About Me

Onyinye Iwu is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator based in London. She was born in Italy to Nigerian parents and moved to the UK as a teenager. Her academic background spans Architecture, Design & Technology education, and a Master’s degree in Culture, Diaspora, and Ethnicity — all of which strongly inform her creative practice and interest in storytelling, history, and visual culture.

Alongside her work as an author and illustrator, Onyinye is also a secondary school art and design teacher in Inner London. Teaching keeps her closely connected to young people’s creativity and perspectives, reinforcing her commitment to representation, education, and culturally rich storytelling.

Her illustration work has been published internationally with Walker Books, Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Otter-Barry Books, Interlink Books, and Knights Of. Onyinye has also collaborated with organisations including CLPE, BookTrust, the Open University, UK Parliament, and Amazon UK. In 2022, she was part of the illustrator team that won the UK National Book Award for Hey You!.

Onyinye has illustrated books by award-winning authors such as Benjamin Zephaniah, Laura Henry-Allain, Atinuke, and Nnedi Okorafor. These collaborations have helped shape her visual storytelling and strengthened her dedication to creating work that reflects the depth and diversity of Black experiences.

In 2025, Onyinye debuted as an author-illustrator with The Best Jollof Rice Ever, published by Otter-Barry Books in the UK and Interlink Press in the US. The book is a joyful celebration of African culture, food, family, and community, inviting children of all backgrounds to engage with African history through warmth, humour, and everyday moments.

Her upcoming book, African Queens, continues this journey by highlighting powerful women from African history. Created for young readers, the book celebrates leadership, resilience, and imagination, offering children of all ethnicities empowering role models rooted in African heritage. Through her work, Onyinye aims to open doors to history, culture, and possibility — and to remind young readers that they, too, are part of a long and powerful story.