Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction ‘Winner of Winners’ title for her 2006 novel on the Nigerian Civil War – ‘Half of a Yellow Sun.’
The one-off prize was set up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Women’s Prize for Fiction award,
Chimamanda who was announced winner of the award on Thursday made it to history books as the first and only person to win the award in its 25-year history.
She slugged it out with 25 winners of the award including Zadie Smith, the late Andrea Levy, Lionel Shriver, Rose Tremain, and Maggie O’Farrell to become the ‘Winner of Winners’.
“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,” the novelist said.
Her book, ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ which won the Women’s Prize for Fiction (Orange Prize) in 2007, dwells on the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class, race, and female empowerment as well as how love can complicate all of the aforementioned scenarios.
In the meantime, Chimamanda is billed to talk about her writing and being chosen for the ‘Winner of Winners’ award in an event that will be hosted by the prize’s founder, Kate Mosse on December 6 2020.
“Our aim has been to promote and celebrate the classics of tomorrow today and to build a library of exceptional, diverse, outstanding international fiction written by women,” Mose said.
“I am thrilled that ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ has won the silver Winner of Winners. Congratulations to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and here’s to our next quarter-century!
“‘Reading Women’ campaign has been the perfect way to introduce a new generation of readers to the brilliance of all of our twenty-five winners and to honour the quality and range of women’s writing from all over the world.”
