Chukwuebuka Ibeh

Chukwuebuka Ibeh
Born2000 (age 25–26)
Port Harcourt
CitizenshipNigerian
EducationWashington University in St. Louis
OccupationWriter Professor
EmployerBucknell University
Known forLiterature
Notable workBlessings (novel)

Chukwuebuka Ibeh (born 2000) is a Nigerian writer of Igbo origin from Port Harcourt.[1] His debut novel,[2] Blessings, was published in 2024 by Penguin Random House under its Viking imprint. His work explores LGBT+ identity in Nigeria and examines the impact of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act on the lives of queer Nigerians.[3]

Early life and education

Ibeh was born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State before moving to the United States. There, he studied and taught creative writing at Washington University in St. Louis before becoming an assistant professor at Bucknell University.[4]

Personal life

Blessings is a semi-autobiographical novel that draws on Ibeh's experiences growing up in a Christian boarding school, where he felt safer remaining closeted about his sexuality.[5]

Career

His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including McSweeney's, New England Review, and Lolwe.[6][7][5] In 2023, he was selected as a resident artist at the Spruceton Inn Artist Residency.[8][4] In 2019, he was named one of the most promising new voices in Nigerian literature by Electric Literature.[9] Ibeh attended a writing workshop led by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as a young writer.[10][11] In 2026, he facilitated a literature masterclass for aspiring writers in Enugu, where he shared insights on creative writing, storytelling, and the publishing process.[12]

Ibeh began writing his debut LGBT+ novel, Blessings, on scraps of paper before later typing the manuscript into a computer.[13][14] The novel took him two years to complete after he wrote the first chapter in 2020.[15] He has cited literary figures such as Chinua Achebe, Cyprian Ekwensi, Buchi Emecheta, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Raymond Carver, and Jhumpa Lahiri as important influences on his writing.[16] In his early career, he worked as a staff writer on the Nigerian fashion and lifestyle blog BellaNaija.[17]

In 2025, Electric Literature listed him among seven novelists in conversation with their literary ancestors, comparing Blessings to Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga.[18]

Honors and awards

  • 2024 Wilbur Smith Prize for Blessings - Shortlist[16][19]
  • 2021 J.F. Powers Prize for Fiction - Runner up[20][21]
  • 2020 Morland Foundation Scholarship - Finalist[22]
  • 2019 Gerald Kraak Award - Finalist[23]

Bibliography

Novels

—— (2024). Blessings: A Novel. New York: Viking Press. ISBN 9780385550659.

References

  1. ↑ "Chukwuebuka Ibeh". Masobe Books. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  2. ↑ By (2024-04-22). ""Blessings" Review: Chukwuebuka Ibeh Tells a Tale of Sexuality, Family, and Love". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  3. ↑ "Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh: 9780593687543 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  4. 1 2 "Chukwuebuka Ibeh". Lolwe Academy. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  5. 1 2 "Nigerian Author Chukwuebuka Ibeh on Finding 'Blessings' in a Country Where Same-Sex Marriage (and Homosexuality) Is Outlawed". Pride Source. 2024-05-09. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  6. ↑ "McSweeney's Issue 56". The McSweeney's Store. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  7. ↑ Lolwe; Troy (2020-05-18). "The Ache of Longing - Chukwuebuka Ibeh". Lolwe. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  8. ↑ "Chukwuebuka Ibeh, Novelist". Calendar. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  9. ↑ Zimmerman, Jess (2019-07-11). "Meet the Most Promising New Voices of Nigerian Fiction". Electric Literature. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  10. ↑ "An Interview with Chukwuebuka Ibeh". AFREADA. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  11. ↑ ""The Blessings of Queer Lives": In Conversation with Chukwuebuka Ibeh | Darlington Chibueze Anuonye". Brittle Paper. 2024-03-18. Archived from the original on 2025-06-12. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  12. ↑ "Chukwuebuka Ibeh to Facilitate Literature Masterclass for Aspiring Writers in Enugu - Afrocritik". 2026-03-02. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  13. ↑ C.J, Nelson (2024-02-23). "How Nigerian Author Chukwuebuka Ibeh Turned Scraps of Paper Into 'Blessings,' His Debut Novel". okayafrica. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  14. ↑ Dehghan, Saeed Kamali (2025-01-24). "Chukwuebuka Ibeh on Homophobia, Challenges of Writing in Nigeria, and the Power of Storytelling". Brittle Paper. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  15. ↑ Reporter, Our (2023-06-20). "How I wrote 'Blessings', by Chukwuebuka Ibeh". The Nation. Lagos, Nigeria. Archived from the original on 2025-01-25. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  16. 1 2 Digital, Make (2026-06-01). "2024 Shortlist". Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  17. ↑ "Chukwuebuka Ibeh, Author at BellaNaija". BellaNaija. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  18. ↑ Assistant2, E. L. (2025-08-14). "7 African Novelists in Conversation With Their Literary Ancestors". Electric Literature. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ Murua, James (2024-05-30). "Chukwuebuka Ibeh on Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize 2024 shortlist". Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  20. ↑ "The J.F. Powers Prize in Fiction". Dappled Things. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  21. ↑ "Ibeh is runner-up of 2021 J.F Powers Prize for Fiction". Daily Trust. Archived from the original on 2026-06-06. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  22. ↑ "19 Writers Shortlisted from 992 Entries: The 2020 Miles Morland Writing Scholarship". Brittle Paper. 2020-10-19. Retrieved 2026-06-01.
  23. ↑ "The Other Foundation |". Retrieved 2026-06-01.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.