Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction ‘Winner of Winners’ for her novel Half of a Yellow Sun. The public chose Chimamanda’s novel over a stellar-line up including Zadie Smith, the late Andrea Levy, Lionel Shriver, Rose Tremain and Maggie O’Farrell, amongst others.
This one-off award marks the culmination of the Prize’s year-long 25th anniversary celebrations, forming a key part of our Reading Women campaign which champions a quarter of a century of phenomenal winners.
The Women's Prize for Fiction is the UK's most prestigious annual book award celebrating and honouring fiction written by women.
It was founded in 1996, the Prize was set up to celebrate originality, accessibility and excellence in writing by women and to connect world-class writers with readers everywhere
In announcing the award, the promoters stated:
"You voted in your thousands to select your ‘Winner of Winners’ from 25 years of Women’s Prize for Fiction winning books, and we are delighted to announce that you chose Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie with her novel Half of a Yellow Sun.
"Her book ultimately prevailed over a stellar-line up including Zadie Smith, the late Andrea Levy, Lionel Shriver, Ali Smith, Rose Tremain and Maggie O’Farrell, amongst others (the full list is available here). This one-off award marks the culmination of our year-long 25th anniversary celebrations, including our #ReadingWomen campaign championing a quarter of a century of unforgettable winners.
"Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s haunting novel, originally won the Women’s Prize for Fiction (then the Orange Prize) in 2007. Set in Nigeria during the Biafran War, the novel is about the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class, race and female empowerment – and how love can complicate all of these things.
"She will be presented with a silver edition of the Prize’s annual statuette, known as the ‘Bessie’, which was originally created and donated by the artist Grizel Niven as part of the gift of an anonymous donor."
Reacting to this latest feat of her, Chimamanda, who is currently in Lagos, Nigeria, said: "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."
https://www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/reading-room/2020-prize/announcing-the-womens-prize-for-fiction-winner-of-winners
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