- Name: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Profession: Writer
- Net worth: $5 million
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of the most popular Nigerian poet, author, novelist, writer of poems, novels, short stories as well as nonfiction. Ngozi was born on the 15th of September 1977 in Enugu State, southeastern Nigeria. She is currently 43 years old.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was born into a family of 8 and is the 5th child of the family’s six children. The writer’s family lived in Nsukka town of Enugu State in southeastern Nigeria.
During Chimamanda’s childhood days, her father who’s name is James Nwoye Adichie, worked as a professor of statistics in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and her mother, who’s name is Grace Ifeoma, worked as the first female registrar at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Ngozi’s family comes from Abba in Anambra State, Nigeria.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie finished her primary and high school education in Enugu State, Nigeria, and bagged her First School Leaving Certificate, as well as her West African Senior School Certificate.
Upon completing her high school education, Ngozi Adichie went further to study at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where she studied Medicine and Pharmacy for 18 months.
During her time studying at the University of Nigeria, Ngozi Adichie served as an editor for “The Compass,” a magazine run by the University of Nigeria’s Catholic medical students.
At the age of 19, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie traveled out of Nigeria to study in the United States of America. While there, she studied Communications and Political Science at the Drexel University in Philadelphia.
The now mother of one was later transferred to the Eastern Connecticut State University in the USA, where she lived with her sister Uche Adichie. Her sister also had a medical practice at Coventry University in the USA at that time.
In 2001, Ngozi Adichie graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Political Science.
In 2008, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was given a MacArthur Genius Grant. The young author was labeled in the Times Literary Supplement as the most notable of a procession of intrinsically acclaimed young Anglophone writers who is succeeding in drawing the attention of a new generation of book lovers to African literature.
In 2003, she finished her master’s degree in Creative Writing at Johns Hopkins University in the USA. In 2008, Ngozi Adichie was awarded a Master of Arts Degree in African Studies from the well-known Yale University in the United States of America.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie devoted the bulk of her time to writing novels. She also organizes writing workshops where she teaches in the United States of America. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has conferred an honorary doctorate “Doctor of Humane Letters” in 2016 at the Johns Hopkins University in the US of America.
In 2017, Haverford College and The University of Edinburgh in the USA gave her an honorary doctorate “Doctor of Humane Letters.”
In 1997, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie published her first collection of poems, which she titled “Decisions” and went further to release a play titled “For Love of Biafra” in 1998.
CNA was shortlisted in 2002 for the Caine Prize for the story titled “You in America” that she wrote, coupled with her fictional story “That Harmattan Morning,” which was also selected as a joint winner during the 2002 BBC World Service Short Story Awards.
In the year 2003, CNA won the O. Henry Awards for the book titled “The American Embassy” and also won the David T. Wong International Short Story Prize during the PEN Center Awards.
The first novel Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote was in 2003, and it is titled “Purple Hibiscus.” The book received warm acceptance and full world recognition.
In 2014, the story was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction and won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize award for Best First Book in 2005.
CNA’s second novel, titled “Half of a Yellow Sun,” remained one of her most famous literary works and was published in 2006. She named the book after the flag of the short-lived country of Biafra, which had a setting that was before, during, and a little after the Nigerian Civil War.
The novel was given the Orange Prize for Fiction as well as the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award In 2017.
Her third novel, while has also gained some proper recognition, is titled “The Thing Around Your Neck,” sand it was published in 2009.
The book has a collection of 12 exciting chapters that explore the relationships between women and men, parents and children, as well as Africa and the United States.
In 2010, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was listed among the notable few authors of the New Yorkers. In 2011, the short story she wrote, titled “Ceiling,” was added in the Best American Short Stories of 2011.
Her fourth novel, which is titled “Americanah,” was released in 2013. The story was focused on an exploration of a Nigerian youth encountering race and racism in America. The New York Times picked the novel as one of the top 10 Books of 2013.
In the month of April 2014, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was named as one of the 39 writers under 40 years of age in the Hay Festival, and Rainbow Book Club Project titled Africa39. This took place during the celebration of UNESCO World Book Capital in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
In March 2017, Chimamanda’s fourth novel, “Americanah,” was selected as the winner for the highly coveted “One Book, One New York” program, which is a part of a community reading initiative that encourages all city residents to read a specific book.
In April 2017, history was made as Chimamanda Adichie was elected into the 237th class of the famous American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This stands as one of the topmost honors for intellectuals in the United States of America.
That made her one of the youngest Nigerians to attain such heights. In March 2017, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie published her fifth and recent novel, which she titled “Dear Ijeawele.”
Chimamanda Adichie is the leader of a strong feminism movement that is taking Nigeria by storm as many women are buying into the idea of gender equality, but she is also married to Ivara Esege and has a beautiful baby daughter.
Chimamanda’s net worth
Chimamanda Adichie is presently one of the wealthiest and the most influential author in Nigeria, with an estimated net worth of $5 million.
