Nominated for the 2015 Nigerian Writers Awards (Young Motivational Writer of the Year) 

 

2014 O. Henry Award, Winner, "Fairness"

 

2014 Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction, Winner

 

2014 Etisalat Prize for Literature, Finalist

 

2014 New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, Finalist

 

2014 Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative in Literature, Finalist

 

2013 Best American Short Stories, Strout, E. & Pitlor, H. (Eds.)

Other Distinguished Stories, “America”

 

2013 Caine Prize for African Writing, Finalist, "America"

 

2013 Society of Midland Authors Award, Finalist

 

2013 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, Longlisted

 

2012 United States Artists Fellowship, Nominated

 

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice 

 

The Guardian's Best African Fiction of 2013

 

 

 

 

 

HAPPINESS, LIKE WATER:

UNDER THE UDALA TREES:

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**Shortlisted for the 2017 International DUBLIN Literary Award**

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A 2017 Amelia Bloomer Project Selection (of the American Library Association) 

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Winner of the 2016 Inaugural Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award  from The Publishing Triangle

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Winner of the 2016 Lambda Literary Award for General Lesbian Fiction

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Winner of the 2016 Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Award in Fiction

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2016 Nominee for the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Legacy Award in Fiction

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2016 NAACP Image Awards Nominee, "Outstanding Literary Work—Fiction"


2016 Publishing Triangle Award Finalist (Ferro-Grumley Literary Award)

 

Semi-finalist for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award 

 

Long-listed for the 2016 Chautauqua Prize


Long-listed for the 2015 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize

 

Nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize in Fiction


A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice


One of NPR's "Best Books of 2015"

 

A Shelf Awareness "Best Book of 2015"

 

A Publishers Lunch's "Favorite Book of 2015, From the News Editor"

 

One of the Los Angeles Times 56 Fabulous Works of Fiction and Poetry for the Holidays

One of Buzzfeed's "The 24 Best Fiction Books of 2015"

 

One of the Millions Most Anticipated Reads for 2015


One of Bustle's "2015’s 25 Best Books, Fiction Edition"

 

One of Bustle's "13 Books From 2015 That Every Woman Should Read"

 

One of Autostraddle's Top 10 Queer and Feminist Books of 2015

 

One of The Root's 15 Powerful Works of Fiction

 

One of thegloss.com's 10 Breakout Female Debut Novelists

 

BUST Magazine's Top 10 Books of 2015 

 

One of hellogiggles.com's 15 New Books You Absolutely Need to Read


One of the Wall Street Journal's "15 Books to Read This Fall"


One of Buzzfeed's "19 New Books You Need to Read This Fall"


One of Bustle's "Best Books of September 2015"

 

One of Out Magazine's 10 Books We're Excited for This Fall

 

One of Cosmopolitan Magazine's 24 Books to Read This Fall


One of the Sun Herald's "Ten noteworthy fiction and nonfiction titles on the way"


One of Gawker's "9 Must-Reads" for Fall


One of Buzzfeed UK's "27 Brilliant Books You Must Read This Winter"

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Afridiaspora's Best African Novels of 2015

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YNaija's Ten Most Notable Books of 2015

 

Pulse Nigeria's 10 Outstanding Nigerian Books for 2015


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