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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction ‘Winner of Winners’ for her novel Half of a Yellow Sun.
The book was voted the best book to have won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, formerly known as the Orange Prize and the Bailey’s Prize, in its 25-year history.
The Nigerian-born author, who won the prize in 2007, was chosen in a public vote from a list of all 25 winners
The one-off award marks the culmination of the Prize’s year-long 25th anniversary celebrations, including its #ReadingWomen campaign, “championing a quarter of a century of unforgettable winners”.
Half of a Yellow Sun is set in Nigeria during the Biafran War (1967-70). “The novel is about the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class, race and female empowerment – and how love can complicate all of these things,” the Prize said.
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“Our aim has always been to promote and celebrate the classics of tomorrow today and to build a library of exceptional, diverse, outstanding international fiction written by women,” author and playwright Kate Mosse, the founder and director of the UK-based Prize.
“The Reading Women campaign has been the perfect way to introduce a new generation of readers to the brilliance of all of our 25 winners and to honour the phenomenal quality and range of women’s writing from all over the world,” she added.
More than 8,500 people voted, and were invited to share their thoughts with the prize’s digital book club, accessing newly created online reading guides and author interviews.
Chimamanda Adichie, who is currently in Lagos, Nigeria, said: “I’m especially moved to be voted ‘Winner of Winners’ because this is the Prize that first brought a wide readership to my work – and has also introduced me to the work of many talented writers.”
She is also the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus, which won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and Americanah and the story collection The Thing Around Your Neck. Her most recent book, Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, was published in March 2017.
The Nigerian author will be presented with the prestigious ‘Winner of Winners’ Prize on 6 December at a live event.
Information about how to attend the award presentation ceremony HERE.
Vivian Asamoah
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