Radio Sunrise

McKitterick Prize, 2018

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Winner of the McKitterick Prize 2018.

“Never cover an assignment without collecting a brown envelope,” Boniface had said. “It is a real life saver for all journalists in this country.”

Ifiok, a young journalist working for the government radio station in Lagos, Nigeria, always aspires to do the right thing, but the odds seem to be stacked against him. Government pressures cause the funding to his radio drama to get cut off, his girlfriend leaves him when she discovers he is having an affair with an intern, and kidnappings and militancy are on the rise in the country. When Ifiok travels to his hometown to do a documentary on some ex-militants’ apparent redemption, a tragi-comic series of events will make him realise he is unable to swim against the tide of corruption.

Building on the legacy of the great African satirist tradition of Ngugi Wa Thiongo and Ayi Kwei Armah, Radio Sunrise paints a sharp-tongued portrait of (post) post-colonial Nigeria.

Reviews

Isong is a rare talent indeed.
SJ Bradley
Isong weaves a profoundly personal story of contemporary Nigeria even while dealing with broader societal and cultural issues.
Chika Unigwe, Man Booker International 2017 judge
Anietie Isong is a keen observer of his society, with an exceptional gift of narration.
Marina Lewycka, A Short History of Tractors in Ukraine