Inua Ellams

Inua Marc Mohammed Onore de Ellams II

Early years and education Inua Ellams was born in 1984 in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, to a Muslim father and a Christian mother. When he was 12 years old, he moved with his family to England, and three years later to Ireland, where he attended Firhouse Community College.

Work Ellams has written for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre and the BBC.

In June 2018, Ellams was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature as part of its 40 Under 40 initiative. The Valley Press Anthology of Prose Poetry (Valley Press, 2018) Ten: The New Wave (Bloodaxe, 2013)

Untitled A one-man show staged at the Soho Theatre in 2010, telling the story of twins born on Nigeria's independence day. masculinity, homosexuality and religion. The play was produced by the National Theatre, Fuel Theatre and Leeds Playhouse and was shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award in 2017. Following a period of touring, the play was also performed at the Roundhouse in 2019, in barbershops all over Africa and in London at his barber Peter's shop Emmanuel's in Clapham Junction. An excerpt was shown at the Hay Festival on 24 May 2020.

The Half God of Rainfall In April 2019, his new play, The Half God of Rainfall, was presented at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, in advance of its run at London's Kiln Theatre, as well as its publication as a book.

Television

Doctor Who In January 2025, it was announced that Ellams had joined the writing team of the fifteenth series of Doctor Who. Ellams is the first black man to have written for the BBC's science-fiction television series, and the fourth black writer overall (after Malorie Blackman, Charlene James and Sharma Angel Walfall).

Ellams wrote the episode The Story & the Engine, set in contemporary Lagos, Nigeria, which was broadcast on 10 May 2025.

Awards 2008: winner of an Edinburgh Fringe First Award for The 14th Tale. 2017: shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award, for The Barber Shop Chronicles. 2024: Alfred Fagon Award for Once Upon A Time In Sokoto