Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
{{short description|Nigerian novelist (born 1976)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Adaobi Tricia Obinne Nwaubani
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1976}}
| birth_place = Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Nigerian
| other_names =
| notable_works = I Do Not Come To You By Chance (2009)
| occupation = Novelist
| website = {{URL|https://adaobitricia.com/index.html}}
}}
Adaobi Tricia Obinne Nwaubani {{IPAc-en||audio=Ig-Adaobi Tricia obinne Nwaubani.ogg}} (born 1976) is a Nigerian novelist, humorist, essayist and journalist.{{Cite web |title=Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani |url=https://allafricanbooks.com/authors/adaobi-tricia-nwaubani/ |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=All African Books |language=en-US |archive-date=27 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927022854/https://allafricanbooks.com/authors/adaobi-tricia-nwaubani/ |url-status=usurped }} Her debut novel, I Do Not Come To You By Chance,{{cite book | title=I Do Not Come to You by Chance | publisher=Hachette UK | author=Nwaubani, Adaobi Tricia | year=2009 | isbn=9780297858720}} won the 2010 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book (Africa),{{cite web | url=http://bookslive.co.za/blog/2010/03/11/marie-heese-and-adaobi-tricia-nwaubani-win-the-2010-commonwealth-writers-prize-africa-region-awards/ | title=Marié Heese and Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani Win the 2010 Commonwealth Writers Prize – Africa Region Awards | date=11 March 2010 | access-date=14 June 2013}}{{cite news | url=http://premiumtimesng.com/news/102789-my-degree-is-better-than-yours-by-adaobi-tricia-nwaubani.html?wpmp_switcher=mobile&wpmp_tp=1 | title=My degree is better than yours| work=Premium Times | date=7 October 2012 | access-date=14 June 2013 | author=Nwaubani, Adaobi Tricia}} a Betty Trask First Book award,{{cite web |url=http://www.societyofauthors.org/betty-trask-past-winners |title=The Betty Trask Prizes and Awards |publisher=The Society of Authors |access-date=14 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722223137/http://www.societyofauthors.org/betty-trask-past-winners |archive-date=22 July 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} and was named by The Washington Post as one of the Best Books of 2009.{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/features/2008/holiday-guide/gifts/best-books-of-2009/ |title=Best Books of 2009|newspaper=Washington Post}} Her debut Young Adult novel, Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree, based on interviews with girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, was published by HarperCollins in September 2018.{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2019-07-09 |title=Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree |url=http://africaaccessreview.org/2019/07/buried-beneath-the-baobab-tree/ |access-date=2022-08-26 |language=en-US}} It won the 2018 Raven Award for Excellence in Arts and Entertainment, was named as one of the American Library Association’s Best Fiction for Young Adults, and is a Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2019 selection.{{Cite web |date=2019-01-16 |title=Nwaubani is 2018 Raven Award winner |url=https://guardian.ng/art/nwaubani-is-2018-raven-award-winner/ |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}}
Biography
Nwaubani was born in Enugu, Nigeria, to Chief Chukwuma Hope Nwaubani and Dame Patricia Uberife Nwaubani on 28 March 1976.{{Cite web |title=Adaobi Tricia Obinne Nwaubani, Biography |url=https://www.adaobitricia.com/ |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=www.adaobitricia.com/}} Nwaubani was raised by both parents in her hometown Umuahia,{{cite news|url=https://www.african-writing.com/seven|title = Adaobi Nwaubani talks with African Writing Online, many literatures, one voice|website= african-writing.com}} Abia State, among the Igbo people. Her family is descended from members of the Nigerian chieftaincy system; her great-grandfather Chief Nwaubani Ogogo Oriaku – the source of her surname – was a famous chief and a trader licensed by the Royal Niger Company in the late 19th century. His goods included slaves.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/my-great-grandfather-the-nigerian-slave-trader/amp|first=Adaobi Tricia|last=Nwaubani|title=My Great Grandfather, the Nigerian Slavetrader|magazine=The New Yorker|date=July 15, 2018|access-date=May 14, 2020}}
At the age of 10, she left home to attend boarding school at the Federal Government Girls College Owerri. She studied Psychology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria's premier university.{{cite web|url=http://www.adaobitricia.com/about.html |title= About Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani |publisher= Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani website |access-date=31 July 2013}} As a teenager, Nwaubani secretly dreamed of becoming a CIA or KGB agent. She earned her first income from winning a writing competition at the age of 13.{{Cite web |last=BookBrowse |title=Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani author biography |url=https://www.bookbrowse.com/biographies/index.cfm/author_number/3127/adaobi-tricia-nwaubani |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=BookBrowse.com |language=en}} Her mother is a cousin to Flora Nwapa, the first female African writer to publish a book.{{cite web|url=http://www.african-writing.com/seven/adaobinwaubani.htm |title=Adaobi Nwaubani talks with African Writing Online [many literatures, one voice]; Interviews |publisher=African-writing.com |date= |access-date=19 August 2013}} In her first year at University, she was a member of the Idia Hall Chess Team, and also a member of the university's (classical music) choir.{{Cite web|url=http://www.adaobitricia.com/about.php|title=Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani|website=www.adaobitricia.com|language=en|access-date=2018-06-14|archive-date=4 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804191821/http://www.adaobitricia.com/about.php|url-status=dead}}
