Celebrating Ndi-Igbo

One to watch Chinelo Okparanta received her BA in Secondary Education (French, English & Communications) from the Pennsylvania State University, her MA in English (17th & 18th Century British Literature, or The Restoration) from Rutgers University, and her MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Among other honors, she is the recipient of the Coral Lansbury Graduate Award for Academic Excellence at Rutgers University, and the Dean’s Graduate Fellowship at the University of Iowa. She was one of Granta's six New Voices for 2012 and has stories forthcoming from Conjunctions, Subtropics, and elsewhere. Granta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centers on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real.

Ogo Offodile is a New York based fashion stylist whose passion for creative expression and eclectic work can been seen across new stands, billboards, and numerous red carpets. Best known for her work styling Solange Knowles, her experiences range from styling fashion editorials to advertisements, campaigns, music videos, celebrity styling, brand consulting, and much more. She attributes a large portion of her creative influences to the "geek" in her and derives strengths from her vibrant multicultural Nigerian background. With a boundless creative vision, keen eye for detail and versatile approach to styling that explores the unique experiential relationship with fashion, art and technology it is no wonder her work has carved its unique signature and captivated the attention of A-list celebrities and publications like Vogue, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, In Style, Marie Claire, and Women's Wear Daily.

Nigerian-American model Adaora Akubilo (@AdaoraAkubilo) is one of the few models who got a coveted spot in Sports Illustrated’s 2012 Swuimsuit Edition. The annual swimsuit issue has elevated the careers of supermodels and superstars including Tyra Banks and Beyonce. Adaora was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Born in Windsor, Connecticut, USA, Adaora has worked for Garnier Nutrisse, Burt’s Bees, Verizon Wireless,Target, Zappos, House of Dereon, Ray Ban, Essence, Seventeen, Abercrombie, Glamour, CosmoGirl, Agatha, Mary Kay, YourProm, Jewel and Ebony Magazine. One to watch! 

Vera Ephraim's full name is Vera Nkechi Anenyeonu. She is from Anambra state, Nigeria. Vera is a celebrated Nigerian Award wining Dancer, Choreographer and international Actress who has worked with Lavelle Smith Jr.(Micheal Jackson and Beyounce's choreographer) and collaborated also with the likes of Orlando Julius, Hugh Masakela and Femi Kuti. Vera has starred, co-starred and guest starred in theatre, film, television,Tv commercials, music videos and Radio. Since in South Africa, she has featured in top drama series like Generations, Intersextions, Jacobs Cross and played the role of Ayo in Lifestyles, a Nigerian soap opera. She is the CEO,founder/artistic director of Vera's Danse Hauz.

Jason Njoku is the founder and CEO of Iroko Partners, the largest digital distributors of Nigerian music and movies, with a library of over 1600 licensed movies. Mr. Njoku’s, Iroko Partners, consist of 5 web brands; iROKOtv, iROKING, iROKtv, NollywoodLove and YorubaLove. Mr. Njoku is building a modern digital distribution infrastructure using Amazon Web Services, Ooyala and several video ad networks, to service the second largest movie industry in the world (by volume), Nollywood, or Nigerian cinema. According to Pando Daily’s,last year Iroko did eight million YouTube streams a month, with a $1 million revenue run-rate. This traffic has soared. Mr. Njoku holds a BSc, Chemistry from The University of Manchester, University of Manchester - Manchester Business School, 2002 – 2005. He was a speaker at TEDxEuston 2012.

Uzoamaka Maduka, 24, and a recent Princeton graduate, is the founder and Editor-in-chief of American Reader, a new monthly literary magazine aimed at intelligent young people between the ages of 25 and 35. American Reader is devoted solely to literature and literary criticism. This sets it apart from established names such as Harper’s and the New Yorker, which also include reportage. It is committed to inspiring literary and critical conversation among a new generation of readers, and restoring literature to its proper place in the American cultural discourse. The American Reader serves as a hardy and handy compendium of new literature and current critical and industry-related discussions. It will feature new fiction; new poetry; translated portfolios of international fiction, poetry, and drama; well-argued reviews of new literature; considered essays on all matters literary; and occasional interviews with writers, publishers, editors, and various industry professionals. The...

Jekwu Anyaegbuna was raised and educated in Nigeria where he qualified as a chartered accountant. A graduate of the University of Ilorin, he writes both poetry and prose; and his work has been widely published, or will be published, in literary journals in the United States and the UK including Ambit, Orbis, Word Riot, Other Poetry, The Journal, Bow-Wow Shop, Eclectica Magazine, Atticus Review, Yuan Yang Journal, The Talon Magazine, Dark Lady Poetry, Asinine Poetry, Vox Poetica, Breadcrumb Scabs, Haggard and Halloo, New Black Magazine, Pattaya Poetry Review, Dcomp Magazine, Tipton Poetry Journal, Obsession, Black Heart Magazine and many other places.  Jekwu lives, works and writes in Lagos and he won the 2012 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa for “Morrison Okoli (1955-2010)". It was first published in June 2012 as part of a collaboration between Granta Magazine (granta.com) and Commonwealth Writers.