Adaeze Ifeoma Atuegwu (born June 5, 1977) is a

Nigerian-American Nigerian Americans ( ig, Ṇ́dị́ Naìjíríyà n'Emerịkà; ha, Yan Najeriyar asalin Amurka; yo, Àwọn ọmọ Nàìjíríà Amẹ́ríkà) are an ethnic group of Americans who are of Nigerian ancestry. The number of Nigerian immigran ...

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

and writer whose works include novels, children's stories, medical non-fiction, and drama. She is considered one of Nigeria's youngest most prolific authors with 17 books published by the age of seventeen.

Early life and family

Atuegwu was born in the city of

Enugu Enugu ( ; ) is the capital city of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in southeastern part of Nigeria. The city had a population of 820,000 according to the 2022 Nigerian census. The name ''Enugu'' is derived from the two Igbo words ''Énú ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

Prince Chris Atuegwu of the Nnofo royal lineage in Nnewi and Lady Ifeoma Atuegwu, pharmacist, philanthropist, and founder of Bina Foundation, and a 2017 winner of the

Margarette Golding Margarette "Peggy" Golding (born Margarette Owen; November 1881 – 1939) was a Welsh born nurse and businessperson who was the founder of the " Inner Wheel" club in Manchester that has grown to be an international organisation - originally open ...

Award of the International Inner Wheel, also from Nnewi,

Anambra State Anambra State is a Nigerian state, located in the southeastern region of the country. The state was created on August 27, 1991. Anambra state is bounded by Delta State to the west, Imo State to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State ...

, Nigeria. Atuegwu grew up in

. Atuegwu wrote her first novel, Fate at 17 years old in 1994 while awaiting her Senior Secondary School

West African Examinations Council The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is an examination board established by law to determine the examinations required in the public interest in the English-speaking West African countries, to conduct the examinations and to award certif ...

Certificate Examinations (WAEC) results.

Education

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

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) for one semester. In 1996, she moved to the United States and subsequently studied pharmacy at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

. She received a Bachelor of Pharmacy and a doctorate degree in pharmacy ( PharmD) in 2002. While in Rutgers University, she served as a contributing writer and copy editor for her pharmacy

yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...

, ''Pharmascript''. In 2008, Atuegwu completed a master's degree in creative writing at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

. In 2014 she received a master's in

medication therapy management Medication therapy management, generally called medicine use review in the United Kingdom, is a service provided typically by pharmacists that aims to improve outcomes by helping people to better understand their health conditions and the medication ...

from the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

. Atuegwu holds a certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA).

Writing career

In 1994, Fourth Dimension Publishing Company founded by Arthur Nwankwo, published Atuegwu's first novel, ''Fate'', the story of a doomed romantic relationship when she was 17 years old. Her second novel, ''Tears'', was published shortly afterwards by B-Teks Publishing. Atuegwu's subsequent 15 books were all published within 8 months making her one of Nigeria's youngest authors authors. One of her children's books, ''The Magic Leaf'', published in 1994, is a magic realism story set in Southeastern Nigeria. Her drama, ''My Husband's Mistress'', 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). On July 28, 1995, a press conference was held for Atuegwu at Enugu Press Centre. At this event, the then ex-lady of Enugu State, Mrs. Olusola Torey, 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." On May 31, 1996, Atuegwu's seventeen books were collectively launched in the city of Enugu in Nigeria under the slogan of "17 books at 17". At this event, General Sam Momah, former

minister of science and technology A Science Ministry or Department of Science is a ministry or other government agency charged with science. The ministry is often headed by a Minister for Science. List of Ministries of Science Many countries have a Ministry of Science or Ministry ...

in Nigeria, described her as a "literary genius and a gift to Nigeria." Atuegwu's books were used in Nigeria as required textbooks and reading materials in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions as well as for junior

exams and other secondary school examinations. Atuegwu is considered one of the forerunners of the new era of young contemporary

Nigerian writers Nigerian literature may be roughly defined as the literary writing by citizens of the nation of Nigeria for Nigerian readers, addressing Nigerian issues. This encompasses writers in a number of languages, including not only English but Igbo, Urho ...

