Adaeze Atuegwu Explained

Adaeze Atuegwu
Birth Date: June 5, 1977 mf=yes
Birth Place:Enugu, Nigeria
Nationality:Nigerian
Citizenship:American
Alma Mater:Rutgers UniversityJohns Hopkins University University of Florida
Occupation:Author, pharmacist
Years Active:1994–present
Website:adaezea.com

Adaeze Ifeoma Atuegwu (born June 5, 1977) is a Nigerian-American[1] novelist and writer whose works include novels,[2] children's stories,[3] medical non-fiction,[4] and drama.[5] She is considered one of Nigeria's youngest most prolific authors with 17 books published by the age of seventeen.[6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Early life and family

Atuegwu was born in the city of Enugu[1] in Nigeria to pharmacist[12] and philanthropist[13] [14] Prince Chris Atuegwu of the Nnofo royal lineage in Nnewi[1] [15] and Lady Ifeoma Atuegwu,[11] pharmacist,[8] philanthropist,[16] [17] and founder of Bina Foundation,[18] [19] [20] and a 2017 winner[21] [22] of the Margarette Golding Award of the International Inner Wheel, also from Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria.

Atuegwu grew up in Enugu.[23]

Atuegwu wrote her first novel, Fate at 17 years old[7] in 1994[2] while awaiting her Senior Secondary School West African Examinations Council Certificate Examinations (WAEC) results.[7]

Education

Atuegwu completed her primary and secondary school education at the University Primary and Secondary schools in Enugu[6] where she received several academic and non-academic prizes.[7] During her time in Secondary School, she was a contributing writer and editor of Honour, her secondary school magazine.[11]

Atuegwu studied pharmacy at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN)[24] for one semester.[11] In 1996, she moved to the United States and subsequently studied pharmacy at Rutgers University.[8] She received a Bachelor of Pharmacy and a doctorate degree in pharmacy (PharmD) in 2002.[8] While in Rutgers University, she served as a contributing writer and copy editor for her pharmacy yearbook, Pharmascript.[4]

In 2008, Atuegwu completed a master's degree in creative writing at Johns Hopkins University.[8] In 2014 she received a master's in medication therapy management from the University of Florida.[11] [8] Atuegwu holds a certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA).[1]

Writing career

In 1994, Fourth Dimension Publishing Company[25] founded by Arthur Nwankwo, published[5] Atuegwu's first novel, Fate, the story of a doomed romantic relationship[7] when she was 17 years old.[3] Her second novel, Tears, was published shortly afterwards[8] by B-Teks Publishing.[6] Atuegwu's subsequent 15 books were all published within 8 months[26] [5] [11] making her one of Nigeria's youngest authors authors.[3] [1] One of her children's books, The Magic Leaf, published in 1994, is a magic realism[27] story set in Southeastern Nigeria. Her drama, My Husband's Mistress,[7] was published in 1995. Some of her other books include Adventures of Nnanna (1995), Chalet 9 (1995), Bina and the Birthday Cake (1995), Bina and the Sailboat (1995), Bina at the Beach (1995), Bina at the Supermarket (1995), Bina at the Airport (1995), Lizzy's First Year at School (1995), Lizzy's Second Year at School (1995), and Lizzy's Third Year at School (1995).[2]

On July 28, 1995,[11] a press conference was held for Atuegwu at Enugu Press Centre. At this event, the then ex-lady of Enugu State, Mrs. Olusola Torey,[11] wife to Colonel Mike Torey, described Atuegwu as a "child prodigy" and according to the media "one of the youngest most prolific writers with an aggressive creative writing talent and a literary whiz kid."[28]

On May 31, 1996,[11] Atuegwu's seventeen books were collectively launched in the city of Enugu in Nigeria under the slogan of "17 books at 17".[7] [29] At this event, General Sam Momah, former minister of science and technology in Nigeria, described her as a "literary genius and a gift to Nigeria."[1]

Atuegwu's books were used in Nigeria as required textbooks and reading materials in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions as well as for junior West African Examinations Council exams and other secondary school examinations.[29] Atuegwu is considered one of the forerunners of the new era of young contemporary Nigerian writers.[9] She is also considered one of the predecessors of third generation Nigerian writers.[1] Atuegwu's books are available as audiobooks and braille.[30] She is a member of PEN America.[31]

Charity and philanthropy

Atuegwu is an advocate for the disabled including the blind and visually-impaired through her involvement in Bina Foundation for People with Special Needs, a non-profit organization in Enugu, Nigeria.[32] [30] [33] [34] [35] Her books, which are available in Braille and audio has been donated to various centers for the blind and visually impaired in Nigeria.[4]

