Residencies, Panels, etc:

2005: Writer-in-Residence, The British Museum

2005: Guest Director, Cheltenham Literary Festival

2004 - present: National Council of the Arts Council of England.

2002: Residency, Santa Maddalena Foundation Writers’ Retreat, Tuscany, Italy.

2000 – Member, Advisory Board, of Middlesex University’s ‘M.A in Creative Writing’.

1999 – 2004: Director of the Book Trust

1999: Visiting Writer, School of the Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

1999: Writer in residence, JP Purkyne University, Czech Republic.

1997 –2000: Member of the British Council’s British Studies Committee


Prizes:

2000 - 2003: Awarded the ‘Abraham Woursell’ stipend by Vienna University, a prize for noteworthy young European writers.

2002: International Arts Council Fellowship

2002: Nominee, Carlton Television's Multicultural Award.

1996: A Betty Trask Award

1996: The Authors' Club's 'Best First Novel' Award

1996: The Writers Guild’s New Writer of the Year

1996: Ebony Reads Top 100.

1995: Winner, the Saga Prize (for SOME KIND OF BLACK)

1991: Awarded the ‘Nigerian Special Award’ by the UK Nigerians Association.


Broadcasting

2005: Scriptwriter, 'Out of Africa' (Black Icons) BBC

Writer/ Presenter of films for 'Edinburgh Nights' and 'The Culture Show.'

1991- 92: REPORTER on ’Reportage’, BBC TV’s youth current affairs series.