Chapter summaries Cursed Daughters Oyinkan Braithwaite

Chapter 113: Note on the Author – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Chapter 113 presents a brief, factual note about the writer of Cursed Daughters. It identifies Oyinkan Braithwaite as a Nigerian-British novelist and writer. The note highlights the success of her debut novel, My Sister, The Serial Killer, which was published in 2018. That novel became a Sunday Times bestseller and received major recognition: it was longlisted for The Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, and won the Crime and Thriller Book of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2020. The chapter concludes by stating that Braithwaite lives in London.

Key Events

  • The chapter provides the author’s full name and dual nationality (Nigerian-British).
  • It references the publication and critical success of My Sister, The Serial Killer.
  • The note lists the specific awards and shortlists the novel achieved.
  • It ends with the author’s current residence in London.

Character Development

Though this is not a narrative chapter, the “character” of the author herself is indirectly developed. Readers learn that Oyinkan Braithwaite is an accomplished writer whose first novel garnered prestigious nominations and a major genre award. The biographical details—her Nigerian-British heritage and London home—suggest a writer rooted in two cultures, which resonates with the themes of identity, displacement, and womanhood explored in Cursed Daughters. The note presents her as a credible literary voice, bridging crime fiction and poetry.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs Actually Evidenced Here

  • Authorial Credibility: The listing of awards and bestseller status establishes the author’s authority, implicitly assuring the reader of the quality of the work they have just read.
  • Dual Identity: Braithwaite’s description as “Nigerian-British” points to a dual cultural lens. This theme permeates Cursed Daughters, where many poems examine the intersection of Nigerian heritage, Western influences, and the female experience.
  • Women’s Voices in Crime and Poetry: The previous novel’s focus on a sister who is a serial killer connects to the “cursed daughters” of this collection—women who are misjudged, oppressed, or violent. The note subtly frames the author’s career as one that consistently centers women’s often-unflattering stories.

Why This Chapter Matters

A “Note on the Author” is a paratext that can easily be overlooked, but here it serves several key functions. First, it reinforces the credibility of the poetry collection by associating it with a prize-winning novelist. Second, it provides factual grounding for readers who may be new to Braithwaite’s work, allowing them to see the continuity between her novel and her poetry. Third, the brief biography hints at the cultural and geographical influences that shape the poems—London and Nigeria both appear as settings and contexts within Cursed Daughters. Finally, as the final chapter of the book, it leaves the reader with a clear sense of the author’s identity, closing the reading experience with a return to the maker behind the words.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What is Oyinkan Braithwaite’s first novel, and what major honors did it receive?
Answer: Her first novel is My Sister, The Serial Killer (2018). It was a Sunday Times bestseller, longlisted for The Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and won the Crime and Thriller Book of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2020.

2. How does the author’s dual Nigerian-British identity relate to the themes in Cursed Daughters?
Answer: The poems in Cursed Daughters frequently explore cultural duality, displacement, and the specific pressures placed on women in both Nigerian and Western contexts. Braithwaite’s background as a Nigerian-British writer living in London suggests a personal vantage point that informs the collection’s treatment of identity, belonging, and gender roles.

3. Why might the publisher place a biographical note at the very end of the book rather than the beginning?
Answer: By positioning the note after the poems, the publisher allows readers to first engage with the work on its own terms. The biography then offers a grounding context that can deepen understanding without preconceptions. It also rewards readers who finish the book by providing a direct link to the author’s broader career, encouraging them to explore My Sister, The Serial Killer or other works.

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