Guest Writer: Chibundu Onuzo

Chibundu Onuzo started writing novels and short stories at the age of 10 and less than a decade later, she became the youngest woman ever to be signed to Faber and Faber, which has published books by 12 Nobel Laureates and 6 Man Booker prize winners.

Chibundu, the youngest of four children, spent 14 years of her life in Nigeria before moving to England to continue her secondary education. While at boarding school, she started writing ‘The Spider King’s Daughter,’ with her home city of Lagos serving as inspiration. The novel is part of a two-book deal with the publishing powerhouse and charts the unlikely relationship that develops between a poor street hawker and a sheltered rich girl who meet on a street in Lagos.

“I love telling stories. It’s really that simple.”

Since its release in March 2012, the book has garnered a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on Amazon and a 4 star review from The Metro. It has even earned her a place alongside a Booker prize-nominated Oxford professor on the longlist for the £10,000 Desmond Elliott Prize for debut novelists.

Chibundu has given readings at the South Bank, The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival and Cambridge Wordfest and recent media appearances include BBC Radio 3’s ‘The Verb’ and BBC Scotland’s ‘The Book Café.’ The Times describes the book as ‘a dark, tense, gripping first novel, peeling back layers of Nigerian society.’ The Observer calls it ‘an energetic thriller debut’ and the Financial Times writes, ‘there are promising flourishes here that catch the eye.’ In other parts of the world, The Strait Times, Singapore’s leading newspaper, describes the book as a ‘deliciously layered tale of corruption, revenge and coming of age,’ and the South Africa Times writes of Chibundu, “kill me dead. This girl has skills.”  

21-year-old Chibundu has also been profiled by CNN; The Observer recently named her as one of the Authors to Watch Out For in 2012.

“I don’t see success as a personal achievement. It’s not like I woke up and educated myself.” She says.  In June 2012, she was listed as The No. 1 Black Student in the U.K at an awards ceremony held at parliament. This year also, she finished a History degree at King’s College London where she obtained a first class. She plans to complete a Masters in Public Management and Governance and, if the success of her first book is anything to go by, her second will be another literary delight.