The pen is mightier than the sword; it is a form of attack for individuals who thrive on scribbling words that stand the test of time. It is also an avenue to defend oneself with facts, drilled to drive home certain points. For Chimamanda Adichie, her pen is a tool of expression.
From her desire to express her thoughts, Adichie has written articles that question stereotypes and novels that have won international acclaim.
Purple Hibiscus. Half of a Yellow Sun. The Thing Around Your Neck. Americanah. From We All Should Be Feminists to the recent Dear Ijeawele or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, Adichie has proven to be a quintessential writer worthy of all the honour bestowed on her.
For her tenacity and consistency in making statements with her art, Chimamanda is NRTC’s Personality of the Month.
Read Also: Mike Bamiloye – A Christian Filmmaker Par Excellence
In the quest to tell a story, Chimamanda Adichie, has created a name for herself in the super league of writers. Her style transcends the shores of Nigeria and cuts across continents.
Her words are anecdotes for a society ruled by stereotypes. Often, Adichie talks about the girl child and the potential that lies within.
Society has managed to successfully label women as ”second class citizens” (sic). However, Adichie has always been at the forefront of the debate, canvassing for equal opportunities and privileges for the girl-child as the boy-child.
Effective tool for a change
Many a time, we hear about the need to turn up physically to make a protest. That is, if we truly desire to see change. However, Adichie has proven that with her pen, she can liberate, influence and effect change.
Chimamanda Adichie is a role model for many. The 43-year-old writer has shown the immense strength a woman possesses and demonstrated why a woman must stand tall.
Indeed, Chimamanda Adichie is a writer par excellence.
The mother of one has also made statements that espoused the need to see people from more than one perspective. In ‘The Danger of a Single Story’, Adichie stated that there are many assumptions people have of others. For instance, some westerners see Africans as poor people who live an average life in harsh conditions.
A typical stereotype that can result in a ‘single story’ is the belief that women do not have aspirations beyond becoming a wife and mother. Their potentials are only lived on the home front where they take care of their husbands, make babies, and be models for their grand children.
Read Also: Mo Abudu: A media mogul par excellence
On the other side of the ‘story’ are women breaking grounds in various aspects of life. Women who believe that they have more to give more to society besides their biological children. Women pregnant with ground-breaking dreams waiting to be birthed.
Adichie’s stand on feminism has afforded more women the opportunity to be audacious in placing a high value on themselves.
A writer well honoured
Adichie was born on September 15, 1977 in Enugu state. She is the fifth of six children. After a year and a half studying medicine and pharmacy at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, she moved to the United States where she studied communications and political science at the Eastern Connecticut State University.
She bagged a Master’s degree in creative writing from John Hopkins University. Furthermore, she received a Master of Arts degree in African studies from Yale University.
She has won various awards for her creative work over the years. Her 2003-published novel, Purple Hibiscus, won her the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in 2005 for ‘Best First Book’. Likewise, Half of a Yellow Sun bagged the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction. Americanah was listed among The New York Times ‘Ten Best Books of 2013’.
NRTC News Categories
In 2008, Future Awards made her the ‘Young Person of the Year’. The New Yorker listed her among the authors in its ’20 under 40′ Fiction Issue in 2010. Chimamanda is the daughter of James Nwoye Adichie, a former professor of statistics at University of Nigeria. Her mother – Grace Ifeoma Adichie – is the first female registrar of the same university. She is married to Ivara Esege.
Beyond the fame, financial rewards and honours, Adichie has made a name for herself and established notions that will stand the test of time.
Discover more from News Round The Clock
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Vivian Adeyemo
27/09/2020 at 1:21 pmBrilliant article! As a writer, Chimamanda is a personal inspiration to me and definitely one of the best of our generation.
Oluwasola Tunde
02/10/2020 at 11:47 amWords will only fail us if we decide to put her virtues into words.
Writer par excellence..