Female African Prose Writers Needed

It all started with the grand success of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It looked like for once, the reality and the reverberation of the African writing style was re-introduced to the world. Now, here comes the youngest up-rising female author. She is Chibundu Onuzo, a 22-year-old Nigerian who signed a two-novel deal with the British publisher Faber.
Chibundu Onuzo, a former history student at King’s College London, had her first novel, “The Spider King’s Daughter,” published in 2011 to international acclaim and awards. She started writing her first book aged 17, got an agent at 18, became the youngest female to sign to publishing giant Faber & Faber at 19, and released her first book, The Spider King’s Daughter at 21. All whilst studying for a history degree at Kings College London. It's an enviable track record.


So what makes Onuzo’s experience different to so many other aspiring female writers? Her story begins with where she was born and raised; in Nigeria, West Africa. The youngest of four children, she reminisces on her childhood warmly.

“It was a sunny childhood, literally and figuratively. Many members of my extended family lived with us at one point or the other so I grew up with a lot of older siblings.”
There is really no magic in what she did; she simply wrote an African story, with African settings and features and she wrote with personalised pronoun, in first person. Above all, she is a young female schooling in London.

She is not the only one; the pace was set by Achebe, proven by Chimamanda and now the stage is set. Many publishers are in search for young African writers right now. Do you have a story you think is good enough, do a mail to finelinespub@gmail.com. you can become the next celebrated female author.