Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie shot to international stardom when Beyonce famously sampled part of her Tedx talk in 2016 at the start of “Flawless” – but Adichie is so much more than an excellent soundbite. She is a deeply accomplished author, and one of Nigeria’s “Big Three” Authors, alongside Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka.
Embrace cooler autumn evenings and cosy up with a book. Here’s seven to get you started on diving into Nigeria’s rich literary tapestry, with Adichie just the starting point.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun
A heartbreaking literary masterpiece about the end of colonialism and the fight to establish an independent Nigeria.
Wole Soyinka - Chronicles From The Land of the Happiest People On Earth
An ingenious satire of political corruption by a Nobel Prize in Literature winner.
Helen Oyeyemi – Boy, Snow, Bird
A deeply moving and beautifully written novel set in 1950s America, full of sparkling wit.
Chibundu Onuzo – Welcome to Lagos
This novel follows the lives of five strangers as they try to make their dreams come true in Lagos – fully of clever, comic, and touching observations.
Oyinkan Braithwaite - My Sister, the Serial Killer
This debut novel is an absolutely brilliant, darkly comic thriller that immediately shot Braithwaite to literary-darling status.
Chinua Achebe - Things Fall Apart
The debut work by one of Nigeria’s literary giants, the book describes life in pre-colonial Igboland and the chaos of colonial rule and Westernization.
Bolu Babalola – Love in Colour
A rewriting of classical mythologies, an unabashed and joyous celebration of all that is full of love and romance.
