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  8. ^ Menon, Priya (January 15, 2019). "Change in India on gay sex holds out hope for Nigerianss". The Times of India. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  9. ^ "AKLF's Just Two Days Away & Here's What Is Keeping Us Excited". LBB, Kolkata. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  10. ^ "Chike Frankie Edozien | Zee Jaipur Literature Festival". YouTube. November 11, 2019. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020.
  11. ^ "Love, Life and Activism – Adelaide Festival". 2020.adelaidefestival.com.au. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  12. ^ "Memoir gives voice to gay Nigeria". RNZ. February 27, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  13. ^ "Frankie Chike Edozien". Abantu Books. Retrieved June 16, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ "What to look forward to at the Franschhoek Literary Festival". CapeTalk. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  15. ^ "Betty Irabor Chike Edozien – Ake Festival". Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  16. ^ "Two Readings with Chiké Frankie Edozien | Writers Project of Ghana". writersprojectghana.com. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  17. ^ "JLF Colorado 2019 | Lives of Great Men". YouTube. October 25, 2019. Archived from the original on September 7, 2021.
  18. ^ Hall, Linsly-Chittenden (April 11, 2019). "Meet the author: Chiké Frankie Edozien". The MacMillan Center. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  19. ^ "Salon Series: A Conversation with Frankie Edozien". Archived from the original on June 16, 2020.
  20. ^ "LGBT History Month: Chike Frankie Edozien by Jennifer Makumbi". YouTube. February 8, 2020. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020.
  21. ^ "Prof. Frankie Edozien from New York University addressed the Journalism students". Department of Journalism & Mass Communication | Kristu Jayanti College, Bangalore. February 1, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  22. ^ "Department Of Journalism, LSR". Retrieved June 16, 2020 – via Facebook.
  23. ^ "Frankie Edozien, JK Anowe, Megan Ross, Lilian Aujo Lead 19-Strong Shortlist for the Gerald Kraak Prize". Brittle Paper. April 3, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  24. ^ "Prof. Frankie Edozien featured in Netflix documentary series "Trial By Media" in "41 Shots" episode". NYU Journalism. May 14, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.