Chimamanda Adichie: The Next Nigerian Nobel Laureate In Literature?

Awards don't matter.  What matters is whether people are reading her books.  Awards are just to promote the industry.

I've only read a short story she wrote, and it was splendid.

Ben Okri sucks. I lov the guy for being a Nigerian, but his books are dense, unapproachable tomes to the extent of being obtuse.

As for Half of a Yellow Sun. . .

Loved Isidore Okpewho's novel, "The Victims". The novel showcases the pitfalls of polygamy and the author really potrayed the characterizations/weaknesses of the characters in the show. Really liked it. I havent read Festus Iyayi, but I am curious, was he the guy who was fired from Uniben by Alele Williams?

As per the new generations, I tried reading Graceland, but got turned off by the suggestive words used in the novel. Adichie, I would have liked, but the heading in the first chapter was just a turn off. My preference is still with the older generation of African writers.

@Orikinla
Nice one,it won't be bad if they both(Ngozi & Helen) get to win the Nobel anyway,  I was essentially fantasizing

But you will agree they both have what it takes.

I tend to agree with some of your arguments , I think when Chimamanda can trancend to writing successful plays , poems etc , we will all begin to take her seriously.

I'm enjoying Half of a yellow Sun, it kind of has an erotic tinge to it , in my own opinion.

I certainly need to read more Nigerian authors,seems you have a 'inner circle' view,who permit me is the real person behind Orikinla ?

@ Orikinla, You did not say A WORD, you said many words (LOL).

Once again, I am amazed by the vehemence of your onslaught on Achebe which now seems to have been passed down to Adichie.

I do not know if you arrived at your conclusions through some mathematical calculations or whether you used some perverse deductive reasoning to convince yourself that since "Oyeyemi is like Soyinka" and "Adichie is like Achebe", Oyeyemi will win the Nobel Prize before Adichie. However manner you might have reached this conclusion, it not only beggars belief, but shows that you must be unfamiliar with the works of both authors.

As both Oyeyemi and Adichie's literary works stand as at today, none of them are even remote contenders for the Nobel prize. The convoluted and labyrinthine byways of literature which makes the literary corpus of any author a serious contender for the Nobel prize is sadly missing in the works of these two.

Do not get me wrong, these two writers have a lot going for them and have produced brilliant pieces of works. However, the standard or benchmark used for popular literature is totally different to that used for serious literature and the banal mediocrity sometimes displayed in both writers works are not the stuff Nobel prizes are made of. The fact that Oyeyemi was paid hundreds of thousands of pounds does not automatically elevate her work to serious literature. It just shows that the publishers viewed her work commercially viable. I do not need to tell you that the likes of John Grisham, Jackie Collins, Sydney Sheldon or even the first billionaire author J.K Rowling stand a snowball's chance in hell of winning the Nobel prize despite monstrous commercial  successes.

I believe that the first poster who started this thread got carried away by Adichie's works. Uzodinma Iweala is someone to look out for. He looks promising.

Oh! And regarding the issue raised that Adichie did not win the Caine prize, might I point out that neither did Oyeyemi. Also, Oyeyemi despite being "rated higher than Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie" and despite having "written more works than Adichie" has not won the booker prize either. In fact, contrary to what you claim, when it comes to critical acclaim, Adichie is rated higher because her first book was shortlisted for the orange broadband and the John Llewellyn Rhys prizes as well as longlisted for the Booker prize. It was the winner of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Debut Fiction. Her second book won the Orange Broadband prize (although the Orange prize has been rubbished by literary heavyweights). Even if the Orange prize is  open only to women, at least, Oyeyemi is also a woman, I do not see her name on the list of Orange prize winners.

After all is said and done, let us be proud of our kinsmen and women. They continue to do us proud.

'Nuff Said, I rest my Case!!!

Anybody read half of A yellow Sun?

Oh well, Orikinla, what exactly is your grouse with Achebe for goodness sake? You seem to be repelled by his sucess, or rather, trying to tow down the literary acclaim that he has received in the western world. Adichie is following in its footsteps, and your remark about the literary writer, Adichie, coming to applaud for you if your parents were literates is high level display of arrogance and pride. Ke, has your work attained the same influence/publicity as those of Adichie?

I do agree with you that Achebe did not display a spirit of sportmanship and even made some tribalistic comments on Soyinka's award of the Nobel Prize. As for his adulation of Adichie and his ignorance of others, oh well, I never factored in tribalism. Could be true, could be false. Who knows?

@Orikinla
Although this thread was essentially meant for Chimamanda, I think we need more people like you.
So I move Orikinla for the Nobel 

But honestly, I have always been concerned with Achebe's obvious tribalism, i always looked at it from the point of view of espousing his culture,roots etc,but when viewwed against the backdrop of issues esp the Nobel prize,i think you're right on the spot,

@SMc
From a critic's view point ,whats you take on HOAYS? 

interesting posts.

@orikinla i think i understand your point,but the thing is that achebe is like that with every body,he blast anyone who he deems fit and to an extent he thinks the ibos are like the chosen tribe by God,can you blame him,read his criticism on Heart of darkness by Joseph Conrad and i was forced to reckon with the guy but going by your point he does seem a little tribalistic.

and how in the hell don't you expect him to praise Adichie,she lived in the same house he once lived in so they feel kind of connected and stuff.when i read Purple hibiscus i was bawled over,made my friends read it was looking forward to reading HOAYS but was a bit off on that,too brutal and what exactly is her point,well can't deny that she is a good novelist but i want her to losen up a bit in her writing,put a little humour in it.

anyone ever read 26A  by Diana Evans?

You are welcome and to your question, I have no idea what you are talking about. LOL

where can i buy her books please

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