Chika Unigwe was born in Enugu,Enugu State. She has degrees from the university of Nigeria and the KU Leuven. She holds a PhD from the University of Leiden in Holland.
She  is the author of three novels , including On Black Sisters Street (2009, 2011 Jonathan Cape, UK and Random House NY) and Night Dancer (Jonathan Cape, 2012). Her writing awards include a Rockefeller Foundation award, a UNESCO-Aschberg Fellowship and a Ledig House, NY Fellowship. She is the most recent winner of the Nigeria Literature Award. She has been published extensively in literary journals and newspapers. She lives in Turnhout, Belgium.