Atuegwu, through Bina Foundation,[36] [37] is also an advocate for disability inclusion especially for disability sports[38] such as blind soccer.[39] [40] [41] In 2022, Atuegwu was part of volunteers on the Nigeria's Star Eagles blind football team to Morocco for the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) Blind Football African Championships held in Bouznika, Morocco from September 14 to 26, 2022.[42] [43] [44]

Personal life

Atuegwu grew up in Enugu, Nigeria. She moved to New Jersey in 1996.[29] She currently lives in Washington, D.C., with her family.[1]

Influences on others

Style

Atuegwu's Bina Series, a series of five books about a mischievous boy named after Atuegwu's younger brother, Obinna,[7] inspired a Nigerian children's and teenage hairstyle known as Bina Haircut in the nineties and 2000s.[45] [7] [8]

Authors

In 2019, author Ever Obi, a novelist, who had never met Atuegwu but was inspired by her age at first publication, dedicated his first published novel, Men Don't Die, to Atuegwu saying for "Adaeze Atuegwu...in whose works and writings I found my childhood muses."[46] [47] [11] [29] [48]

Awards

Selected biographies

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: November 18, 2022 . Revisiting Adaeze Atuegwu: 17 Books at 17 . 2022-11-23 . The Guardian Nigeria News. en-US.
  2. Web site: Adaeze Atuegwu: Paving the Way for Other Young Authors. 2022-11-24 . www.thisdaylive.com.
  3. Web site: May 3, 2022 . Young Writers Should Be Encouraged – Adaeze Atuegwu . 2022-11-23 . The Nation . en-US.
  4. Web site: November 18, 2022 . Atuegwu: Enabling blind children through Braille and audio books . 2022-11-23 . New Telegraph . en-US.
  5. Web site: Paul . Utebor . October 2, 2022 . Evolution of Young Nigerian Writers – Adaeze Atuegwu . 2022-11-23 . TheNewsGuru . en-US.
  6. Web site: Oboh . July 8, 2022 . Nigeria's youngest most prolific author: Adaeze Atuegwu . 2022-11-23 . Vanguard News . en-GB.
  7. Web site: July 7, 2022 . Adaeze Atuegwu: Nigeria's Youngest Bestselling Author of 17 Books at 17 Years Old . 2022-11-23 . Tribune Online . en-GB.
  8. Web site: Adeuyi . Seun . August 1, 2022 . 17 Books At 17 Years Yet Adaeze Atuegwu Never Planned To Be A Writer . 2022-11-23 . Daily Trust . en-GB.
  9. Web site: Saheed . July 28, 2022 . Five Nigerian Women Authors Who Made History . 2022-11-23 . Information Nigeria . en-US.
  10. Web site: October 1, 2022 . Young African Female Authors That Made History – Atuegwu, Oyeyemi, and Nkamankeng . 2022-11-23 . Leadership . en-US.
  11. Web site: Adaeze Atuegwu: Paving the Way for Other Young Authors . 2022-11-23 . www.thisdaylive.com.
  12. Web site: Adeuyi . Seun . August 1, 2022 . 17 Books At 17 Years Yet Adaeze Atuegwu Never Planned To Be A Writer . 2022-11-24 . Daily Trust . en-GB.
  13. Web site: Philanthropist bequeaths Nnewi Anglican Community with modern Church building . January 14, 2020 . 2022-11-23 . en-US.
  14. Web site: Covid19 Lockdown: Pharm Prince Chris Atuegwu doles out palliatives to his community. . April 19, 2020 . 2022-11-23 . en-GB.
  15. Web site: November 18, 2022 . Atuegwu: Enabling blind children through Braille and audio books . 2022-11-24 . New Telegraph . en-US.
  16. Web site: May 16, 2017 . NGO Distributes N5m Micro Credit Loan To 150 Physically Challenged Persons In Enugu . 2022-11-24 . SundiataPost . en-US.
  17. Web site: Nwafor . May 18, 2017 . Physically challenged youths receive N13.5m interest-free loan in Enugu . 2022-11-24 . Vanguard News . en-GB.
  18. Web site: October 3, 2017 . Blind football in Africa goes from strength to strength. . 2022-11-24 . IBSA International Blind Sports Federation . en-US.
  19. Web site: January 18, 2022 . PCN excited by BINA Foundation's contributions to blind powerlifting . 2022-11-23 . The Guardian Nigeria News . en-US.
  20. Web site: Bina Foundation: A model of disability sport development in Nigeria . 2022-11-23 . www.sportanddev.org.
