Commonwealth Writers' Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 19 (2005) Winner
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
チマママンダ・ンゴジ・アディチー
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Pen Names:
Amanda N. Adichie（Early works published under this English form of her name）,
Nwa Grace James（Pseudonym used for the children's book 'Mama's Sleeping Scarf' (a dedication to her parents)）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1977-09-15 （Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria）
- Nationality
- Nigerian
- Languages
- English, Igbo
- Religion
- Catholic （Baptismal Name: Amanda）
- Residence History
- Enugu / Nigeria (childhood–youth) → Nsukka, Nigeria (University period) → Philadelphia, USA (Drexel University period) → Willimantic, Connecticut, USA (Eastern Connecticut State University) → United States (primary residence) → Nigeria (maintains a home)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Novelist, Essayist, Public speaker
- Active Years
- 2003-2025
- Influenced By
- Chinua Achebe, Buchi Emecheta
- Influenced
- New generation Nigerian writers and African feminist writers
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nigeria | — | Medicine/Pharmacy (left before degree) | — | 1990年代（在学期間は1.5年） | Nigeria |
| Drexel University | — | Communications (transferred, later moved) | — | 1997–1998頃（在籍） | United States |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | — | Political science (major); Communications (minor) | 学士（summa cum laude） | 1998–2001 | United States |
| Johns Hopkins University | — | Creative writing (MA) | MA | 2001–2003 | United States |
| Yale University | — | African studies (MA) | MA | 2006–2008（在学） | United States |
University of Nigeria
Medicine/Pharmacy (left before degree)
Period:
1990年代（在学期間は1.5年）
Country:
Nigeria
Studied medicine and pharmacy for about one and a half years before leaving for the United States
Drexel University
Communications (transferred, later moved)
Period:
1997–1998頃（在籍）
Country:
United States
Transferred later to Eastern Connecticut State University
Eastern Connecticut State University
Political science (major); Communications (minor)
Degree:
学士（summa cum laude）
Period:
1998–2001
Year of Graduation:
2001
Country:
United States
Received her bachelor's degree in 2001 (summa cum laude)
Johns Hopkins University
Creative writing (MA)
Degree:
MA
Period:
2001–2003
Year of Graduation:
2003
Country:
United States
Earned a master's degree in creative writing
Yale University
African studies (MA)
Degree:
MA
Period:
2006–2008（在学）
Year of Graduation:
2008
Country:
United States
Completed a second master's degree in African studies
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | MacArthur Fellowship | — | — | MacArthur Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2007 | Women's Prize for Fiction (formerly Orange Prize) | Half of a Yellow Sun | — | Women's Prize for Fiction | 受賞 |
| 2014 | National Book Critics Circle Award | Americanah | — | National Book Critics Circle | 受賞 |
| 2018 | PEN Pinter Prize | — | — | PEN International / PEN Pinter Prize | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Barnard Medal of Distinction | — | — | Barnard College | 受賞 |
| 2003 | O. Henry Award | The American Embassy (short story) | — | O. Henry Award | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best Book) | Purple Hibiscus | — | Commonwealth Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2022 | W. E. B. Du Bois Medal | — | — | Harvard University | 受賞 |
MacArthur Fellowship
2008
Organization:
MacArthur Foundation
Result:
受賞
Women's Prize for Fiction (formerly Orange Prize)
2007
Work:
Half of a Yellow Sun
Organization:
Women's Prize for Fiction
Result:
受賞
National Book Critics Circle Award
2014
Work:
Americanah
Organization:
National Book Critics Circle
Result:
受賞
PEN Pinter Prize
2018
Organization:
PEN International / PEN Pinter Prize
Result:
受賞
Barnard Medal of Distinction
2016
Organization:
Barnard College
Result:
受賞
O. Henry Award
2003
Work:
The American Embassy (short story)
Organization:
O. Henry Award
Result:
受賞
Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best Book)
2005
Work:
Purple Hibiscus
Organization:
Commonwealth Foundation
Result:
受賞
W. E. B. Du Bois Medal
2022
Organization:
Harvard University
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 72 (2007) Winner
Women's Prize for Fiction
1 appearances
-
Edition 12 (2007) Winner
O. Henry Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 100 (2022) WinnerWork: Zikora
A story about birth, abandonment, and the intensity of motherhood.
