Road to the Salt Sea

Samuel Kọ´láwọlé was born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria. His debut novel, The Road to the Salt Sea, won the 2025 Whiting Award for Fiction, was a finalist for the 2025 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and the International Book Awards, and was longlisted for the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize. Other honors for his work include being a finalist for the Caine Prize for African Writing, the Graywolf Press Africa Prize, and the UK's First Novel Prize. He studied at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and holds a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing with distinction from Rhodes University, South Africa; is a graduate of the MFA in Writing and Publishing at Vermont College of Fine Arts; and earned his PhD in English and Creative Writing from Georgia State University. He teaches fiction writing full-time as an assistant professor of English and African studies at Pennsylvania State University. He recently joined the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers as a faculty member.

"A masterclass in sensory writing." — Los Angeles Times"Incredibly moving. … On top of all of the heart is exquisite writing that will inspire you." — Debutiful"Kolawole's portrait of moral degradation is memorable, as Able God is forced to abandon his virtues one by one for the sake of survival. . . . He’s one of countless refugees seeking a new life, but his trials are singular and harrowing. ... A bracing, well-paced story of migrant desperation." — Kirkus Reviews"In his fine debut novel, The Road to the Salt Sea, Samuel Kolawole gifts us the story of Able God, a conflicted but determined young Nigerian man who makes the dangerous journey from West Africa to Libya, where he crosses the treacherous waters of the Mediterranean into Europe. In bringing to life Able God’s story, Kolawole shows us why African lives matter and shows us that the continent teems with millions of Able Gods, people full of promise and potential who can help build a better world." — Jeffery Renard Allen, author of Fat Time and Other Stories and Song of the Shank"I cannot think of another time in my life when I have come across a new writer as profoundly talented as Samuel Kolawole. And his profound talent has brought us a beautifully rendered, brutal novel told with great empathy and heart. The Road to the Salt Sea has all of the markings of a masterful and enduring work of literature. And I get the feeling that Kolawole is just warming up." — Julianna Baggott, bestselling coauthor of Which Brings Me to You and author of Harriet Wolf's Seventh Book of Wonders"The Road to the Salt Sea is a stirring odyssey through the global migration crisis, from Nigeria to distant shores, where dreams collide with a brutal reality. Able God is a luminous and complex character who you will not soon forget." — Jai Chakrabarti, winner of a National Jewish Book Award, PEN/Faulkner Award finalist, and author of A Play for the End of the World and A Small Sacrifice for an Enormous Happiness"Heart-breaking and educational, The Road to the Salt Sea is an unforgettable and moving tale of what it takes to survive with dignity and to make this tumultuous, unfair world our home." — Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, international bestselling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child"In The Road to the Salt Sea, Samuel Kọláwọlé hasn't so much as written a book as he takes the reader on a journey—a perilous and eye-opening odyssey. And like any great journey, you are not the same when you reach the end. Powerful, powerful work." — Rion Amilcar Scott, author of The World Doesn't Require You"Brutal, vivid, and powerful, The Road to the Salt Sea is a pulsating piece of art that crawls inside you and refuses to let go. Samuel Kọ´la´wọle´ is a fearless writer." — Eric Nguyen, author of Things We Lost to the Water"The Road to the Salt Sea tells the story of one man’s impossible emotional and physical journey as he fights for the life that he deserves in the face of extraordinary circumstances. It’s also a suspenseful, profound, and moving page-turner. This novel reads like a fable and a contemporary classic all at once." — Maria Kuznetsova, author of Oksana, Behave! and Something Unbelievable