Inua Ellams


Inua M. M. Ellams is a UK-based poet, playwright and performer.

Biography

Ellams has a twin sister and two other sisters. He was raised in "the plushness of middle-class Nigerian life"; the family had servants, and he attended boarding school. He left Nigeria with his family when he was twelve, after being threatened by followers of extremist Islam, and attended Holland Park School in Holland Park, London, and Firhouse Community College, Dublin. Money being "painfully tight", and qualifying only for higher fees as an overseas student, Ellams did not attend university.
Ellams has written for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre and the BBC. In June 2018 Ellams was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in its "40 Under 40" initiative.

Works

Poetry

Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales
Candy Coated Unicorns and Converse All Stars
The Wire-Headed Heathen

Featured in anthologies

The Salt Book of Younger Poets
Ten: The New Wave

Performances and Plays

''The 14th Tale''

Ellams's one-man show The 14th Tale was awarded an Edinburgh Fringe First at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2009 and later transferred to the Royal National Theatre, London.

''Untitled''

A one-man show staged at the Soho Theatre in 2010, telling the story of twins born on Nigeria's independence day.

''Barber Shop Chronicles''

Barber Shop Chronicles is a play set in black barber shops in six cities on one day, against the backdrop of a football match between Chelsea and Barcelona. The play explores the African diaspora in the UK, masculinity, homosexuality and religion. The play was produced by the National Theatre, Fuel Theatre and Leeds Playhouse and was shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award in 2017. Following a period of touring, the play was also performed at the Roundhouse in 2019, and a recording of the National Theatre production was streamed in May 2020 as part of the National Theatre at Home season.

''The Half God of Rainfall''

In April 2019 his new play, The Half God of Rainfall, was presented at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, in advance of its run at London's Kiln Theatre, as well as its publication as a book.

''Three Sisters''

In December 2019 - February 2020 Ellams's reworking of Chekhov's play Three Sisters was performed at the Royal National Theatre, London. The play restaged the story in the 1960s in the midst of the Biafran war in Nigeria.

''An Evening with an Immigrant''

In 2020 Ellams has been performing a live stage programme with anecdotes of his childhood and his experiences as a refugee and will continue to update it to reflect his current experiences. An excerpt was shown at the Hay Festival on May 24, 2020.

Awards

Winner in 2008 of an Edinburgh Fringe First Award for The 14th Tale.
Shortlisted in 2017 for the Alfred Fagon Award, for The Barber Shop Chronicles.
Winner of the medal for Poetry at the 2020 Hay Festival for his work, The Half God of Rainfall and for his play The Barber Shop Chronicles, announced virtually on May 24. The medal has Athena, the goddess of Wisdom, rather than the traditional Nike, goddess of Victory.