Wednesday July 17, 2024
Nadifa Mohamed. Adama Jalloh for The New York Times
LONDON, United Kingdom (HOL) — Nadifa Mohamed, the celebrated Somali-British author, has been nominated for the 2024 Edinburgh TV Festival Award for Best Factual Presenter for her documentary "Britain's Human Zoos." The winners will be announced on August 22nd at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).
The Edinburgh TV Festival, an annual event for television professionals, announced the shortlist for its TV Awards with double BAFTA Award winner Big Zuu as the 2024 Jury President. The festival coincides with other major events like the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe.
This year, the BBC leads the nominations with 23, followed by Channel 4 with 19, and ITV with 10. Global streaming platforms Apple TV+ and Disney+ each have six nominations.
Mohamed will compete for Best Factual Presenter against Emily Victoria for "A Paedophile in My Family: Surviving Dad," Louis Theroux for "Louis Theroux Interviews…," and Rhod Gilbert for "Rhod Gilbert: A Pain in the Neck."
Established in 1976, the Edinburgh TV Festival has become a cornerstone of the United Kingdom's television event calendar.
Born in 1981, Nadifa Mohamed has built a remarkable career as a novelist, essayist, and academic. Her debut novel, "Black Mamba Boy" (2010), a semi-biographical account of her father's life in Yemen, received widespread acclaim and won the Betty Trask Award, among other nominations. Her second novel, "The Orchard of Lost Souls" (2013), set in Somalia on the brink of civil war, further established her reputation and won the Somerset Maugham Award.
Mohamed's 2021 novel, "The Fortune Men," based on the true story of Mahmood Mattan, who was wrongfully convicted and hanged in 1952 Cardiff, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. This novel solidified her status as a significant literary voice, receiving praise for its nuanced portrayal of injustice.
In addition to her novels, Mohamed has contributed essays, memoirs, and poetry to various publications, including The Guardian and the anthology "New Daughters of Africa." She has also served as a lecturer in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London, and will be the Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University in Spring 2022.
Mohamed's work often explores identity, displacement, and historical injustices, reflecting her deep engagement with her Somali heritage and the broader African diaspora. Her documentary "Britain's Human Zoos" continues this exploration, shedding light on a dark chapter of British history and earning her a well-deserved nomination for the Edinburgh TV Festival Award.