At 11, Canada-Based Nigerian Girl Chidera Igwe Releases First Novel

By Izunna Okafor

It was a moment of excitement and uncommon motivation for the students of St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic School in Harbour Landing, Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada, as a Canada-based young Nigerian girl, Chidera Igwe released her first novel at the age of eleven.

Chidera Igwe who is a Grade 5 student of the school announced the release in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC and also took some copies to school.

The 82-paged fictional novel, titled "The Carnival Boy" published by a Regina-based corporation, INCH Communications Inc. has also been featured on Amazon online stores and other online bookstores and book distribution channels.

“My story is short and quick to read, one that students of middle and high schools will find interesting. I am happy to get through this first experience as an author thanks to support from my family, my teacher, and classmates at St. Kateri,” Chidera said on CBC.

She said she was so excited when she received a copy of the book, and pledged to ensure that each school library within the Regina Catholic School Division that is interested in keeping copies of the book would get at least a complimentary copy.

“The first time I received a copy, I was so excited; I couldn’t believe that I pulled this off. 

“I want to make sure that each school library within the Regina Catholic School Division that is interested in keeping copies of The Carnival Boy is able to get at least a complimentary copy.

“I am making arrangement to deliver copies to them as soon as we receive a request,” Chidera said.

She also noted that "The Carnival Boy" was inspired by my school work, and further revealed that she was currently working on other manuscripts.

Chidera plans to be on the school musical band in Grade 6. In addition to her school work, right now, she is studying and learning the necessary skills to be successful in the television and movie industry through a program offered by a California-based talent company, CGTV. She also blogs at www.chidera.ca.

Reacting to the development, Chidera's father, Assistant Prof. Chidi Igwe, who is a lecturer at the University of Regina, Canada, and the author of "Taking Back Nigeria from 419" said the publication of the novel was not only a source of motivation to her daughter, but also to her fellow students, as they manifestly proved after she took the book to her school and shared with her friends.

"After she took it to the school and shared with her friends, some of her friends began to ask 'Oh I have my story, how can I publish it?'. So I didn't even know it could actually go beyond motivating her and also be a source of motivation to some of her classmates," said Prof. Igwe, who also the Founder of Igbo Radio and the President of Igbo Cultural Association of Saskatchewan, a Canada-based pan Igbo socio-cultural organization.

The Igbo language and cultural activist, Prof. Igwe who also shared the development with fans on Facebook noted that he was very proud of his daughter.

Chidera Igwe's "The Carnival Boy" is the adventure of a teenage girl, Melissa Edwards. She has a strong love for carnivals. While on a holiday in Florida with her family, she found herself in trouble when she escaped from her parents’ hotel room in order to satisfy her curiosity and find out what was behind the doors of an abandoned building. Melissa could not believe what fate had in store for her when she traded places with Jackie, a young boy stuck in the storage house, whom she had read about in a book. Now, Melissa, herself, would need someone else to save her.