A master, a literary shaman. Brad Kessler, author of "Birds in Fall""

Chris Abani is a novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter, and playwright. Born in Nigeria to anIgbo father and English mother, he grew up in Afikpo, Nigeria, received a BA in English fromImo State University, Nigeria, an MA in English, Gender, and Culture from Birkbeck College, University of London, and a PhD in Literature and Creative Writing from the University ofSouthern California. He has resided in the United States since 2001. His fiction includes "TheSecret History of Las Vegas," "Song For Night," "The Virgin of Flames," "Becoming Abigail," "GraceLand," and" Masters of the Board." His poetry collections are "Sanctificum," "There Are NoNames for Red," "Feed Me The Sun: Collected Long Poems," "Hands Washing Water," "DogWoman," "Daphne s Lot," and "Kalakuta Republic." He is the recipient of the PEN USA Freedom-to-Write Award, the Prince Claus Award, a Lannan Literary Fellowship, a California Book Award, aHurston/Wright Legacy Award, a PEN Beyond the Margins Award, the PEN Hemingway BookPrize, and a Guggenheim Award."