Chika Unigwe’s Writing Contest Lesson

Chika Unigwe, a Nigerian author and Georgia College and State University professor, recalled a secondary school pen pal who stopped writing after her letters were deemed boring. The pen pal, a university student, later reached out following her national writing contest placement in the top three.

Unigwe connected this experience to Anne Carson's 2026 Nobel Prize for Literature, noting how a university that denied Carson's tenure had similar dynamics.

The pen pal's letter, which opened with 'Everyone loves a winner,' underscored Unigwe's lesson about success's impact on human connections. This exchange occurred after her name appeared in newspapers following the contest win.