Book Birthdays celebrate one year of a book’s life in social media posts, reviews, and more. This month we’re saying Happy First Book Birthday to The Gathering of Bastards (Nebraska, 2023) by Romeo Oriogun.
About the Book:
Like I knew, standing
on the seashore, the hunger
wracking a migrant’s body
is movement.
—from Romeo Oriogun’s “Migrant by the Sea”
The Gathering of Bastards chronicles the movement of migrants as they navigate borders both internal and external. At the heart of these poems of vulnerability and sharp intelligence, the poet himself is the perpetual migrant embarked on forced journeys that take him across nations in West and North Africa, through Europe, and through American cities as he navigates the challenges of living through terror and loss and wrestles with the meaning of home.
Reviews:
“The Gathering of Bastards by Romeo Oriogun is an urgent and immersive book, ushering readers into a contemplative experience on belonging to self, community, and the ecosystem of the world.”—Adesiyan Oluwapelumi, The Republic
“These graceful, moving poems, set in Nigeria and other parts of Africa as well as the United States, suggest how a truly self-possessed, artistic vision can persevere within the agony of exile and aloneness.”—David Woo, Literary Hub
“The Gathering of Bastards (University of Nebraska Press, 2023) is a prayer, not against exile per se, but against exiling, that tendency of the home or the country to eject. Clustered around themes of departure, remembrance and wandering, this collection of 71 poems tells the story of migration across the borders of time, place and even the body.”—Nengak Daniel Gondyi, brittle paper
Awards
2024 Nebraska Book Award Winner
2024 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist in Poetry
2024 Midwest Book Award Finalist in Poetry
2023 Julie Suk Award Winner
Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry shortlist
On X:
“the beginning of borders, the beginning of exile.”
— Open Books: A Poem Emporium (@openpoetrybooks) October 22, 2023
-Romeo Oriogun, The Gathering of Bastards (@UnivNebPress) https://t.co/bdDrMq9Xxa pic.twitter.com/OjPF6EcNar
Congratulations to the poet Romeo Oriogun (@SonOfOlokun), on the publication of his third collection of poems, "A Gathering of Bastards" by @UnivNebPress.
— OPEN COUNTRY MAG (@OpenCountryMag) October 2, 2023
Click here to read our profile of Oriogun: https://t.co/IzzUMoq2qA
And order his new book here: https://t.co/zk5hX6rrfB pic.twitter.com/lilsTA7oRB
Tonight at 7pm! Poets Jorrell Watkins and Romeo Oriogun will read from Play/House and The Gathering of Bastards – join us! pic.twitter.com/PidBM2nrfp
— Prairie Lights Books (@Prairie_Lights) May 1, 2024
the gathering of bastards by Romeo oriogun
— 𝖊𝖉𝖜𝖎𝖓 (@edwinofficial11) February 11, 2024
Congratulations to Romeo Oriogun for The Gathering of Bastards (University of Nebraska Press), winner of the 2023 Suk Award! This award is given to our favorite book published by a small or literary press. https://t.co/0si7uB4zoB pic.twitter.com/r2xo8Tf7sr
— Jacar Press (@jacarpress) September 5, 2024
Nigerian writer, @ademindpoems, reviews Romeo Oriogun’s latest poetry collection, The Gathering of Bastards. According to Oluwapelumi, the poems explore themes of departure, remembrance and wandering.
— The Republic (@republicjournal) August 6, 2024
Our #LatestOnline
Read the full review here: https://t.co/NiE02XKKRP pic.twitter.com/MDwRReZTOl
Tonight! May 1st, 7p.m. at Prairie Lights bookstore, Jorrell Watkins and Romeo Oriogun will read from their new books, 'Play|House', and 'The Gathering of Bastards' https://t.co/x9HncQ6OIa pic.twitter.com/hsPlnQTXN1
— IowaWritersWorkshop (@IowaWritersWksp) May 1, 2024
This week, Nigerian academic Nengak Daniel Gondyi shared his review of Romeo Oriogun's most recent poetry collection, THE GATHERING OF BASTARDS.https://t.co/6m8mEJRnmq
— BRITTLE PAPER (@brittlepaper) April 18, 2024
Romeo Oriogun is the author of Sacrament of Bodies, Nomad, and The Gathering of Bastards. A finalist for the Lambda Award for Gay Poetry, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Literature, and the 2023 National Book Critic Circle Award for Poetry,…
— Masobe Books (@masobebooks) June 20, 2024
Nigerian poet, @RomeoOriogun , has been shortlisted for the Derek Walcott Prize for poetry. Oriogun was shortlisted for his poetry collection, “The Gathering of Bastards”.
— Afrocritik (@afrocritik) July 3, 2024
The winner will be announced on October 15, 2024.
Read more ⬇️ https://t.co/leREqGhAbA
Essayist Romeo Oriogun meditates on his past works through a reading of his book, ‘The Gathering of Bastards.’ https://t.co/SeS2PqNKDw
— The Daily Iowan (@TheDailyIowan) May 3, 2024
So grateful to see that The Gathering of Bastards has won the Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. I give thanks to @kwamedawes who edited this collection, and to everyone at @AfricanPoetryBF & @UnivNebPress who made this book possible. https://t.co/TsRG75302X
— Romeo Oriogun (@RomeoOriogun) August 24, 2024
oin multiple award winning poet Romeo Oriogun for a craft deepening writing workshop. @SonOfOlokun is the author of Sacrament of Bodies, Nomad, and the forthcoming collection A Gathering of Bastards. Winner of the 2017 Brunel International African Poetry Prize, pic.twitter.com/q2v5RAOcPq
— Lagos Poetry Festival (@LagosPoetryFest) September 8, 2022
I am grateful to Jaki Shelton Green for selecting The Gathering of Bastards as the winner of the 2023 Julie Suk Award, and support all the books that were shortlisted. Support small and indie presses. https://t.co/RYKhwyQ10C
— Romeo Oriogun (@RomeoOriogun) September 5, 2024
UNP blog 