Nigerian author and feminist Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi has been awarded the revered Mary McCarthy Award for her work as a writer and prominent public awareness on social issues. The event was held at Bard College, New York where Chimamanda attended as a special guest.
Chimamanda’s career has grown fairly fast as she has achieved international recognition for her work. She has written short stories and novels that touch on Africa and feminist topics which have all been very thought-provoking. This goes to show that African writers are doing amazing work and that young aspiring writers have a chance to take on the world.
The Mary McCarthy Prize in short fiction includes a $2,000 cash award, publication of a collection of short stories or novella and a standard royalty contract. Last month, Haverford College based in Pennsylvania conferred Chimamanda with an honorary degree. In their press release, they stated some of her most prominent works which have won prizes and awards. They include; the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for her book Purple Hibiscus in 2003, the Orange Prize which is awarded to top female writers for her novel Half a Yellow Sun in 2006 and Americanah which was named as one of Top Ten Best Books of The Year by The New York Times in 2013. Her latest book is titled ‘Dear Ijeawele, Or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions’ and it has also been reviewed by the New York Times.
This article was written by Capital Campus Correspondent Anthony Mbugua.
