The Zambian-Ghanaian writer, Efemia Christiana Chela, has had her Caine Prize-nominated short story “Chicken” optioned for film by Johannesburg-based film production company Collecting Treasures.
“Chicken” is Efemia’s debut published work. It was first published in the Feast, Famine and Potluck collection before getting nominated for Short Story Day Africa where it was second runner-up, and then the 2014 Caine Prize for African Writing.
The story centres on a young lady who has recently graduated from university and is exploring her sexuality and discovering herself. The character has to decide if wants to pursue a career in law or continue her journey to self-discovery. The story can be read here.
Efemia Christiana Chela attended Rhodes University in South Africa and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Aix-en-Provence, France, and has lived in Zambia, England, Ghana, Botswana, and South Africa. Her work has appeared in Brittle Paper, Jalada, Short.Sharp.Stories: Adults Only, Prufrock, and PEN Passages: Africa.
Announcing the big news on Facebook, Efemia said: “Wish me luck on the journey from the page to the reel. Special thanks to those who have been there for me from the very beginning of my literary dreams.”
Congratulations to Efemia. Reading “Chicken” was a delight. We can’t wait to see it in motion picture!
