Abimbola "Abi" Daré is a Nigerian author and public speaker who now lives in Essex, England.[1] In 2018 she won the Bath Novel Award,[2][3] and was a finalist in the Literary Consultancy Pen Factor 2018.[4] Her debut novel The Girl With The Louding Voice was published in 2020 to critical acclaim.

Abi Daré
Daré in 2022
Daré in 2022
BornAbimbola Daré
Lagos, Nigeria
OccupationAuthor
Nationality
  • Nigerian
Education
GenreFiction, young adult
Years active2018–present
Notable works

Biography

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Daré grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, attending the Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls,[5] and moved to the UK for her higher education.[3] Her mother Teju Somorin was the first female professor of taxation in Nigeria.[6]

Daré has a degree in law from the University of Wolverhampton, a master's in international project management, graduating as best performing student from Glasgow Caledonian University and a master's with distinction in creative writing from Birkbeck.[7]

Career

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She has said she began writing fiction on a blog and was the editor of her church magazine.[3] Daré works overseeing app development for a publishing firm.[1][8]

In 2022, Abi was appointed as External Board Member at the BiC Corporate Foundation.[9]

In March 2023, Abi delivered the keynote address at The Social Enterprise Conference at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School.[10]

The Girl with the Louding Voice

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Daré's debut novel The Girl with the Louding Voice is a story about a teenage Nigerian girl called Adunni who becomes a maid and struggles with many things growing up, including her limited education, poverty and her ability to speak up for herself.[8]

The book became a New York Times Bestseller and is a Read with Jenna choice[11] and a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime pick.[12] Published by Sceptre, an imprint of Hodder, it was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize for first time novelists.[13] Daré was included in The Observer's list of 10 Best Debut Novelists of 2020.[1]

The novel has been translated into over 19 languages.

References

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  1. ^ a b c The Observer (26 January 2020). "Introducing our 10 best debut novelists of 2020". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  2. ^ BellaNaija (14 September 2018). "Nigerian Author Abimbola Dare Wins the 2018 Bath Novel Award". BellaNaija. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Dare, Abi (23 September 2018). "Interview: ABI DARÈ, winner of the Bath Novel Award 2018". The Bath Novel Awards (Interview). Interviewed by Carolin Ambrose. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Abi Daré". Curtis Brown. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Guest Author – Abimbola Dare: The Small Print". Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  6. ^ Daré, Abi (2020). The Girl With The Louding Voice. Great Britain: Sceptre.
  7. ^ "Abi Daré | Penguin Random House". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  8. ^ a b León, Concepción de (1 February 2020). "For Her Debut, Abi Daré Confronts 'Dreams and Intelligence That We Kill'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  9. ^ "The BiC corporate foundation". BiC. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  10. ^ Lia Parker-Belfer, Marc Alain Boucicault, Nora Jendoubi & Shivika Bhasin (21 March 2023). "SECON 2023: Back in person to discuss the power of narratives for social impact". Harvard Business School. Retrieved 1 May 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Read with Jenna: The Girl with the Louding Voice author chats on TODAY". Today.com. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  12. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré – Available now". BBC Online. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  13. ^ "The Girl with the Louding Voice - by Abi Daré". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2023.