King's student named 'Black Student of the Year'
Department of History student Chibundu Onuzo was named Rare Rising Star Number 1 Black Student of the Year for 2012. Chibundu became the first woman to top the list and was awarded the prize by a panel of leading black Britons at a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament on 7 June 2012.
Chibundu became the youngest female author to be signed to Faber & Faber while studying for her BA History at King’s and in 2012 celebrated the launch of her first novel, The Spider King’s Daughter. Chibundu grew up reading English classics such as Jane Eyre and African titles by Wole Soyinka, and she began writing her own fiction when she was ten years old.
Set in Nigeria, The Spider King’s Daughter tells the story of a romance between two young people from different backgrounds – a 17 year-old poverty-stricken hawker and the cosseted daughter of a wealthy businessman. The novel has been praised by publications such as the Guardian and The Times, and has been longlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize for debut novelists.
Chibundu was born in Nigeria in 1991 and is the youngest of four children. She started her BA History at King’s in September 2009 and will graduate this summer, and plans to go on to do a master’s in International Development.
For more information please see the Rare Rising Stars 2012 website.