Chika Unigwe Biography: Height, Education, Awards, Net Worth, Age, Husband, Children, Instagram, Books

Chika Nina Unigwe, born June 12, 1974, is a celebrated Nigerian-born Igbo novelist and academic whose work has won international acclaim.

Writing in both English and Dutch, she explores themes of migration, identity, gender, and belonging.

She has authored multiple novels, children’s books, and short stories, and is also the founder of the Awele Creative Trust, which supports emerging African writers.

Profile

• Full Name: Chika Nina Unigwe
• Stage Name: Chika Unigwe
• Born: June 12, 1974
• Age: 51 years old
• Birthplace: Enugu, Nigeria
• Nationality: Nigerian
• Occupation: Novelist, Writer, Academic
• Height: 5 feet 4 inches tall (157cm)
• Parents: Fred Belonwu Unigwe
• Siblings: Unknown
• Spouse: Unknown
• Children: Four
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $300,000

Early Life And Education

Chika Unigwe was born on June 12, 1974, in Enugu, Nigeria, and is 51 years old.

She is of Igbo ethnicity and was raised in a Christian household.

She is the sixth of seven children born to Fred Belonwu Unigwe (father) and Mrs. Unigwe (mother).

For her education, she attended Federal Government Girls’ College in Abuja for her secondary schooling.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1995.

She then went on to the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium to complete a Master of Arts in English.

Later, she completed a PhD in Literature from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands in 2004.

Career

Chika Unigwe’s literary career spans poetry, short stories, novels, and children’s books.

She first published poetry as a teenager, and over time turned to prose, writing in both English and Dutch.

Her debut novel, The Phoenix, was published in Dutch in 2005, making her one of the first African authors to publish fiction in Flemish.

Her most widely known work, On Black Sisters’ Street (originally Fata Morgana in Dutch), tells the story of African women working in Antwerp and won her the prestigious Nigeria Prize for Literature in 2012.

She has since written Night Dancer, Black Messiah, and The Middle Daughter (2023), among others.

Beyond writing, Chika is deeply involved in nurturing writers.

She founded the Awele Creative Trust to mentor emerging African literary talents.

She has also held academic positions: she has taught creative writing at the university level in the USA, including at Georgia College & State University, and has served as a judge on major literary prizes such as the Man Booker International Prize.

Awards and Nominations

• Nigeria Prize for Literature (2012) for On Black Sisters’ Street
• Winner of the BBC Short Story Competition
• Winner of a Commonwealth Short Story Competition award
• Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship
• UNESCO-Aschberg Fellowship for Creative Writing

Social Media

• Instagram handle: @realchikaunigwe
• Twitter handle: @chikaunigweand

Personal Life

Nigerian-born Igbo novelist and academic Chika Unigwe is married to a Belgian engineer, and together they have four children.

They lived in Turnhout, Belgium, before relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, in the USA.

Her previous romantic relationships are not widely documented publicly.

Regarding her height, Chika Unigwe stands at 5 feet 4 inches tall which is approximately (157cm).

Net Worth

Chika Unigwe’s estimated net worth is around $300,000, derived from her income as an author (book sales, royalties), academic salaries, fellowships, and writing grants.

Her work as a professor, her involvement in literary organizations, and her international recognition contribute to her steady income.