Prizes

Awarded for Colours of Hatred

Udenwe won the inaugural edition of The Chinua Achebe Prize for Literature for his novel Colours of Hatred. The judging panel cited the novel as a masterpiece of contemporary African literature during the ceremony in Lagos. The prize is awarded annually to a single work that reshapes the imaginative terrain of the continent, and is named in honour of the late Chinua Achebe.

Awarded for Satans & Shaitans

Satans & Shaitans, Udenwe's explosive debut set against the backdrop of Nigeria's terrorism tension, won the ANA Prize for Prose Fiction. The novel follows five shadowy cartels, bound by blood pacts and hungry for control, as they unleash a chain of assassinations that reach into the highest offices of the land.

Awarded for Prairie Schooner Prize Story

Udenwe was awarded the Prairie Schooner — Glenna Luschei Prize of the University of Nebraska Press in 2020 for his short fiction. He was also a finalist for the Prairie Schooner — Raz Shumaker Book Prize the same year, marking a defining international moment for his short-story work.

Awarded for Colours of Hatred

Colours of Hatred was a finalist for The NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature, widely regarded as one of the most prestigious literary awards on the African continent. The shortlist recognition followed the novel's win at the Chinua Achebe Prize the year prior.