Chika Unigwe nominated for the 2011 IMPAC Award

Chika Unigwe's On Black Sisters' Street has been nominated for the International IMPAC DUBLIN Literature Award 2010.


This award is special for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the award of 100.000 euros. The nominations come from libraries rather than professional judges. Those libraries span the globe. And the award is open to (almost, there is a time restriction) all novels of high literary merit written in the English language, or written in any other language and published in English translation. The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is the largest and most international prize of its kind. This year's edition features 162 novels. The shortlist will be made public on 12th April 2011 and the Lord Mayor of Dublin will announce the winner on 15th June. In 2010 Gerbrand Bakker won the award with his acclaimed novel The twin.


The English edition of On Black Sisters' Street is published by Vintage (the Dutch edition was published by Meulenhoff/Manteau in 2007). On Black Sisters' Street was hailed by The Guardian and The Dailiy Telegraph as one of this years' best novels.


Chika Unigwe's new novel, Nachtdanser (Night Dancer), will be released in January 2011. Night Dancer is set in Nigeria, a fascinating country and one of the most rapidly growing economies in the world. Tradition and progress stand face to face. All those contradictions meet in the big city of Enugu. The young girl, Mma, an orphan, is trying to make her way through life, which has not been merciful with her.

Klett-Cotta acquired the e-book rights of Chika Unigwe’s Fata Morgana

In September publishing house Klett-Cotta released Schwarze Schwestern, the German translation of Chika Unigwe’s Fata Morgana. Last week Klett-Cotta also acquired the e-book rights of this moving story of four African women in the red-light-district of Antwerp.


More information on www.klett-cotta.de/autoren

Klett-Cotta releases Chika Unigwe's 'Schwarze Schwestern'

Earlier this month Klett-Cotta published the german translation of Chika Unigwe's Fata morgana was published by Klett-Cotta.

Here's an interview with Chika on FM4 (an Austrian national radiostation operated by the Austrian public service broadcaster ORF): http://fm4.orf.at/stories/1658901/

Also, a review in Titel Magazine.

Chika Unigwe's Fata Morgana Sold to Hungary

The young and enterprising publishing company Nyitott Konyvmuhely has acquired the Hungarian rights for the novel Fata Morgana by Chika Unigwe. This moving story of four African women in the red-light-district of Antwerp was previously released at Neri Pozza in Italy and Jonathan Cape in the USA.

Chika Unigwe on tour in the UK

Chika Unigwe tours the UK celebrating the 10th anniversery of the Caine Prize for African Writing. Unigwe was shortlisted in 2004. Africa’s highest literary reward - known as the African Booker has bolstered and launched the careers of a number of many of Africa’s best young writers.

The seven date UK-wide tour is supported by Arts Council England. It also features Caine Prize winners and short listed authors Brian Chikwava (winner 2004), Binyavanga Wainaina (winner 2002) and EC Osondu (winner 2009).

Sat 10th October - British Library
Sun 11th October 12-1pm - Cheltenham Literature Festival, The Inkpot
Tues 13th October 6pm - University of Kent, Grimond Lecture theatre 3, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NF
Book: english-office@kent.ac.uk
Thurs 15th October 6.30pm
Chika Unigwe, Brian Chikwava and Binyavanga Wainaina
University of East Anglia, The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich, NR4 7TJ
Booking: caineprizereadings@uea.ac.uk
Friday 16th October 7.30pmChika Unigwe, Brian Chikwava and EC Osondu chaired by Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Ilkley Literature Festival, Ilkley Playhouse, Wildman. LS29 9DT
Box Office: 01943 816 714
Saturday 17th October 7pmChika Unigwe, Brian Chikwava and EC Osondu chaired by Laura Fish
Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts, Newcastle University, Culture Lab, NE1 7RU
Box Office: 0191 222 7619
Monday 19th October 8pmChika Unigwe & EC Osondu chaired by Graham Mort
Lancaster Lit Fest, Storey Auditorium, House Lane, LA1 1TH
Box Office: 01524 582 394
Wednesday 28 October 7pmBrian Chikwava and Dr Mpalive Msiska
Brixton Library, Brixton Oval. SW2 1JQ.
Email: blackhistorymonth@lambeth.gov.uk

More information can be found at the Caine Prize Tour’s facebook page.

TLS praises Chika Unigwe

In The Times Literary Supplement (September 11) Zoe Norridge praises On Black Sister's Street (Cape), the English edition of Chika Unigwe's novel Fata Morgana: 'On Black Sister's Street is a pleasure to read: fast-paced, lucidly structured and colourful. Deftly exploring issues of gender, exploitation, asylum and plain old universal hope. Chika Unigwe offers the reader a look inside the lives of women who might otherwise out of reach, on display.'

Chika Unigwe interviewed by the BBC World Service

The Strand (BBC World Service) talks to Chika Unigwe about her latest novel On Black Sisters' Street. Telling the hidden stories of four female prostitutes who have made their way from Africa to make money in Belgium, Chika will be explaining the inspiration behind the novel and why she found the experience of writing about these women liberating.

Check out the audiostream of the program Friday Strand.

The Independent praises Chika Unigwe

In The Independent (Friday, 3 July 2009) Bernadine Evaristo praises on On Black Sisters' Street (Jonathan Cape), the English version of Chika Unigwe's second novel Fata Morgana:
"Not many novelists would wander around the seedy red-light district of Antwerp in a mini-skirt and thigh-high boots to carry out research. But this is what Nigerian writer Chika Unigwe did for her novel about the lives of African sex workers in the Belgian city. She also spent time persuading these women to share their stories."

"Her diligence has paid off. On Black Sisters' Street is a probing and unsettling exploration of the many factors that lead African women into prostitution in Europe, and it pulls no punches about the sordid nature of the job. [...]"

"This is an important and accomplished novel that leaves a strong aftertaste. Unigwe gives voice to those who are voiceless, fleshes out the stories of those who offer themselves as meat for sale, and bestows dignity on those who are stripped off it."

Chika Unigwe on Italian television

Last month Chika Unigwe traveled to Italy to write and to promote Le Nigeriane, the Italian edition of Fata morgana. Look at one of the interviews she did for Italian tv. Le Nigeriane was published by Neri Pozza Editore.

Release of the Italian translation of Chika Unigwe's Fata Morgana

Neri Pozza Editore has released the Italian edition of Fata Morgana, Chika Unigwe's second novel.

The American edition, which will be called On Black Sisters Street, will be published by Random House in July 2009. It's already possible to pre-order the novel at amazon.com.

Random House Publishing Group will publish Chika Unigwe's second novel Fata Morgana

The American edition of Chika Unigwe's second novel Fata Morgana will be published by Random House Publishing Group, the flagship imprint of Random House, Inc.

In Fata Morgana four African women, who work as prostitutes in Antwerp, are not entirely dissatisfied with their lot. But when one of them, Sisi, is murdered in one of the suburbs, the other three come together seeking protection, bringing with them their horror and their questions. Thoroughly documented and starkly realistic, Fata Morgana is a disconcerting account of a personal tragedy in a world still largely hidden from Western eyes.

Italian rights have been sold to Neri Pozza. Last year Jonathan Cape acquired the English rights.