Chika Unigwe (Nigeria)

Chika Unigwe, a writer of fiction, poetry, and children's educational material, was born in Enugu, Nigeria and holds a B.A in English Language and Literature from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, an MA in English Language and Culture from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium and a PhD in English Language and Literature from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands. Unigwe has been published in numerous journals (both print and online) and anthologies. Her awards and commendations include the 2003 BBC Short Story Award; the 2003 Commonwealth Short Story Competition Highly Commended Award; the 2004 Caine Prize shortlist; the 2005 Million Writers Notable Story Award for online fiction, the 2005 Million Writers Top Ten Award for online fiction; and the 3 rd prize in the 2006 Equiano Short Story Competition. Unigwe's short fiction in Dutch was one of ten works selected in the 2004 VDAB Schrijfwedstrijd in Belgium .

Her debut novel, De Feniks was published in late 2005 by Meulenhoff / Manteau and was shortlisted for the 2005 Vrouw & Kultuurprijs for best first novel by a woman. De Feniks is also the first book of fiction written by a Flemish author of African origin. The story, set in the Belgian city of Turnhout, explores themes such as grief, illness and loneliness, subjects already touched upon in Unigwe's earlier work. By featuring a central character who shares the novelist's Afro-European background, the narrative also exposes some shortcomings of Belgian society, such as its pervasive unwelcoming atmosphere and the superficiality of many of its inhabitants.

Unigwe's stories have been broadcast on BBC World Service, Radio Nigeria, and other Commonwealth radio stations. She comments: “I have written for as long as I can remember. I write to explain the world to myself, to answer questions I do not get ready answers to, to tell stories that demand to be told. I write because I must.” Unigwe lives in Turnhout, Belgium with her husband, and her four young sons. She is currently working on a new novel.

Bibliography

De Feniks, Amsterdam/Antwerp, Meulenhoff / Manteau, 2005.
A Rainbow For Dinner. London, Macmillan, 2003.
Lje at School. London, Macmillan, 2003.