Nwaubani was one of the pioneer editorial staff of Nigeria's now defunct NEXT newspapers, established by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dele Olojede.{{Cite news|title=Nigeria's 'brown envelope' journalism|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31748257|date=5 March 2015|access-date=2020-05-27}}
I Do Not Come to You by Chance is Nwaubani's debut novel, published in 2009.{{Cite web|title=I Do Not Come to You By Chance, by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani|url=https://fictionwritersreview.com/review/i-do-not-come-to-you-by-chance-by-adaobi-tricia-nwaubani/|last=Banerjee|first=Neelanjana|website=Fiction Writers Review|access-date=2020-05-27}} Set in the world of Nigerian email scams, 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. In 2019, Masobe Books earned the rights to publish I Do Not Come to You by Chance in Nigeria.{{cite web|title=Masobe books list new authors, books|url=https://guardian.ng/art/masobe-books-list-new-authors-books|work=The Guardian|access-date=22 July 2020|date=13 October 2019}}
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani lives in Abuja, Nigeria, where she works as a consultant.{{Cite web |title=Adaobi Nwaubani: Humorous writer, journalist |website= Daily Newswatch Newspaper |url=https://www.mydailynewswatchng.com/2017/02/28/adaobi-nwaubani-humorous-writer-journalist/ |date=28 February 2017|access-date=2022-05-27 |language=en-US}}
Influences
Nwaubani has expressed concern over the largely somber tone of African novels.{{Cite news|date=2019-08-29|title=Nigerian anger over S Africa xenophobic attacks|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-49432558|access-date=2020-05-27}} She credits Irish-American writer Frank McCourt's Pulitzer-winning Angela's Ashes with showing her that she could write on serious issues in a humorous tone.{{Cite web|title=Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani|url=https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/adaobi-tricia-nwaubani/|date=2018-11-13|website=Book Series in Order|access-date=2020-05-27}} She is also a great admirer of British humorist P. G. Wodehouse.{{Cite web |title=The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100530/spectrum/book8.htm |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=www.tribuneindia.com}}
Awards
- 2010: Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book (Africa){{cite web|url=http://bookslive.co.za/blog/2010/03/11/marie-heese-and-adaobi-tricia-nwaubani-win-the-2010-commonwealth-writers-prize-africa-region-awards|title=Marié Heese and Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani Win the 2010 Commonwealth Writers Prize - Africa Region Awards|website=Sunday Times Books LIVE @ Sunday Times Books LIVE|access-date=17 July 2018}}
- 2010: Betty Trask First Book Award{{cite web|url=http://www.societyofauthors.org/betty-trask-past-winners|title=The Society of Authors|website=www.societyofauthors.org|access-date=17 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722223137/http://www.societyofauthors.org/betty-trask-past-winners|archive-date=22 July 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
- 2010: Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa finalist{{Cite web|title=Adaobi Nwaubani: Humorous writer, journalist – Daily Newswatch Newspaper|url=https://www.mydailynewswatchng.com/2017/02/28/adaobi-nwaubani-humorous-writer-journalist/|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-27}}
- 2012: Nigeria Prize for Literature shortlist{{cite web|url=http://bookslive.co.za/blog/2012/09/05/lola-shoneyin-chika-unigwe-and-others-shortlisted-for-2012-nigeria-prize-for-literature/|title=Lola Shoneyin, Chika Unigwe and Others Shortlisted for 2012 Nigeria Prize for Literature|website=Sunday Times Books LIVE @ Sunday Times Books LIVE|author=Sophy|date=5 September 2012|access-date=17 July 2018}}
- 2009: The Washington Post Best Books{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/features/2008/holiday-guide/gifts/best-books-of-2009/|title=Holiday Guide 2009: Best Books - The Washington Post|website=www.washingtonpost.com|access-date=17 July 2018}}
- 2018: Recipient of the Raven Award of Excellence for her book "Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree"{{cite web|url = https://pulitzercenter.org/people/adaobi-tricia-nwaubani|title = Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani - Pulitzer Center| website = pulitzercenter.org}}
- 2019: Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute Reporting Award{{Cite web |title=Award Winners |url=https://journalism.nyu.edu/about-us/awards-and-fellowships/the-reporting-award/recipients/ |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=NYU Journalism |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani |url=https://journalism.nyu.edu/about-us/awards-and-fellowships/the-reporting-award/recipients/adaobi-tricia-nwaubani/ |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=NYU Journalism |language=en-US}}
Works
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{sisterlinks|d=Q352337|c=no|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|m=no|mw=no|s=no|wikt=no|species=no}}
- [https://adaobitricia.com/ Author's official website.]
- [http://www.africanwriter.com/we-have-decided-to-help-a-short-story-by-adaobi-tricia-nwaubani/ We Have Decided to Help – A Short Story by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani]
;Reviews
- {{cite news| url=http://www.thenewblackmagazine.com/view.aspx?index=1965| title=Review: I Do Not Come To You By Chance| author= Ikhide R. Ikheloa| work=The New Black Magazine| date= 23–24 May 2009 }}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nwaubani, Adaobi Tricia}}
Category:21st-century Nigerian novelists
Category:21st-century Nigerian women writers
Category:Nigerian women essayists
Category:Nigerian women novelists