Freshwater (novel)

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Freshwater
FreshWater Cover.jpg
Freshwater
AuthorAkwaeke Emezi
CountryNigeria
LanguageEnglish
Publication date
2018

Freshwater is the debut novel by Nigerian writer Akwaeke Emezi. A TV series based on the novel is under development by FX.

Plot[]

Freshwater tells the semi-autobiographical story of the protagonist, Ada, who is an ogbanje. Emezi explores their Igbo heritage's spirituality and gender alongside those of Western construction and invites their audience to think critically about this spirit/body binary.[1][2]

Reception[]

The New Yorker called Freshwater "a startling début novel";[3] The Guardian called it "a remarkable debut";[4] and the LA Times called it "dazzling".[5] Freshwater was longlisted for numerous significant awards.[6] Freshwater was a New York Times Notable Book,[7] was named a Best Book of the Year by the New Yorker[8] and NPR.[9] Emezi is also recognized as a 2018 National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" honoree.[10]

In 2019, Freshwater was nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction — the first time a non-binary transgender author has been nominated for the prize. Kate Williams, the chair of the judges, called it a "historic moment". Williams said that the panel did not know Emezi was non-binary when the book was chosen, but she said Emezi was happy to be nominated.[11] Non-binary commentator Vic Parsons wrote that the nomination raised uncomfortable questions, asking: "would a non-binary author who was assigned male at birth have been longlisted? I highly doubt it."[12] After the nomination, it was announced that the Women's Prize Trust was working on new guidelines for transgender, non-binary, and genderfluid authors.[13]

Controversy[]

After Emezi posted tweets regarding Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's association with transphobic public figures,[14] Adichie (who had previously helped publish Emezi's work in an online magazine) asked that all references to her name be removed from the "about the author" section of the book jacket on all future copies of Freshwater,[15] and that the existing unsold stock of books have their jackets reprinted. In an essay posted to her website, Adiche denied allegations that this move was intended to "sabotage" the author's career, stating that her actions were motivated by the belief that the author (whom she did not name at the time) was attempting to financially benefit from the association with her name whilst simultaneously libeling her with defamatory public statements:

Asking that my name be removed from your biography is not sabotaging your career. It is about protecting my boundaries of what I consider acceptable in civil human behaviour.

You publicly call me a murderer AND still feel entitled to benefit from my name?

You use my name (without my permission) to sell your book AND then throw an ugly tantrum when someone makes a reference to it?

What kind of monstrous entitlement, what kind of perverse self-absorption, what utter lack of self-awareness, what unheeding heartlessness, what frightening immaturity makes a person act this way?

Besides, a person who genuinely believes me to be a murderer cannot possibly want my name on their book cover, unless of course that person is a rank opportunist.[16]

In response to this, Emezi posted a video to Instagram, saying in part:

I am not going to read what home girl wrote and do like a blow-by-blow rebuttal of it, because I am not even going to read it. Because it doesn’t affect my life.[15]

It is not known how many copies of the book were recalled, nor how many were subsequently reissued upon having their jackets replaced.


Awards[]

References[]

  1. ^ Mzezewa, Tariro (2018-02-26). "In This Debut Novel, a College Student Hears Voices". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  2. ^ "In 'Freshwater,' A College Student Learns To Live With Separate Selves". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  3. ^ Waldman, Katy (2018-02-26). "A Startling Début Novel Explores the Freedom of Being Multiple". ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  4. ^ Adébáyò, Ayòbámi (2018-11-15). "Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi review – a remarkable debut". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  5. ^ Straight, Susan. "A dazzling, devastating novel: 'Freshwater' by Akwaeke Emezi". latimes.com. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  6. ^ "The Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize". www.bklynlibrary.org. 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  7. ^ Times, The New York (2018-11-19). "100 Notable Books of 2018". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  8. ^ Waldman, Katy (2018-12-04). "The Best Books of 2018". ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  9. ^ "NPR's Book Concierge Our Guide To 2018's Great Reads". apps.npr.org. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  10. ^ Schaub, Michael (2018-09-24). "National Book Foundation unveils this year's '5 Under 35' picks". latimes.com. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  11. ^ Cain, Sian (2019-03-04). "Non-binary trans author nominated for Women's prize for fiction". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  12. ^ "Opinion: Be careful before celebrating the recognition of Akwaeke Emezi". The Independent. 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  13. ^ Wood, Heloise. "Women's Prize to formulate new policy around gender criteria". TheBookSeller.com. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  14. ^ Phiri, Aretha. "Adichie and Emezi: ignore the noise, pay attention to the conversation". The Conversation. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  15. ^ a b "'It is obscene': Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie pens blistering essay against social media sanctimony". The Guardian. 2021-06-16. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  16. ^ "IT IS OBSCENE: A TRUE REFLECTION IN THREE PARTS". Chimamanda Adichie (Official Website). 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  17. ^ "Nommo 2019: Novel Nominations - African Speculative Fiction Society". www.africansfs.com. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  18. ^ Lothian, Alexis (2020-04-11). "Akwaeke Emezi wins 2019 Otherwise Award! Honor List Announced « Otherwise Award". Otherwise Award. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
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