Wisconsin Public Television recently shared the life story of Dr. Tess Onwueme, a much-celebrated African playwright and a member of UW-Eau Claire’s English faculty, on its Wisconsin Life program.The story about Onwueme aired statewide in mid-November, and can be viewed online at wisconsinlife.org.

One of the best-known and most prolific women playwrights of African descent, Onwueme has received prestigious international awards that place her among a select group of world-class writers. Last year, Onwueme learned that she was nominated for a Nobel Prize for Literature, which often is described as the most prestigious literature award in the world.

In addition to having published more than 20 plays, she has received numerous grants and international literary honors and awards, and her work has been the subject of dozens of scholarly works. In its story, Wisconsin Public Television shares how Onwueme arrived in the United States with $100, as a single mother with five children.