Kelechi Okafor author page

Kelechi Okafor biography

Kelechi Okafor is a Nigerian-born Londoner, writer, presenter, social commentator and podcast host. She writes about society, culture and Black womanhood, and her work for younger readers includes the picture book Strong Like Me.

Strong Like Me was published by Puffin on 1 February 2024, with illustrations by Michaela Dias-Hayes. The story follows Kamara, a child who loves being physically strong but begins to question herself after negative comments from classmates before sports day and the Big Race.

Okafor’s adult fiction includes Edge of Here, a short story collection published on 14 September 2023. The collection combines ancient and ultramodern ideas in stories about contemporary Black womanhood and near-future life.

Her novel Awakened went on sale on 26 June 2025. The book is set in a near-future London and follows journalist Pels Badmus as she investigates the disappearances of young Black children and travels to Benin to report on protests connected with sacred Spirit Vine rituals.