Inua Ellams Wins 2024 Alfred Fagon Award for Once Upon A Time in Sokoto

Fuel is proud to announce that Inua Ellams has won the 2024 Alfred Fagon Award for his extraordinary new play, Once Upon A Time in Sokoto.

Set in pre-colonial Sokoto, Nigeria, the play is a sweeping epic that delves into the power struggles, the politics of language, and the dominance of faiths and cultures as kingdoms rise and fall. Against the backdrop of the Fulani’s unification of the Hausa Kingdoms, Ellams blends traditional Nigerian and contemporary oral storytelling to create a rich, layered narrative.

Born in Nigeria, Ellams is an internationally celebrated poet, playwright, and artist. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and ambassador for the Ministry of Stories, he has published four poetry collections, including Candy Coated Unicorns and Converse All Stars. His theatrical work includes The 14th Tale, which won a Fringe First at the Edinburgh International Theatre Festival, and the critically acclaimed Barber Shop Chronicles, which sold out at the National Theatre.

The prize was presented by Trustee and Judge, Olusola Oyeleye, during the awards ceremony at the Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre, on Friday, 13 December 2024.

Stay tuned for updates on this groundbreaking production and more from Fuel.