Ishmael Beah

Author and activist Ishmael Beah rose to fame after the release of his memoir, A Long Way Gone, in 2007, and has since released two more books.

Beah’s childhood was defined by the civil war in Sierra Leone, forcing him to run away when he was a boy and become a child soldier. He was later released from a life of violence and suffering by UNICEF, and he managed to make it to America. The events of his early life were the topic of his 2007 book, A Long Way Gone, and the memoir recounts the atrocities that Beah encountered during his time in the Sierra Leone army. The book was an instant success, and was nominated for a Quill Award shortly after its release, garnering attention for its honest and often shocking accounts of the reality of war for a child soldier. In 2014 Beah released his second book, Radiance of Tomorrow, which is a novel exploring the experiences of returning to a war torn area. The book received a lot of attention in the press and garnered positive reviews from several major publications, including The Washington Post, and The New York Times Book Review.

Most recently, Beah has released his third book called Little Family. He also works as a human rights activist, as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Children Affected by War. This inspirational figure has overcome years of hardship and now works to improve the lives of others, as well as sharing his story on an international stage.