The whole world knows Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the whole world celebrates her genius as a story teller and after an over ten year break, the Nigerian author is back with a new novel titled ‘Dream Count’ a novel which speaks on womanhood, identity, familial relationships and late-in-life parenthood. Some have thought of this moment as the proverbial Queen reclaiming her throne. This new book adds to a bibliography which includes three novels, a short story collection, a children’s book and mind-tinging essays.

Adichie was born in 1977 in Nigeria and is the fifth of six children. She was born to academics and from an early age she thrived in school. Initially she had enrolled to study medicine at the University of Nigeria however she moved to the United States later earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communications from Eastern Connecticut State University. Adichie also hold a Masters in Creative Writing (John Hopkins University) and Masters of African History (Yale University).

Her first novel to be published was ‘Purple Hibiscus’. He debut offering chronicles the story of Kambili, a young Nigerian girl coming of age in a politically unstable Nigeria. At home she also lives under the brute of an oppressive father. The book won the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for debut novel and was nominated for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (formally named the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction).

Her ground-breaking sophomore novel ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ is set in 1960 Nigeria, a newly decolonised state which now faces ethnic tension and the civil war (Biafra War). The story is told through the points of view of three intriguing characters, Olanna (a twin who has fallen in love with a charismatic lecturer), Richard (a white aspiring author who has moved to Nigeria) and Ugwu (a domestic worker who works for Olanna’s lover). These three characters tell us an emotive, breath-taking and powerful story of human existence and survival.

The author often claims that she believed her grandfathers called her to write the book; both of her grandfathers died in refugee camps during the war. The book took home top prize at the Women’s Prize for Fiction. A film directed by Biyi Bandele was released in 2014. ‘Americanah’ is a novel set between Nigeria and the United States. Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love in Nigeria during their high school days. They are separated when Ifemelu ventures to the US for her education while Obinze begins a life as an undocumented immigrant in the United Kingdom. Both of them are confronted with what it means to be a foreigner. The themes of Americanisation, identity and race are some of the biggest themes explored in this book.

Her work often centres on what is means to be an African woman, the relationship between black people on Africa and the diaspora, feminism, identity and gender relations. Some of her most influential talks include the Ted talk ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ in which she discussed feminism as it relates to Africa. Her speech was a clarion call to all people to recognize the gender stereotypes which have been spread across the world for centuries and prove to be unfair to both men and women. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages.

Her highly anticipated new novel ‘Dream Count’ is due for release in March and has already driven her fans wild. Announcement for the novel were first made public in late 2024 with the book cover revealed also. This is Adichie’s first novel in over a decade (the last being ‘Americanah’ published in 2013). Initial review of the book show favourable replies from both reviewers and early readers.

Adichie’s trophy cabinet is also evident of her hard work and genius. She has won the Commonwealth Writer Prize for Best First Book (Purple Hibiscus), Hodder Fellowship, MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” and a Grammy nomination (for her contribution to Beyoncé’s album Beyoncé). She holds sixteen honorary doctorates from tertiary institutes across the world (including Yale and Harvard Universities). Time Magazine has listed her as one of the most influential people in the world in 2015 and she was conferred chieftainship in her native Nigeria with the title ‘’Odeluwa” meaning ‘she who writes for the world’.

From a girl from Africa who read stories which often did not celebrate her to telling her own unique stories and garnering worldwide acclaim for her contribution to African letters, Adichie is a true African icon. She has inspired many writers and readers across the world and left her mark as one of the most central figures in modern African literature.