Joy Keys chats with Nigerian Author Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is a novelist, essayist, journalist and humorist. She was born in Enugu, Nigeria. As a teenager, she secretly dreamed of becoming a CIA or KGB agent. She studied Psychology at the University of Ibadan.  Her first income was from winning a writing competition at the age of 13. 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.   

I Do Not Come to You by Chance:A deeply moving debut novel set amid the perilous world of Nigerian email scams, I Do Not Come to You by Chance tells the story of one young man and the family who loves him. Being the opera of the family, Kingsley Ibe is entitled to certain privileges--a piece of meat in his egusisoup, a party to celebrate his graduation from university. As first son, he has responsibilities, too. But times are bad in Nigeria, and life is hard. Unable to find work, Kingsley cannot take on the duty of training his younger siblings, nor can he provide his parents with financial peace in their retirement. And then there is Ola. Dear, sweet Ola, the sugar in Kingsley's tea. It does not seem to matter that he loves her deeply; he cannot afford her bride price.

Winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize Best First Book (Africa) 2010,  Betty Trask Award for Best First Book 2010,Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa 2010 finalist and Washington Post Best Books of 2009.