About the Author

Aiwanose spent a better part of her life wanting to become an economist, an accountant, then an entrepreneur before she discovered her love for writing. She has contributed to published non-fiction works and participated in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus Trust Writing Workshop. She was longlisted for the 2020 Commonwealth Writers Short Story Prize and holds a postgraduate degree from the University of Oxford. When she's not writing, she's cheering for Manchester United or watching dramas. Her debut novel Tomorrow I Become a Woman will be published in 2022. 
 

Reviews

'Tomorrow I Become a Woman is an accomplished and emotional triumph. With deft language and in-depth characters, the book explores female friendships, difficulties and loss. It pulses with life, and taught me a lot.'
*Louise Beech, author of How To Be Brave and The Mountain in My Shoe*

'Never have I wanted to scream, wail and rip out pages of a book in solidarity with our female protagonist Uju. Never had I been so invested in a character... There was so much of this book that resonated with me despite the difference in generation and cultures... What makes this book so special and powerful is that this is based on real stories of real women known to the author. Uju and her friends may be fictional characters but their stories are real, and they are women that I know, women that I love, women that will stay with me forever. This isn’t an easy read, there are triggers of domestic violence but it must be read and shared.'
*Di Lebowitz, author of The Marks Left On Her*

'Searing and beautifully rendered, Aiwanose Odafen’s writing acutely speaks to intimate experiences at the crux of race, gender, class, culture, and tradition.'

 
*Koa Beck, author of White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind*

'Odafen writes with compelling craft of a world where certain expectations are put on women. Her exploration of the Nigeria her characters inhabit is unflinching and cuts to the core. It lets no one off the hook.  Tomorrow I Become a Woman is ultimately a celebration of the irrepressible strength of its protagonist. This is a necessary book.'
*Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters Street*

‘Aiwanose Odafen’s unforgettable debut stuns and enlightens. You will not forget Uju, Ada and Chinelo. Tomorrow I become A Woman overflows with compassion for its characters. This story of love, loss and resilient female friendship is a definite must read.’

 
*Tola Rotimi Abraham, author of Black Sunday*