Jude Dibia

Jude Dibia is an author and equal rights activist from Nigeria. He is the author of three acclaimed novels and a number of short stories, which have been featured in both local and international anthologies and magazines. In recognition of his work, he received the Ken Saro-Wiwa Prize for Prose in Nigeria.

In 2005, Dibia published his debut novel, Walking with Shadows, at a time when the rights and freedoms of LGBTQI+ persons in Nigeria were under intense scrutiny. The Nigerian legislature was pushing for harsher laws and penalties targeting LGBTQI+ individuals. Walking with Shadows was groundbreaking in its bold portrayal of the lives of homosexuals in Nigeria and the abuses they often face.

Dibia has continued to explore the struggles of LGBTQI+ individuals in Nigeria and beyond in his work. Following the passage of the Anti-Same Sex Marriage Law in January 2014—a law that criminalizes homosexuality—Dibia made the decision to leave Nigeria, fearing he would become a target because of his writings and outspoken stance against the legislation.

Jude Dibia was in ICORN residence in Malmö between 2015 and 2017.