Uwem Akpan's 'Say you're one of them'

Uwem Akpan born in 1971 is a Nigerian Jesuit priest and the author of 'Say You’re One of Them'.

He was born in the southern Nigerian village of Ikot Akpan Eda; his parents were teachers. He and his three brothers grew up speaking both English and Annang. He joined the Jesuit order at 19 in 1990 and became a priest in 2003; he later earned an M.F.A. degree in creative writing at the University of Michigan. He has also studied theology at Creighton University.

'Say you're one of them' is a collection of five stories set in different parts of Africa including Nigeria and Rwanda, which tells a tale about the journey of African children ’s hardship and the bitter sweet occurrences of having to grow up in Africa.

On September 17, 2009, 'Say you're one of them' was picked by the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. He made history because ever since Oprah started her book club collection, she has never selected a collection of short stories before.

The selection of the book on Oprah's book club has been positive because ever since the announcement, the sales on the book have more than tripled and has sold out in major book stores all across America. *