Bio

Born to a Nigerian father and a Jamaican mother, Odo Claire (‘Koko’) Kalango is a freelance writer and founder of the Rainbow Book Club (part of the Rainbow Foundation), whose work in promoting reading amongst young people was instrumental in Port Harcourt being World Book Capital 2014. For this honour brought to Nigeria, Koko received a national award.

Projects Koko has overseen include the Port Harcourt World Book Capital year-long programme; ‘Africa 39,’ a selection and celebration of 39 important African writers under the age of 40 which led to the publishing of a book with this title; the establishment of a 300-seater library in Port Harcourt sponsored by SHELL to mark Nigeria’s centenary, the Port Harcourt Book Festival (formerly the Garden City Literary Festival) and the Get Nigeria Reading Again campaign.

Koko is the author of Colours of Life, a devotional, she writes the Colours of Life column in This Day Style Magazine and hosts the Colours of Life show.

Koko has a Bachelor’s in French from the University of Benin, a Masters in International Relations and Strategic studies from Lancaster University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Theology from the Redeemed Christian Bible College.

Koko is a member of the Bible Society of Nigeria and chairs the board for the Alpha course in Port Harcourt.

She has lived in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and now makes her home in Nigeria, with her husband, ‘Ranyam. Together they have a daughter and son.