On September 30, The Bookseller reported that Wildfire Books, an imprint of Headline Publishing Group, has signed a deal for Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ’s debut novel Dazzling. The book is scheduled to be published in 2023. Dazzling won the inaugural Curtis Brown First Novel Prize in 2019.

The Curtis Brown First Novel Prize aimed to find and develop new talent and Emelụmadụ’s novel took first place over 3,000 other entries. The prize comes from the Curtis Brown Creative, a creative writing school that emphasizes demystifying “the publishing industry and empowering students to pitch their novels with confidence.” 

Chikọdili Emelumadu is a Nigerian-British author. Her work has been included in anthologies like Sharp and Sugar Tooth: Women Up To No Good and African Monsters and has also been published in Apex, One Throne, Omenana and Eclectica magazines among others. 

Her short story “Bush Baby” was nominated for the Caine Prize for African Literature in 2017.

Stay tuned for more details.