Literature’s New Rock Chick, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani – Author of “I Do Not Come To You By Chance”


Nigeria has become a new hotbed for young gunslingers in the world of the literati. It seems this year, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani has emerged it reigning literary Rock Star. Her debut novel “I Do Not Come To You By Chance”, chronicles the story of a bright and promising young man named Kingsley as he seeks the help of his mafia like fraudster uncle Boniface a.K.a Cash Daddy in order to rescue his family from poverty.



The book is humorous and yet tenderly written, in a very original and unapologetic voice that brings all its characters to life in a grand way. The cadence in which the story is told creates visual slideshows in the head of the reader literally transporting you into every scene.

“I Do Not Come To You By Chance” has earned Nwaubani several accolades and literary awards including the 2010 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book in the Africa Region. She was a finalist for the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa, a semi-finalist in the VCU Cabell First Book prize and most recently won the Betty Trask award (some of its past winners include Diana Evans and Zadie Smith). Awards and accolades aside, the psychology graduate from the University of Ibadan and former editor of Elan (The Fashion Magazine of Next Newspaper’s Sunday Edition) still remains very unassuming and unpretentious. She maintains that this novel is the product of a team that includes her editors, agent and publishers

For Adaobi, writing this novel was something she wanted to do like every other task and dream in her life and she did it. We had a chat with her to savour in her journey so far.

In your own words, tell us what the book is about

My book is about a young man called Kingsley who seeks the assistance of his 419 kingpin uncle called cash daddy to help his family out of poverty.

Everyone comes up to me and says do you know about this 419er, he is exactly like Cash Daddy. But the original 419ers were pretty much like him.

You took just a month to write your first draft. Is it a story you already had in your head, how did it come to you?

The novel came before the story. I decided it was finally time to write a novel. I had known since 2001 that I was going to do something more seriously with my writing talent but I was looking for the right time. So at the end of 2006 I said this is the time, I’m ready to write my novel now. I studied psychology and I have always been fascinated with personality and why people do the things that they do and I wanted to write a story about something that had to do with personality and personality change. So the 419 thing came in handy. It wasn’t something I planned to write about all my life. I find out that every time I write stuff even short stories, I always start of with some kind of psychological thing. I look for real things happening to give it life. That’s how the novel came up.



The novel was published abroad first. The dialogue was distinctly Nigerian; it was a very fast read and had a flow to it. Did you ever fear that non-Nigerians reading it would not understand or get lost from time to time?

I didn’t realise that I had done that until Ikhidie who has become one of the top reviewers pointed it out. Then he described it as being bold and damned. I don’t think I was aware that people wouldn’t understand and also I didn’t really care. Then my agent who was the first point of contact read it and didn’t have that problem. And I had editors who didn’t have that problem. I guess if they had pointed it out, I would have been aware.

http://www.bellanaija.com/2010/07/26/literatures-new-rock-chick-adaobi-tricia-nwaubani-author-of-i-do-not-come-to-you-by-chance/

Many accolades for her novel on google. Has Chimamanda got a stiff competitor who will give her a run for her money?

i just order for this book

Diran Adebayo, a Nigerian who resides in Britain also won the Betty Trask award. Props to Adaobi, particularly since she lives in Nigeria but the sensation and publicity surrounding Chimamanda's debut novel, Purple Hibiscus was overwhelming.

I do not come to you by chance is a great novel. I loved it!

Ndipe:

Diran Adebayo, a Nigerian who resides in Britain also won the Betty Trask award. Props to Adaobi, particularly since she lives in Nigeria but the sensation and publicity surrounding Chimamanda's debut novel, Purple Hibiscus was overwhelming.

Followed by the 2nd novel. If this girl can win and win more awards, she may get the chance to receive similar publicity and rise to the top. From the google comments about her book, I believe she will give Chimamanda a run for her money.

I've heard of the book, where can I get a copy?

ravenzord:

I've heard of the book, where can I get a copy?

Click on the link below to buy one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=i+do+not+come+to+you+by+chance&x=0&y=0&ih=18_8_1_2_0_1_0_0_0_1.103_114&fsc=5