Small by Small: A Nigerian Doctor's Story - Paperback

by Ike Anya (Author)

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 presents 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.

Author Biography

Dr Ike Anya is an author and experienced consultant in public health medicine working in Nigeria and the UK. Former deputy director of public health for Kensington and Chelsea, he also served as Acting Director of Public Health for the Triborough of Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham. Dr Anya has taught at Imperial College, Bristol University and The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is a 2007 TED Global Fellow, co-founder of Nigeria Health Watch, EpiAfric, TEDxEuston and the Abuja Literary Society. An advisory council member of the AKO Caine Prize, co-editor of Weaverbird, a collection of new Nigerian writing, he has an MA in Creative Non-Fiction from UEA and has recently been a contributor to the BBC World Service programmes and podcasts Health Check and Unexpected Elements.

@ikeanya