A Deep Humanness, a Deep Grace: Interview with Chris Abani

Author of six acclaimed novels, including GraceLand (2004), The Virgin of Flames (2007), and The Secret History of Las Vegas (2014), seven collections of poetry, and numerous critical essays on literature, art, ethics, photography, and cities, Chris Abani is now one of the most important African writers. In this interview, Abani evaluates his place in Nigerian, African, and world literature, touching along the way on topics as diverse as nationalism and transnationalism, the meaning of history and trauma for contemporary writers, and the tension between thinking like a critic and a creative writer.