Akwaeke Emezi is a Nigerian-born author and a visual, musical, and performance artist. They were born in Umuahia, Abia, Nigeria, in 1987, and grew up in Aba, Nigeria. Emezi moved to the United States to attend college at the age of 16. There is much more to Emezi’s story. This story, one of a Nigerian child, then a U.S. Immigrant, who lives many realities, some wonderful, some nightmarish, and some, the in between, is part of what makes reading Emezi's books an immersive experience that goes beyond the book.

Akwaeke Emezi has received numerous honors and awards for their work. The book Pet (see image) won the Walter Dean Myers Honor Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, is a Stonewall Honor Book, and was a National Book Award Finalist in 2019. These are just a few of the many accolades for Emezi’s books.

Take a look at Akwaeke Emezi's official website for a more complete list of honors and awards.

Blood Runs Through It

Blood, the literal red flowing type, is central to much of Akwaeke Emezi's work. In Pet, Jam's spilling of blood from a cut plays a crucial role in the development of the story. Blood plays similarly central roles in much of Emezi's other work. Summarizing Emezi's why here does not seem to do it justice. I encourage you to read their why in this apartamento magazine interview.