Nigerian author Chika Unigwe has recalled how placing among the top three in a national writing contest changed the attitude of a former pen pal who had stopped writing to her, teaching her a lesson about success and human nature.
Unigwe, a professor of writing at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia, shared the personal story while commenting on the discussion surrounding Anne Carson and the recognition she received after a university had reportedly denied her tenure.
In her account, Unigwe described how a young man she had corresponded with during secondary school stopped writing to her because he considered her letters boring. At the time, he was already at university.
The relationship remained silent until Unigwe achieved success in a national writing competition. When her name appeared in newspapers among the top three contestants, the former pen pal suddenly contacted her again.
His letter began with a line that Unigwe has clearly never forgotten: “Everyone loves a winner.”
Unigwe said the experience left her with two lessons: success can change how people treat you, and people’s attitudes may shift when they see you achieving something they once dismissed. She chose not to reply to the letter.
“I never responded,” she wrote, making clear that she had no interest in renewing the correspondence after the young man’s sudden change of attitude.
Her story offered a personal perspective on the attention surrounding Canadian poet Anne Carson, who was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature on October 8. The Swedish Academy recognised Carson for her inventive body of work, which draws on classical traditions to create new forms of contemporary literature.
Unigwe’s recollection highlights a familiar experience for writers and other creatives: recognition can influence how others perceive their work. In her case, the young man’s renewed interest came only after her achievement became public, rather than while she was still developing her writing.
The episode also shows why early encouragement can matter. A person’s work may be overlooked or dismissed before wider recognition changes how it is received. For Unigwe, however, the newspaper recognition did not erase the earlier rejection, and she decided that no response was necessary.
