Akwaeke Emezi

Akwaeke Emezi is a Nigerian storyteller, visual artist, and multidisciplinary creator whose work spans novels, memoir, poetry, film, music, visual art, and screenwriting. Born in Umuahia and raised in Aba, Nigeria, they moved to Brooklyn, New York, in the early 2010s, where they developed an artistic practice rooted in indigenous Black ontologies, spirituality, ritual, and embodiment. Emezi identifies as an ogbanje, a concept from Igbo cosmology that profoundly shapes both their creative philosophy and public work.

Emezi rose to international prominence with their debut novel, Freshwater (2018), which received widespread critical acclaim and numerous literary honors. Since then, they have published acclaimed fiction, memoir, poetry, romance, and young adult literature while challenging conventional understandings of gender, identity, and the relationship between the physical and spiritual worlds. Their work has earned recognition from organizations including the National Book Foundation, the Stonewall Book Awards, and the Otherwise Award.

Beyond literature, Emezi's multidisciplinary practice includes visual art, experimental film, music, and projects in screenwriting and television development. Recent works include the poetry collection Content Warning: Everything (2024), the novel Little Rot (2024), the fantasy novel Somadina (2025), and the experimental music EP Stop Dying, You Were Very Expensive! Through storytelling across multiple artistic forms, Emezi continues to expand conversations about Black identity, spirituality, and liberation.