12 Nov 2009 20:15 Africa/Lagos

Author of Say You're One of Them Visits USF

Rev. Uwem Akpan, S.J., to do reading, book signing, and to answer audience questions

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of San Francisco (USF) announced today that Reverend Uwem Akpan, S.J., author of Say You're One of Them, a recent Oprah's Book Club(R) 2009 Selection, will visit USF on Wednesday, November 18, at 4:00 p.m. During his time on campus, Father Akpan will do a reading from his award-winning book, followed by a question and answer session, and book signing. Held in Fromm Hall on USF's main campus, this event is free and open to the public.


Upon learning of Fr. Akpan's upcoming visit to San Francisco, USF President Stephen A. Privett, S.J. said, "Fr. Akpan speaks for the most the vulnerable population of Africa--its children. His short stories, which are not easy reads, give us a child's view on the issues which plague many parts of Africa today: genocide, religious intolerance, human trafficking and tribal antipathies." Privett continued, "He is a great story teller with a compelling and challenging message, and we are fortunate to welcome him to campus."


This exciting literary event will take place in the Xavier Room of Fromm Hall on USF's main campus. The most direct entrance to Fromm Hall is on Golden Gate Ave. and Parker Ave. Interested attendees should RSVP to reserve a seat by calling 415.422.2697. Convenient parking available in the Koret Health & Recreation Center parking lot located at the corner of Turk Blvd. and Parker Ave. in San Francisco.


Uwem Akpan, S.J., was born in Ikot Akpan Eda in southern Nigeria. After studying philosophy and English at Creighton and Gonzaga universities, he studied theology for three years at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 2003 and received his MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan in 2006.


In Say You're One of Them, published September 18, 2009, each story in this jubilantly acclaimed collection pays testament to the wisdom and resilience of children, even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances. A family living in a makeshift shanty in urban Kenya scurries to find gifts of any kind for the impending Christmas holiday. A Rwandan girl relates her family's struggles to maintain a facade of normalcy amid unspeakable acts. A young brother and sister cope with their uncle's attempt to sell them into slavery. Aboard a bus filled with refugees--a microcosm of today's Africa--a Muslim boy summons his faith to bear a treacherous ride across Nigeria. Through the eyes of childhood friends the emotional toll of religious conflict in Ethiopia becomes viscerally clear.


Say You're One of Them has won a plethora of awards, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (Africa Region), PEN/Beyond Margins Award, and the Los Angeles Times Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction.


Paperback copies of Say You're One of Them will be available for purchase at the USF event. For more information on Father Akpan or Say You're One of Them, please visit www.uwemakpan.com.


About USFEstablished in 1855, USF is the city's oldest university and is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the country. The University of San Francisco is committed to being a premier Jesuit Catholic, urban university with a global perspective that educates leaders who will fashion a more humane and just world. With nearly 8,800 enrolled, the university offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional students the knowledge and skills needed to succeed as persons and professionals, and the values and sensitivity necessary to be men and women for others. For more information, please visit www.usfca.edu.


Source: University of San Francisco

CONTACT: Anne-Marie Devine, University of San Francisco,
+1-415-422-2697, abdevine@usfca.edu


Web Site: http://www.usfca.edu/
http://www.uwemakpan.com/

i wish he'd come to my school- northwestern university!!
man i loved his book

africhika:

i wish he'd come to my school- northwestern university!!
man i loved his book

You can reach him through the sources provided in the news release.