Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani was born to Chief Sir Chukwuma Hope Nwaubani and Dame Patricia Uberife
Nwaubani in Enugu, Nigeria in 1976, and was raised by both parents in Umuahia, Abia
State, Eastern Nigeria. Her debut novel, I Do Not Come to you by Chance, which was described by The Washington Post
as “a lively, good-humored and provocative examination of the truth
behind a global inbox of deceit”, won the 2010 Commonwealth Writers'
Prize for Best First Book (Afriaca), a Betty Trask First Book award, and was named by the Washington Post as one of the Best Books of 2009.The Times magazine described the book as ''...a fast, fresh, often hilarious first novel, by
one of the remarkably talented young African writers who are rapidly
making everyone else look stale.”
Publishers Weekly described Nwaubani’s novel as “highly
entertaining”. Nwaubani is the first contemporary African writer on the global stage
to get an international book deal while still living in her home country.ABOUT THE BOOK
I Do Not Come to You by Chance is set in the intriguing world of Nigerian e-mail scam, the book tells the story of a young man, Kingsley, who turns to his Uncle Boniface for help in bailing his family out of poverty. Boniface—aka Cash Daddy—is an exuberant character who suffers from elephantiasis of the pocket. He also runs a successful empire of email scams. But he can help. It is up to Kingsley to reconcile his passion for knowledge with his hunger for money, and to fully assume his role of first son.
CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION
At age 10, Adaobi Tricia Nwauban left home to attend boarding school at the Federal Government Girls College, Owerri. Nwaubani secretly dreamed as a teenager of becoming a CIA or KGB agent. She earned her first income from winning a writing competition at the age of 13. She was fortunate to have the first female African writer to publish a book, Flora Nwapa as her mother's cousin. This may have helped in jump starting her writing prowess as she did not study Journalism at the university. Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani studied Psychology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s premier university.
CAREER
As one of the pioneer editorial staffs of Nigeria’s now defunct NEXT newspapers, established by Pulitzer-winning journalist, Dele Olojede, Nwaubani was the editor of élan, the fashion and style magazine of NEXT. She was later appointed to the position of opinion editor. According to Wikipedia, Nwaubani is the first writer in the history of world literature to capture the 419 scams phenomenon in a novel. She is also the first African writer to get an international publishing deal while still living in her home country. She does not have any formal writing training.
In 2012, Nwaubani was selected as one of 15 emerging leaders in government, business and civil society from across West Africa, to attend a ‘Leadership for Change’ training program sponsored by the Private Investors for Africa (PIA). Managed by the African Leadership Institute (AfLI), the program aims to create a network of “world class, pan-African, high potential, emerging leaders across all sectors, working in partnership as catalysts for change in Africa”. She lives in Abuja, Nigeria, where she works as a consultant.
AWARDS
Awards received by Adaobi Tricia Nwabuani includes:
- 2010 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book (Africa)
- 2010 Betty Trask First Book award
- 2010 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa finalist
- (Quadrennial) 2012 Nigeria Prize for Literature shortlist
- Washington Post Best Books of 2009
OTHER WORKS
- Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani has done extensive writings that were published in many dailies both home and abroad. These include :
- Where Bad News is No News, New York Times (May 2010).
- Nigerian Tribalism: A Personal Love Story, Guardian (September, 2010).
- My Degree is Better Than Yours, Premium Times (October, 2012)'
- In Nigeria, You're Either Somebody or Nobody, New Tork Times, (February 2013).
- Igbo Burials: How Nigerians Will Bid Farewell to Achebe, BBC (May 2013).
- And many others.
