African Creator Uwem Akpan Says Humbled By Oprah Pick

African Creator Uwem Akpan Says Humbled By Oprah Pick

African writer Uwem Akpan says humbled by Oprah choose
Oprah Winfrey reacts to her audience during a broadcast of her television present ''Oprah'' being broadcast from New York's Central Park, September 18, 2009. REUTERS/Mike Segar
NEW YORK Nigerian author Uwem Akpan, who's a Jesuit priest, said he was "humbled" that his debut assortment of short stories was chosen by influential U.S. speak present host Oprah Winfrey for her e-book membership.
Oprah picked "Say You are One Of Them" as her 63rd book club selection, the first time she has chosen a guide of brief stories, saying these stories "left me surprised and profoundly moved."
The gathering, revealed in 2008, consists of five separate tales from the angle of an African child that were described as capturing the resilience of kids growing up within the face of unimaginable devastation.
Uwem Akpan, who runs a parish in Lagos, instructed Leisure Weekly that he was "very, very humbled" to be chosen by Oprah.
He mentioned he was not at present working on one other e book as his parish had been so busy but the church supports his writing with no conflict of interest between writing and being a priest.
"I've permission to write down, however I do not want an imprimatur from the church - that is more for people who find themselves writing about theology and philosophy. They see that I am writing fiction and assume it's made up," he mentioned.
"Don't forget that Jesus was a priest and a poet."
Oprah's ebook membership is the largest on the earth with nearly two million online members and books chosen for Oprah's e book club invariably skyrocket to the highest of the U.S. bestseller lists.
Akpan studied philosophy and English at Creighton and Gonzaga universities then studied theology for three years at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 2003 and acquired his master's diploma in creative writing from the University of Michigan in 2006.
His story assortment was first published last year by Little Brown & Co, which is part of the Hachette Guide Group that's owned by French publishing firm Largardere.
(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, Enhancing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Subsequent In Lifestyle
SAN FRANCISCO Lottery gamers checked their Powerball tickets after numbers have been drawn on Wednesday for one of many biggest jackpots - $359 million - in U.S. historical past that grew over the last few weeks as nobody took residence the prize.
Vienna Zoo twin panda cubs named Fu Feng and Fu Ban at ceremony

VIENNA Twin panda cubs born at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo last summer were officially named Fu Feng and Fu Ban at a ceremony on Wednesday - although they have been nonetheless too small to be there themselves.
EXTRA FROM REUTERS