Q and A with Say You're One of Them Author Uwem Akpan

Uwem Akpan's Faith and Fiction

By Erin J. Shea

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Uwem Akpan answers your questions about being a Jesuit priest, what his childhood was like and the role his faith played in writing Say You're One of Them.

What role did Uwem Akpan's faith play in the creation of his book?
What inspired Akpan to write these particular stories? Did he know children like these characters?
What was Akpan's childhood like? What about the storytelling that takes place in his village?
How long did it take him to write the stories in Say You're One of Them?
Akpan has said in other interviews that fiction allows us to "sit for a while with people we would rather not meet." What does he mean by that?
What are some of Akpan's favorite books? When he's not writing, what does he enjoy doing?
Does Akpan have any advice for aspiring writers?

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Published on October 02, 2009

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