Nigerian Girl Voted UK's No.1 Best Black Student Of 2012

We are delighted to announce that Chibundu Onuzo has been voted Number 1 of the UK’s best black students in Rare Rising Stars 2012.  She is first female to head up the fourth annual list.

The King’s College, London student, who is the youngest woman to be signed to publishing powerhouse, Faber & Faber, was given the accolade by a panel of leading black Britons at a glittering ceremony at the Houses of Parliament on Thursday 7th June 2012, in front of an invited audience of MPs, senior business heads, family members, friends and press.

With black Conservative MP, Sam Gyimah, hosting this year’s event and judge Jean Tomlin, HR Director for London 2012, giving the keynote speech, it was a positive and uplifting celebration of the talent, ingenuity and achievements of these special young people.

You can find out more about Rare Rising Stars and the UK’s Top 10 Black Students by visiting their website: www.rarerecruitment.co.uk

Chibundu Onuzo started writing novels and short stories at the age of 10 and less than a decade later, she became the youngest woman ever to be signed to Faber & Faber, which has published books by 12 Nobel Laureates and 6 Man Booker prizewinners.

Her debut novel, THE SPIDER KING’S DAUGHTER is part of a two-book deal with the publishing powerhouse and charts the unlikely relationship that develops between a poor street hawker and a sheltered rich girl who meet on a street in Lagos.

Since its release in March 2012, the book has garnered a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on Amazon and a 4 star review from The Metro. It has even earned her a place alongside a Booker prize-nominated Oxford professor on a longlist for the £10,000 Desmond Elliott Prize for debut novelists.

Chibundu has given readings at the South Bank, The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival and Cambridge Wordfest and recent media appearances include BBC Radio 3’s ‘The Verb’ and BBC Scotland’s ‘The Book Café’. The Guardian, The Times and The Financial Times are just a handful of other publications which have praised Chibundu’s fledgling literary talent.

21-year-old Chibundu has also been profiled by CNN and The Observer recently named her as one of the Authors To Watch Out For In 2012.

She plans to complete a Masters in International Development and, if the success of her first book is anything to go by, her second will be another literary delight.