Tope Folarin (born 1981) is a Nigerian-American writer and the Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Studies. He won the 2013 Caine Prize for African Writing for his short story "Miracle" and was listed among the Africa39 writers in 2014. His story "Genesis" was shortlisted for the 2016 Caine Prize.
Early Life
Born as Oluwabusayo Temitope Folarin in Ogden, Utah, to Nigerian immigrants, he is the eldest of five siblings — three brothers and a sister — all born in the U.S. He was raised in Grand Prairie, Texas, moving there at age 14.
“I think my writing reflects both of these aspects of my life—a sense of closeness to Nigeria, and a distance as well.” — Tope Folarin, 2016
Education
- Morehouse College – B.A., graduated in 2004
- Studied abroad at Bates College and the University of Cape Town
- 2004 Rhodes Scholar
- Galbraith Scholar, Harvard Kennedy School (2004)
- University of Oxford
- MSc in African Studies
- MSc in Comparative Social Policy
- Member of Harris Manchester College
Career
- 2013 – Won the Caine Prize for "Miracle", becoming the first writer based outside Africa to do so
- The prize drew discussion about African identity and diaspora writing. Folarin responded:
“I'm a writer situated in the Nigerian diaspora... I consider myself Nigerian and American, both identities are integral to who I am.”
- 2014 – Named among Africa39 by the Hay Festival
- Board Member, Hurston/Wright Foundation
- 2019 – Published debut novel A Particular Kind of Black Man (Simon & Schuster)
- 2021 – Won the Whiting Award for Fiction
- 2021 – Appointed Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
- Previously served as Board Chair of the institute
Personal Life
- Resides in Washington, D.C.
Publications
Novel
- A Particular Kind of Black Man
(Simon & Schuster, 2019)
ISBN:9781501171819
Short Stories
- "Miracle", Transition, No. 109, 2012, pp. 73–83
- "The Summer of Ice Cream", Virginia Quarterly Review, Fall 2014, Vol. 90, No. 4
- "New Mom" (excerpt from a novel in progress), in Africa39, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014
- "Genesis", Callaloo, Vol. 37, No. 5, 2014, pp. 1070–1082
- DOI: 10.1353/cal.2014.0198(https://doi.org/10.1353/cal.2014.0198)
References
(To be compiled per citation standard)