. She is also considered one of the predecessors of third generation Nigerian writers. Atuegwu's books are available as audiobooks and

braille Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are Blindness, blind, Deafblindness, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on Paper embossing, embossed paper ...

. She is a member of

PEN America PEN America (formerly PEN American Center), founded in 1922 and headquartered in New York City, is a nonprofit organization that works to defend and celebrate free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of litera ...

Charity and philanthropy

Atuegwu is an advocate for the disabled including the blind and

visually-impaired Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

through her involvement in Bina Foundation for People with Special Needs, a non-profit organization in Enugu, Nigeria. Her books, which are available in Braille and audio has been donated to various centers for the blind and visually impaired in Nigeria. Atuegwu, through Bina Foundation, is also an advocate for disability inclusion especially for disability sports such as

blind soccer Football 5-a-side, more commonly known as blind football or blind soccer, is a variation of association football designed for players who are blind or visually impaired. It is currently a Paralympic sport, and the International Blind Sports Asso ...

. In 2022, Atuegwu was part of volunteers on the Nigeria's Star Eagles

blind football Football 5-a-side, more commonly known as blind football or blind soccer, is a variation of association football designed for players who are blind or visually impaired. It is currently a Paralympic sports#Current summer sports, Paralympic sport ...

team to

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

for the

International Blind Sports Federation The International Blind Sports Federation () is a non-profit organisation founded 1981 in Paris, France. It was formerly known as the International Blind Sports Association. IBSA's mission is to promote the full integration of blind and parti ...

(IBSA) Blind Football African Championships held in

Bouznika Bouznika ( ar, بوزنيقة, būznīqa, ber, ⴱⵓⵣⵏⵉⵇⴰ, buzniqa) is a city in Casablanca-Settat, Morocco, in the historical region of Chaouia. Etymology The city name means "Owner of the small alley" in Arabic Arabic (, ...

, Morocco from September 14 to 26, 2022.

Personal life

Atuegwu grew up in

, Nigeria. She moved to

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

in 1996. She currently lives in Washington, D.C., with her family.

Influences on others

Style

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

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."

Awards

* 1993: World Health Day Essay Competition (Nigeria) * 1994:

Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...

Award for Creativity * 1995:

Award for Fostering Child Development * 1996:

Award for Excellence in Writing * 1996: Rotaract International Award for Creativity

Selected biographies

* Fate, Enugu: Fourth Dimensions Publishers, 1994, ISBN 9781563982; Cika Publishers, 1994, ISBN 9782966843 * Tears, Enugu: B-Teks Publishers, 1994, ISBN 978290404X; Cika Publishers, 1994, ISBN 9782966606 * Adventures of Nnanna, Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, * Chalet 9, Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 9783352903 * My Husband's Mistress, Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 9783352938 * The Magic Leaf, Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 978335292X * Bina and the Birthday Cake: Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 9783352946; ISBN 9782904058 * Bina and the Sailboat, Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 9783352989; ISBN 9782904066 * Bina at the Beach, Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 9789952962; ISBN 9782904074 * Bina at the Supermarket, Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 9783352970; ISBN 9782904082 * Bina at the Airport, Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 9783352954; ISBN 9782904090 * Lizzy's First Year at School, Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 9783352997 * Lizzy's Second Year at School, Enugu: Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 9782966126 * Lizzy's Third Year at School, Enugu, Cika Publishers, 1995, ISBN 9782996363

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atuegwu, Adaeze Ifeoma 1977 births American writers of African descent Igbo women writers Johns Hopkins University alumni Writers from Enugu Nigerian women novelists 20th-century Nigerian novelists Living people 20th-century Nigerian women writers English-language writers from Nigeria Nigerian children's writers Nigerian women children's writers Nigerian writers University of Florida alumni American people of Igbo descent Igbo novelists People from Anambra State People from Nnewi Igbo people American people of Nigerian descent Igbo pharmacists Nigerian pharmacists Women pharmacists University of Nigeria alumni