The Nigerian writer and physician Ike Anya is set to release a new book, announces The Bookseller. The medical memoir, titled Small by Small: Becoming a Doctor in 1990s Nigeria is Anya’s debut literary offering and chronicles his life and experiences with practicing medicine in Nigeria.

The Scottish independent publisher Sandstone Press acquired the book’s English language rights in the UK, Ireland and the Commonwealth (excluding Canada and Nigeria) from Anya’s agent Jessica Bullock at Wylie Agency, reports The Bookseller. The novel will be published in hardback in May 18, 2023.

The synopsis describes the book as “Anya’s story of training as a doctor in tempestuous 1990s Nigeria charts the triumphs and failures of his student days through to his first demanding year as a house officer where there is no such thing as disposable PPE.”

Anya’s work has appeared in Granta and Catapult, in Weaverbird Collection published by Farafina in 2008, and, most recently, in the anthology Of This Our Country published last year. He graduated from the College of Medicine at the University of Nigeria in 1995 and currently works as a consultant in public health medicine and a honorary lecturer in Public Health at Imperial College London. He also recently received an MA in Biography and Creative Non- Fiction from the University of East Anglia.

Anya said he was delighted by the book’s acquisition, especially by Sandstone Press whose relatively small size is in tandem with Anya’s upbringing in small-town Nsukka. In a note shared on Instagram, he dedicated the book to the late Binyanvanga Wainaina, the beloved Kenyan author and a personal friend of Anya’s.

Well done to Ike Anya! We can’t wait to get lost in your storytelling, humor, and insights.

Pre-order the book here. In the meantime, go here to get a taste of Anya’s writing.