You have probably already heard her speech “We Should All Be Feminists”, which was also featured in a Beyoncé song. Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie is a powerful figure in the feminist movement and an inspiration to young women across the world.
The Nigerian novelist grew up reading foreign children’s book and this influenced her early work – all the characters were white, the plot would take place somewhere in West Europe and it represented a culture very different from hers. Chimamanda didn’t think her stories could include black people until she came across the work of fellow countryman, Chinua Achebe.
By changing the perspective of her novels, she is able to reach readers who can relate to her work and also encourage writers to write about their reality.
She published her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, in 2003 and was acclaimed by the critics. It was shortlisted for the Orange Prize For Fiction and was awarded the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book.
Her second and third novel also received critical praise. Half Of A Yellow Sun evocates the Biafran war in the late 1960s, while Americanah is a brilliant story about racism and identity. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a significant author in modern African literature and is definitely worth of being included on your reading list.