  21. Web site: Lady Ifeoma Atuegwu Bags Margarette Golding Award . 2022-11-23 . www.thisdaylive.com.
  22. Web site: April 6, 2017 . Pomp as Inner Wheel Club honours Atuegwu . 2022-11-23 . The Sun Nigeria . en-us.
  23. Web site: Oboh . July 8, 2022 . Nigeria's youngest most prolific author: Adaeze Atuegwu . 2022-11-24 . Vanguard News . en-GB.
  24. Book: Enugu State FSP Magazine: A Quarterly Publication of Family Support Programme, Enugu State . 1997 . Enugu State Commission for Women . en.
  25. Book: International Books in Print . 1986 . K.G. Saur . 978-3-598-22133-0 . en.
  26. Web site: May 3, 2022 . Young writers should be encouraged – Nigerian Author Adaeze Atuegwu . The Nation.
  27. Web site: July 30, 2022 . Classic Folktales and Fantasy Books Set In Nigeria . 2022-11-23 . New Telegraph . en-US.
  28. Web site: Revisiting Adaeze Atuegwu: 17 Books at 17 . 2022-11-23 . guardian.ng . November 18, 2022 . en-US.
  29. Web site: August 2, 2022 . Adaeze Atuegwu: A legendary contribution to children's books in Nigeria . 2022-11-23 . TheCable . en-US.
  30. Web site: Rapheal . October 22, 2022 . Atuegwu: Touching lives of blind children with books . 2022-11-23 . The Sun Nigeria . en-us.
  31. Web site: March 2, 2017 . Current Members: A . 2022-11-23 . PEN America . en.
  32. Web site: Nwafor . February 16, 2017 . Respite at last for 200 people with special needs . 2022-11-24 . Vanguard News . en-GB.
  33. Web site: University . Nnamdi Azikiwe . November 21, 2021 . Bina Foundation donates to CENDASNER . 2022-11-24 . Nnamdi Azikiwe University . en-US.
  34. Web site: Rapheal . October 25, 2022 . Ability in disability . 2022-11-23 . The Sun Nigeria . en-us.
  35. Web site: 2019 World Leprosy Day: Inmates at Oji River Leprosy settlement seeks help for self-reliance . 2022-11-24 . Medical World Nigeria . en.
  36. Web site: December 20, 2018 . Bina Foundation moves to promote blind football to international status . 2022-11-23 . The Guardian Nigeria News . en-US.
  37. Web site: Bina Foundation promotes blind Football in Africa, hosts Nigeria vs Ghana friendlies . July 11, 2021 . 2022-11-24 . en-US.
  38. Web site: Nwafor . December 20, 2018 . Bina Foundation reaches out to Enugu para-athletics champions . 2022-11-24 . Vanguard News . en-GB.
  39. Web site: January 27, 2021 . Blind but not bound: Visually-impaired athletes find new vision, hope through sports . 2022-11-23 . Punch Newspapers . en-US.
  40. Web site: Arinze . Alinnor . January 16, 2022 . Bina Foundation Hailed For Success Of Maiden Blind Powerlifting & Bench Press Trials In Lagos . 2022-11-24 . P.M. Express . en-US.
  41. Web site: April 14, 2019 . Nigeria's blind women team win exhibition game in Enugu . 2022-11-24 . Punch Newspapers . en-US.
  42. Web site: October 10, 2022 . Nigeria's national team, Star Eagles, relish experience in Morocco . 2022-11-23 . The Guardian Nigeria News . en-US.
  43. Web site: Nigeria's 'Star Eagles stars in 2022 IBSA Africa Blind football championship in Morocco . October 9, 2022 . 2022-11-23 . en-US.
  44. Web site: 2022 . Nigeria's Star Eagles triumph over Côte d'Ivoire . This Day.
  45. Web site: Paul . Utebor . July 28, 2022 . Five books and authors that shaped children's literature in Nigeria . 2022-11-23 . TheNewsGuru . en-US.
  46. Web site: October 26, 2021 . Writing allows me to express myself and inspire others – Ever Obi . 2022-11-23 . The Eagle Online . en-US.
  47. Web site: Ever Obi, MD, Zedvance and Author, "Men Don't Die" Speaks on Writing and Work . 2022-11-23 . proshare.co . en.
  48. Web site: October 27, 2021 . Writing Allows Me to Express Myself and Inspire Others, Says Ever Obi . Lagos Post Online . 2022-11-23 . en-US.
  49. Web site: October 1, 2022 . Young African Female Authors That Made History – Atuegwu, Oyeyemi, and Nkamankeng . 2022-11-23 . en-US.

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