SEFI ATTA

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1964  to a family of five children, Sefi Atta attended  Queen's College, Lagos, Millfield School, England and graduated from Birmingham University in 1985. She also trained as a chartered accountant.  Her father Abdul-Aziz Atta was the Secretary to Federal Government and Head of the Civil Service until his death in 1972, and she was raised by her mother Iyabo Atta.

In 1994 she moved from England to the United State with her husband, Gboyega Ransome-Kuti, a medical doctor, and son of Olikoye Ransome-Kuti. Sefi who currently lives in Meridian, Mississppi, founded the Lagos-based production company Atta Girl supports Care to Read. A program she initiated to earn funds for legitimate charities through staged readings.  While working as a CPA in  New York, Atta began to write. She graduated from the creative writing program at Antioch University, Los Angeles in 2001. Her short stories have appeared in literary journals such as World,  Missisipi Review and Los Angeles Review.  Her books have been translated to several languages.

Nigerian-born Sefi Atta’s short stories have appeared in journals like Literature Today, Los Angeles Review and Mississipi Review and have won prizes from Zoetrope and Red Hen Press. Her radio plays have been broadcast by the BBC. She is the winner of PEN International's 2004/2005 David TK Wong Prize and in 2006, her debut novel Everything Good Will Come was awarded the inaugural Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa

Novels;

•  Everything Good Will Come, (Interlink Books, 2005 ).
•  Swallow, (Interlink Book, 2010). 
• A Bit of Difference, (Interlink Books, 2012).

Short-story collections
News from Home, (Interlink Books, 2010).

Radio plays 
Some of her radio plays are:

• The Wake, Smooth FM, Lagos
• Makinwa's Miracle, BBC Radio
• The Engagement, BBC Radio
• A Free Day, BBC Radio

Stage plays
Her stage plays includes:

•  The Cost of Living, Lagos Heritage Festival, Terra Kulture, Lagos
• An Ordinary Legacy, The MUSON Festival, MUSON Centre, Lagos
• Hagel auf Zamfara, Theatre Krefeld, Germany
• The Engagement, MUSON Centre, Lagos.
• Among others.  

 Awards and Recognition

• Macmillan Writers Prize For Africa, shortlist, 2002.
• BBC African Performance, 2nd Prize, 2002.
• Zoetrope Short Fiction Contest, 3rd Prize, 2002.
• Red Hen Press Short Story Award, 1st prize, 2003.
• Glimmer Train's Very Short Fiction Award, finalist, 2003.
• BBC African Performance, 2nd Prize, 2004.
• PEN International David TK Wong Prize, 1st Prize, 2005.
• Caine Prize for African Literature, shortlist, 2006.
• Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa, 2006.
• Noma Award for Publishing in Africa, 2009.