Chris Abani was born in Afikpo, Nigeria. At the age of sixteen, he published his first novel for which he suffered severe political persecution. He is the recipient of numerous awards and currently is a Professor at the University of California, Riverside.
Pamela Gien is an artist who was born in South Africa, and now lives in the United States. She is the author of the Syringa Tree, a play about the experience of life during apartheid South Africa from the perspective of a young child.
South African photojournalist Guy Tillim began taking pictures in the mid 1980s during the last days of apartheid. His photographs have a hush and luminosity that runs counter to traditional ideas of photojournalism.
