Chioma Okereke

Chioma Okereke is a Nigeria-born author, who grew up in London and studied law at UCL. She started her writing career as a performance poet before turning her hand to prose.

Her debut novel, Bitter Leaf (Virago), was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize – Africa Best First Book and her short story, Trompette De La Mort, received First Runner Up of the inaugural Costa Short Story Award.

Her latest novel, a coming-of-age story set in the real settlement of Makoko, Lagos, Water Baby (Quercus) was longlisted for the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize 2025 as well as the Nigeria Prize for Fiction 2025.

As a keen traveller, globetrotting has greatly influenced Chioma’s storytelling. Passionate about universal stories and challenging the stereotypes surrounding writers of African descent, she divides her time between the bustle of London, the hustle of Nigeria, and the calm of rural France.