Available as Paperback
A young man’s medical education in 1990s Nigeria: a deeply personal memoir that provides a window onto ordinary Nigerian lives at a time of political turmoil.
As he works his way through his medical training, Ike Anya’s grandmother reassures him, saying:
Everything worthwhile is achieved small by small.
It’s the 1990s, a turbulent time in Nigeria’s political history, and a young Ike Anya embarks on the journey to qualifying as a medical doctor. In a story that charts the triumphs and failures of his student days through to his first demanding year as a house officer, Anya’s sharp wit, gentle humour and abounding curiosity present a medical memoir unlike any from the West. Recalling the vibrancy of tempestuous 1990s Nigeria – the political unrest, social change and worsening economy – Anya also celebrates the friendships, minor rebellions and hard graft of student days.
Small by Small is a deeply intimate memoir imbued with determination, compassion and a love of storytelling.
“A small miracle of a book. It entertains with delicious storytelling”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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“An eye-opening tale of the trials of training to be a doctor”
Claudia Hammond
“Anya’s memoir offers a fresh perspective on the beauty and importance of the small moments that collectively define our lives”
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Ike Anya
Dr Ike Anya is an author and experienced consultant in public health medicine working in Nigeria and the UK. He is a 2007 TED Global Fellow, co-founder of Nigeria Health Watch, EpiAfric and TEDxEuston and former deputy director of public health for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. Dr Anya has taught at Imperial College, Bristol University and The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He has been a contributor to the BBC World Service programmes and podcasts Health Check and Unexpected Elements. Dr Anya also holds an MA in Creative Non-Fiction from UEA and is a co-founder of Abuja Literary Society, an advisory council member of the Caine Prize and co-editor of Weaverbird, a collection of new Nigerian writing. His non-fiction piece ‘People Don’t Get Depressed in Nigeria’ appears in Granta and he is a contributor to Of This Our Country, an anthology of acclaimed Nigerian writers on their home, identity and culture.
@ikeanya
