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Chibundu Onuzo

b. 1991

Nigerian writer

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About Chibundu Onuzo

Born 1991. Chibundu Onuzo is a Nigerian writer.

Imachibundu Oluwadara Onuzo (born 1991) is a Nigerian novelist. Her first novel, The Spider King's Daughter, won a Betty Trask Award, was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Commonwealth Book Prize, and was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Etisalat Prize for Literature.

Biography Chibundu Onuzo was born in 1991 in Nigeria, the youngest of four children of parents who are doctors, and grew up in Lagos. She moved to England when she was 14 to study at St Swithun's school in Winchester, Hampshire, for her GCSEs, and at the age of 17 began writing her first novel, which was signed two years later by Faber and Faber and was published when she was 21. She was the youngest female writer ever taken on by the publisher. Reviewing her second book, Welcome to Lagos (2016), Helon Habila wrote in The Guardian: "Onuzo's portrayal of human character is often too optimistic, her view of politics and society too charitable; but her ability to bring her characters to life, including the city of Lagos, perhaps the best-painted character of all, is impressive."

Onuzo received a first-class bachelor's degree in history from King's College London (2012),

She has written for outlets including The Guardian and NPR, and contributed the short story "Sunita" to the 2019 anthology New Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby.

Onuzo's third novel Sankofa was published in the UK by Virago in June 2021, and was reviewed by The Guardian as "n accomplished novel that explores difference and belonging with a cool intensity". Brittle Paper described it as "a love story, a political history, and a father-daughter drama". Sankofa was published by Catapult in the US and by Narrative Landscape in Nigeria.

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Important facts

Born
1991, Lagos
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University College London, King's College London
Awards
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature; Betty Trask Award
Also known as
Imachibundu Oluwadara Onuzo

People in Chibundu Onuzo's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Chibundu Onuzo's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Chibundu Onuzo?

Nigerian writer

When was Chibundu Onuzo born?

Chibundu Onuzo was born in 1991 in Lagos.

What is Chibundu Onuzo's occupation?

Chibundu Onuzo is a writer.

What nationality is Chibundu Onuzo?

Chibundu Onuzo is Nigerian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Chibundu Onuzo

· Wikidata: Q16539088

· DBpedia: Chibundu Onuzo

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Chibundu Onuzo. https://biography.guide/chibundu-onuzo/

MLA: "Chibundu Onuzo." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/chibundu-onuzo/.

Chicago: "Chibundu Onuzo." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/chibundu-onuzo/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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