Samuel Kọ́láwọlé was born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria. His debut novel, The Road to the Salt Sea, was a finalist for the International Book Awards, longlisted for the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize, and is currently longlisted for the 2025 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. Other honors for his writing include being a finalist for the Caine Prize for African Writing, the Graywolf Press African Fiction Prize, and the UK's First Novel Prize. He studied at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and holds a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing with distinction from Rhodes University, South Africa; is a graduate of the MFA in Writing and Publishing at Vermont College of Fine Arts; and earned his PhD in English and Creative Writing from Georgia State University. He teaches fiction writing full time as an Assistant Professor of English and African Studies at Pennsylvania State University. He also recently joined the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers as a faculty member. He lives in State College, Pennsylvania.
-
The Road to the Salt Sea: A Novel
Able God walked in slowly, dazed, then he stepped outside and turned to look at his neighbors, who were sitting in the narrow alley. He scanned their faces for answers, but they turned away, shifted on their low stools, and one after another, went into their rooms.
Inside, Able God paced the house, frustration coiling around his head. Had he had any doubt that the police were aware of his involvement, what he saw erased it. He looked out through the louvered window. He blundered his way manically through the chaos, tossing things aside. He pulled up the mattress, rifled through his clothes, heaped one on the other.
He noticed they had not taken his hidden wrap of marijuana, but his chess pieces were spilled all over the ground. He tried to gather them into a plastic bag, but his whole body trembled now, his eyes smarting with tears. The chess set was not meant to be scattered; the pieces were meant to be neatly arranged. How had the police known where he lived? Maybe Akudo had been arrested, but if so, why was the madam protecting her whereabouts?
The Road to the Salt Sea : A Novel- Print Books
- Bookshop
-
The Road to the Salt Sea: A Novel
“Would you like me to open the wine for you, sir?” Able God asked, raising his voice. There was no answer. The water was still running.
Able God stood with his hands behind his back, surveying the cart. It was all he could do to keep his eyes away from the woman on the bed. His palms sweaty, he recalled what Mr. Hastrup had said about how to treat guests, anticipate their needs, and exceed their expectations. Anything to assuage the oddities of a situation.
“I also brought some bottles of San Pellegrino in case you run out of the ones in your bar.”
Again, no answer. Able God looked over at the woman. Her eyes were still unfocused, and she was rocking back and forth. Now that he could see her more clearly, she had a feather tattoo that began on her shoulder. A few seconds went by, then the water stopped running.
“You may leave!” the voice boomed from the bathroom.
“Yes, sir! Please don’t hesitate to call us if you need anything else, sir!”
“I said leave!”
“Yes, sir! Enjoy the rest of your morning, sir, and madam!” He prepared to exit with arms stiff. But before doing so, he gave the woman one last look. This time, she did not look away but met his gaze.
The Road to the Salt Sea : A Novel- Print Books
- Bookshop
-
The Road to the Salt Sea: A Novel
The boys moved to the next phase of their alchemy. They mixed cocktails of crushed tramadol tablets, codeine cough syrup, and Coca-Cola in water bottles. Three of them gathered the crushed ingredients and rolled up fat joints. The joints gave off a sickly smell, like burning refuse. Able God covered his nose in disgust.
“I have to get ready for work very soon,” Able God lied to Morufu, who was chatting with a boy leaning against the fence. The boy wore a filthy singlet and had red, sunken eyes. His body was as slim as the trunk of a sapling.
“What?” Morufu asked.
“I have to go. I have work.”
Morufu protested. “No, man! Drink and smoke, then you can go. Abi, you got no liver?” Then raising his voice for everyone to hear, he continued, “This friend of mine wants to leave because he wants to go to work.” Morufu broke into a laugh. Some of the boys laughed with him. The one wearing the filthy singlet passed Able God a joint.
“It won’t smell so bad when the drug starts working magic in your body.”
Able God steeled himself and brought the joint to his mouth.
The Road to the Salt Sea : A Novel- Print Books
- Bookshop
"The Road to the Salt Sea is a stirring odyssey through the global migration crisis, from Nigeria to distant shores, where dreams collide with a brutal reality. Able God is a luminous and complex character who you will not soon forget." —Jai Chakrabarti, author of A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness
"I cannot think of another time in my life when I have come across a new writer as profoundly talented as Samuel Kọ́láwọlé. And his profound talent has brought us a beautifully rendered, brutal novel told with great empathy and heart. The Road to the Salt Sea has all of the markings of a masterful and enduring work of literature. And I get the feeling that Kọ́láwọlé is just warming up." —Julianna Baggott, coauthor of Which Brings Me to You
"Kọ́láwọlé’s portrait of moral degradation is memorable, as Able God is forced to abandon his virtues one by one for the sake of survival. . . . He’s one of countless refugees seeking a new life, but his trials are singular and harrowing. A bracing, well-paced story of migrant desperation." —Kirkus Reviews [on The Road to the Salt Sea]
Samuel Kọ́láwọlé dances back and forth across the borders of genre to craft a propulsive and humane thriller, populated by unforgettable characters whom he presents with unthinkable choices. In the hands of this wondrous storyteller, yearning and thwarted ambition raise predicament to the level of tragedy. His portrait of immigrants on the move through and toward the unknown melds gripping narrative with indelible testimony.