The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Book Cover for: Becoming Nigerian: A Guide, Elnathan John

Becoming Nigerian: A Guide

Elnathan John

World Economic Forum Book Club
Included in
World Economic Forum Book Club

Be(com)ing Nigerian: A Guide is a satirical commentary on the different Nigerians you are likely to meet at home and abroad, on your way to heaven or to hell.

Be(com)ing Nigerian is an outrageously funny and acerbic guide to how to be a Nigerian; from how to attain the much-maligned, but heady rank of politician to achieving the status of the silver-tongued, private jet-flying religious leader.

It is a searing and darkly entertaining look at how power operates in private and in public; in politics, business, religious institutions and in homes. From the exploration of religious hypocrisy to the cautionary travel advice for Nigerians going to the United States, the collection is a jab at Nigerian society and its relation tot he world. Beyond poking fun at the holders of power, it is a summons, a provocation and a call for introspection among all levels of society. As is often said in Nigeria, when you point with one finger, there are four others pointing back at you.

Be(com)ing Nigerian: A Guide, moves between the sublime and the ridiculous, and deftly captures both the hilarity and the horror of Nigeria.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Cassava Republic Press
  • Publish Date: Mar 4th, 2020
  • Pages: 160
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.40in - 5.20in - 0.60in - 0.40lb
  • EAN: 9781911115960
  • Categories: Topic - ReligionTopic - PoliticsCommentary & Opinion

About the Author

John, Elnathan: - Elnathan John is a Nigerian writer and one of Nigeria's most well-known contemporary satirists. He has twice been shortlisted for the prestigious Caine Prize for African Writing (2013 & 2015). His writing has been published in Per Contra, Evergreen Review and Chimurenga's The Chronic. His debut novel, Born on a Tuesday, won a Betty Trask Award in 2017. He is a judge for the 2019 Man Booker International Prize.

Praise for this book

"It is an excoriating, loving and hilarious critique of a nation plagued by abuses of power." - 1843magazine
"John is an advocate of collective responsibility, he aims his fiercest barbs at those in positions of power, delivering a joyous massacre of sacred cows." - Kieron Monks, CNN
"Elnathan John is a writer to watch." - The New York Times
"A humorous and whimsical take on modern Nigeria... darkly funny and deliciously vicious." - Financial Times