Efemia Chela (born 1991)[1] is a Zambian-Ghanaian writer, literary critic, and editor. "Chicken",[2] her first published story, was shortlisted[3] for the 2014 Caine Prize for African Writing.[4] Chela has had short stories and poems published in New Internationalist,[5] Wasafiri,[6][7] Token [8] and Pen Passages: Africa.[9] In 2016, she co-edited the Short Story Day Africa collection,[10][11] Migrations.[12] She was also the Andrew W. Mellon Writer-in-Residence at Rhodes University in 2018. She is currently the Francophone and Contributing editor for The Johannesburg Review of Books.[13][14]

Born in Zambia, Chela grew up in England, Ghana, Botswana and South Africa. She graduated with a BA degree in French, Politics, and Classical civilizations from Rhodes University in South Africa,[15] and at the Institut D’Etudes Politiques in Aix-en-Provence, France.[16]

References edit

  1. ^ "Efemia Chela". Pontas Agency. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  2. ^ The Caine Prize for African Writing 2014. New Internationalist. 14 July 2014. ISBN 9781780261751.
  3. ^ Guardian staff (23 April 2014). "Caine Prize shortlist showcases 'golden age' for the African short story". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  4. ^ "An Unexpected Prize – by Efemia Chela". Caine Prize. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  5. ^ "World Fiction Special". New Internationalist. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Issue 88". Wasafiri. Winter 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  7. ^ "Among the Contributors", Wasafiri, 31:4, 2016, 100–102, DOI: 10.1080/02690055.2016.1221124
  8. ^ "Token Magazine Issue 2". Token. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  9. ^ Chela, Efemia (3 April 2015). "Petty Blood Sport". Pen America. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  10. ^ Karen, Jennings (12 June 2014). Feast, Famine and Potluck: Short Story Day Africa. Modjaji Books. ISBN 9780620588874.
  11. ^ Zadok, Rachel; Mulgrew, Nick (21 March 2016). Water: New Short Story Fiction from Africa: An Anthology from Short Story Day Africa. New Internationalist. ISBN 9781780263113.
  12. ^ "Books". Short Story Day Africa. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  13. ^ "Efemia Chela". Pontas Agency. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  14. ^ Malec, Jennifer (7 April 2017). "The JRB Masthead". The Johannesburg Review of Books. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  15. ^ "Efemia Chela". Open Book Festival. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  16. ^ Chela, Efemia (3 April 2015). "Petty Blood Sport". PEN America. Retrieved 6 December 2018.