Akwaeke Emezi

Akwaeke Emezi, born in Nigeria in 1987, is a nonbinary author of Igbo-Tamil heritage. Emezi holds a master’s degree in public administration from New York University and has published novels as well as a memoir. Notable works include the debut novel *Freshwater*, *The Death of Vivek Oji*, *You Are So Beautiful, and the Dead* and *Dear Senthuran*. In 2017, Emezi received the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa. Emezi has appeared several times on the New York Times bestseller list and was a finalist for the National Book Award.