Dr Okechukwu Nzelu
Lecturer in Creative WritingResearch Interests
Most of my work is in long-form fiction, although I occasionally write essays and short fiction. Much of my writing centres on Black British life, queerness, family (whether genetic or chosen) and faith. My debut novel The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney (Dialogue Books/Little,Brown, 2019) is about a half-Nigerian teenage girl who is determined to learn about her Igbo heritage. My second novel, Here Again Now (Dialogue Boooks/Little,Brown, 2022), is inspired by the Book of Ruth from the Old Testament.
PhD Supervision Interests
My research mostly focuses on long fiction (although I write some short fiction and the odd personal essay). I am interested in exploring identity, queerness, religion, race and colonialism. I am interested in questions of what Britishness means today, and stories of immigrants and their descendants. Formally, I am interested in playing with structure and point of view, and considering how tragedy and/or comedy can be wielded in fiction.
15/07/2023 → 30/11/2023
Consultancy
13/03/2023 → 26/09/2023
Consultancy
Participation in conference - Public
Visiting an external academic institution
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Participation in conference - Public
Invited talk
Invited talk
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Invited talk
Invited talk
Invited talk
Examination
Invited talk
Invited talk
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Visiting an external academic institution
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
Hosting a Non-Academic Visitor
Invited talk
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition
Membership of board
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Symposium
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Invited talk
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
Membership of board
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Prize (including medals and awards)
Prize (including medals and awards)
Other distinction
Election to learned society