Enough of "that Bono Nonsense!"

Helon Habila, born in Nigeria and who currently works at a George Mason University, just wrote his second book titled "Measuring Time."

Habila's wrote his first novel at night, writing in longhand and then coaxing his friends to help him type it, print it, and publish a round of 1,000 copies. An excerpt from "Waiting for an Angel" won the 2001 Caine Prize, the $15,000 award, and the recognition that came with it.

Habila is unassuming in person: A slight man with serious eyes, he laughs easily. The first time we meet, he is dressed in a close-­fitting sweater, slacks, and wingtips. But his gentle, mannered demeanor occasionally gives way to the anger that underlies much of his writing. He gets worked up when the discussion turns to the way Western reporters cover Africa: “[I]f they were to write something positive, they would find a white man there who is doing something in Africa, helping Africans, and they write a big profile of that person bringing help to Africans. You know?,” he says. “That Bono nonsense.”

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