A story about birth, abandonment, and the intensity of motherhood.
short storyrelationshipsmemory
Works
Major Works
Purple Hibiscus
2003 Novel (coming-of-age, postcolonial)A debut novel that explores family, religion and power through the coming-of-age story of a Nigerian family facing domestic oppression and eventual awakening.
FamilyReligionOppression and liberationComing of age
Half of a Yellow Sun
2006 Historical novel / War fictionSet during the Biafran War, the novel follows multiple characters to show how war affects individuals and society.
WarEthnicity and identityLove and betrayal
Adaptations
- [Film] Half of a Yellow Sun (film) / Biyi Bandele (2013)
The Thing Around Your Neck
2009 Short story collectionA collection of short stories dealing with immigration, cultural dislocation and individual loneliness.
ImmigrationCultural identityLoneliness
Americanah
2013 Novel (contemporary)A novel about immigration, race and identity following a Nigerian woman navigating life between the United States and Nigeria.
RaceDiaspora experienceIdentity
We Should All Be Feminists
2014 Nonfiction (essay)An accessible essay articulating the basics of feminism and challenging everyday gender assumptions.
FeminismGenderSocial norms
Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions
2017 Nonfiction (parenting & feminism)A short manifesto offering fifteen suggestions on raising a feminist child.
EducationFeminismFamily
Notes on Grief
2021 Memoir / EssayA memoir/essay reflecting on the death of her father and the experience of grief.
GriefFamilyLoss
Mama's Sleeping Scarf
2023 Children's book (picture book)A children's picture book about a mother's scarf and familial intimacy, published under the pen name Nwa Grace James.
Mother-child relationshipCultureAffection
Dream Count
2025 Conversations / EssaysA 2025 collection of candid conversations and essays with friends and peers.
FriendshipCreative practiceCultural conversation
Bibliography
- Decisions (poetry, 1997)
- For Love of Biafra (play, 1998)
- Purple Hibiscus (2003)
- Half of a Yellow Sun (2006)
- The Thing Around Your Neck (short stories, 2009)
- Americanah (2013)
- We Should All Be Feminists (2014)
- Dear Ijeawele (2017)
- Notes on Grief (2021)
- Mama's Sleeping Scarf (2023)
- Dream Count (2025)
Adaptations
- Half of a Yellow Sun (film adaptation, 2013)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- A narrative voice combining postcolonial perspective and feminismUse of English with Igbo phrases and sensory metaphorClear, explanatory storytelling
- Recurring Motifs
- Family and intergenerational tiesExploration of migration and identityTension of religion and faithReclamation of Nigerian/Igbo culture
Legacy
Established as a leading contemporary African writer and feminist voice internationally. Through speeches and essays she has expanded discussions on feminism and cultural identity; her work has been widely translated and adapted, exerting broad cultural influence.
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences (inducted 2017)
In Popular Culture
- Her TED Talk 'The Danger of a Single Story' has been widely viewed; Beyoncé sampled parts of her speech in the song 'Flawless'
- Promotion of Nigerian fashion through the 'Wear Nigerian' campaign
Quotes
-
“The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.”
Source: TED Talk 'The Danger of a Single Story' (2009) (2009) -
“Whoever says they are a feminist is a feminist.”
Source: Interview (year unspecified)
Trivia
- Her 2012 talk 'We Should All Be Feminists' was published and distributed to every 16-year-old in Sweden.
- Beyoncé sampled her speech in the song 'Flawless' (2013).
- Winner of the PEN Pinter Prize (2018), notable for its human-rights emphasis.
- Declined a Nigerian national honour (Order of the Federal Republic) in 2022.