Spotlight Tuesday: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - A Woman Of Creative Letters

I was wondering whom to feature on my blog for today's Spotlight Tuesday. Believe me, inspiration doesn't come calling every day. I sat on a bus from Aba to Umuahia this afternoon and stole a peek into a co-passenger's Daily Sun newspaper. I let him have his fill of the juicy Boko Haram, Jonathan, Kenyatta, et al news. Then, I quietly asked if I could glance through the newspaper - you can't buy them all, you know, lol. And there she was on a feature in Education Review.


Meet Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - on my blog. She's a Nigerian writer who lives in the USA. OK, I know that many of you have met her a few times. I haven't met her in person before. But she's a character I had learned of way back at the University of Ibadan. I mean that I had known her as a budding writer, while I was still a UI undergraduate. She was a graduate student of John Hopkins University. There was Purple Hibiscus in the pipeline, I believe.

Since has been a miraculous journey for Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. What has always intrigued me was her change of course/program from science to art. In fact, it was always considered a stupid or rather lazy thing to do in secondary school. It was hip to be a science student. Why change to art? In this feature in the Daily Sun newspaper, Ms Adichie was asked how and why she changed her mind about her career and her parents' stance on her decision. While I can, let me say that I suffered the same fate, that is, switching from basic science to art. For me, my plan to become a lawyer hasn't worked out ...yet. And I have found a new love. Back to Chimamanda Adichie, I shall let you read the newspaper and the interview (Daily Sun hasn't paid for advert, you heard?).

I must confess that I haven't read any of Chimamanda Adichie's works - her three novels and a short story collection, which have received international acclaim. I had always said that I would read Purple Hibiscus until she wrote Half of a Yellow Sun. And for personal reasons, I was turned off (sorry about the personal undertone), but I really encouraged those who could to read her works. I guess the Nigerian civil war has been a deep wound that's yet to heal, and Ibadan.... Besides, I have always seen her as a creative writer, debunking rather condescending comments of her from a writer wannabe who sees nothing good in other people's works.

Miss Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has received world acclaim for her stance on feminism that has coloured her writing and style. Her works and essays mirror her attitude and positions on world topics and issues and how they affect the average African woman. Take Americanah, her latest work for instance, which discusses, I hear, in some part the African woman's struggle with what's acceptable hairstyle/hairdo especially in the workplace. This phenomenon, some people have dubbed 'hair politics,' 'hair war,' 'hair norm,' etc. The hair talk continues, and so does Ms Adichie's creative writing.

Half of a Yellow Sun has been adapted to a movie and has premiered in London, Canada and Nigeria. Oh, did I say this? I enjoyed reading and watching her TED Talk, The Danger Of The Single Story. It was one nice talk and really balanced my already balancing attitude towards, The Other Story, you know, that "what if?" angle to every story.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has received many accolades including winning the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the O. Henry Prize. Her works include:

• Purple Hibiscus
• Half of a Yellow Sun
• Americanah; 
• And many short stories. 

Pictures credit: Internet