Nigerian author Chika Unigwe has recounted how an old pen pal who stopped writing to her because he found her letters boring suddenly reconnected with her after she gained recognition in a national writing competition.
Unigwe, a professor of writing at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, shared the experience while commenting on the recognition of Anne Carson, who was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature.
In her post, Unigwe explained that the man, who was at university when they exchanged letters during her secondary school days, stopped communicating with her because he considered her letters boring.
However, after she placed among the top three in a national writing contest and her name appeared in newspapers, he reached out with a letter that began, “Everyone loves a winner.”
Reflecting on the experience, Unigwe said it taught her a lesson about the benefits of success and human nature. She added that she never replied to his letter.
