Early Life and Education
Born in London to Nigerian parents, Adebayo attended Malvern College on a Major Scholarship at the age of 12. He later graduated with a Law degree from Wadham College, Oxford, where he formed friendships with fellow writers Monica Ali and Hari Kunzru.
Career
Before gaining literary recognition, Adebayo worked as a senior news reporter at The Voice newspaper and as a reporter for BBC Television.
His debut novel, Some Kind of Black (1997), explores the experiences of a young British-born African protagonist, Dele, and was among the first novels to articulate a British-African perspective. The book won multiple awards and solidified Adebayo’s reputation as a leading literary voice.
His second novel, My Once Upon A Time, blends Yoruba folklore with noir elements and is set in a dystopian, futuristic Western city. The novel also features the song “Heaven and Hell” by Chef Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan. In 2009, Adebayo contributed the short story “Calculus” to Oxfam’s “Ox-Tales” project.
Adebayo has written extensively on race, arts, and sports, with contributions to The Guardian, The Independent, New Statesman, and the now-defunct New Nation newspaper. In 2004, he co-edited New Writing 12, an anthology of British and Commonwealth literature, and became the first guest director of the Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2005.
In academia, Adebayo has held positions such as International Writing Fellow at Southampton University, Royal Literary Fund Fellow (2012–13), and residency roles at Georgetown University. He currently leads the BA Creative Writing program at the University of Kingston, London.
In 2022, Adebayo adapted and serialized Some Kind of Black for BBC Radio 4. The novel was also designated a Virago Modern Classic.
Recognition and Awards
Adebayo is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Santa Maddalena Foundation. His accolades include:
Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s New Writer of the Year Award
Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award
1996 Saga Prize
Betty Trask Award
Longlisting for the Booker Prize
In 2000, Adebayo was awarded the $60,000 Abraham Woursell stipend by Vienna University, honoring noteworthy young European writers. The Times Literary Supplement named him among the Best Young British Novelists in 2002, while Zadie Smith praised his work for its depth and “humanness.”
In 2017, Oxford University recognized Adebayo’s contributions by including his portrait in its “Diversifying Portraiture” initiative, celebrating his impact on literature and the university.
Personal Life
Diran Adebayo is the younger brother of Dotun Adebayo, a writer, journalist, publisher, and broadcaster.