Nathan Kweku John
Assistant Professor | English | Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA, UNITED STATES
Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts
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Biography
Nathan Kweku John has published book reviews, short fiction and a poetry collection. His scholarship largely centers on the funeral dirges of Ghana’s Akan people and the poetics of Ghanaian naming ceremonies. John’s most recent work interrogates the legacies of traditional Yoruba praise poetry and drum language on contemporary West African Afrobeats linguistics.
John's debut collection, Saltwater Demands a Psalm, was selected by Tyehimba Jess to win the 2022 Academy of American Poets First Book Prize. The manuscript was published by Graywolf Press in April of 2023.
Education (2)
University of Michigan: MFA, Poetry Writing
University of Virginia: B.A., English & African-American Studies
Areas of Expertise (3)
Poetry Writing
African-American Studies
English
Accomplishments (7)
Indie Introduce Award, Association of American Booksellers (professional)
2023
Indie Next Award, Association of American Booksellers (professional)
2023
First Book Prize for Poetry, Academy of American Poets (professional)
2022
Rackham Thesis Travel Grant, University of Michigan (professional)
2021
Hopwood Creative Writing Award, University of Michigan (professional)
2021
Furious Flower Poetry Prize (professional)
2020
Rackham Merit Fellowship, University of Michigan (professional)
2019
Affiliations (5)
- Charlottesville City Council : Student Body Representative
- Black Leadership Academy : Member
- Advertising and Marketing Association : Member
- Black Commerce Student Network : Member of Leadership Academy
- Black Student Alliance : Member
Media Appearances (1)
An Indies Introduce Q&A with Kweku Abimbola
American Booksellers Association online
2023-03-22
Here Abimbola and Imafidon discuss Saltwater Demands a Psalm.
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