Chris Abani articulates his experiences of being a political prisoner and of civil war in a highly personal and explicit way, while still achieving universal relevance. In awarding Chris Abani this prize, the Prince Claus Fund is acknowledging a promising poet and a persuasive humanist. Albani speaks for the ‘zones of silence’ within societies.
Cover of Dutch book with poems of Chris Abani
Laureates
report from the jury
