Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian author, leading voice for women in Africa, and dubbed by Forbes’ (a finance magazine popular throughout the world) as one of the ‘Youngest Power Women in Africa’. Though growing up and completing her secondary schooling in Nigeria, Adichie moved to the United States in order to further her education and pursue several degrees at schools such as Drexel University, Yale University, and Johns Hopkins University. Adichie originally began her university career studying medicine, but working with a student-run magazine brought her closer to her passion for writing. Ultimately she ended up in Creative Writing – a far journey from medicine, showing girls they have the freedom to choose their paths no matter how late in life! In her writing, Adichie currently tries to battle the image of Africans that the media portrays, especially the media in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.
First Published: Age 20, a collection of poetry
Interesting Fact: She grew up in the same house that Nigerian author Chinua Achebe had lived in!
Memunatu’s Pick: Purple Hibiscus – This is Chimamanda’s first novel and popular with girls across many ages and cultures. This story profiles Kambili Achike, a 15 year old girl in Nigeria, and the problems she faces with a violent father, a family that is falling apart, and her battle to reach to maturity.
Watch her speak on why we all should be feminists: here
Sources:
http://www.l3.ulg.ac.be/adichie/
http://chimamanda.com/about-chimamanda/
Image Credit: Howard County Library System
