Chimamanda Adichie reacts to sold-out book events, amazed thousands paid within 24 hours.
The celebrated author reflects on emotional fan encounters and global connection through her storytelling.
Award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is overwhelmed at the 24 hours sale of her book events, drawing thousands of paying attendees.
Speaking in a recent interview on Arise TV, the 47-year-old novelist said she is still amazed by the overwhelming interest in her work and the deep emotional connection readers feel toward her stories.
“I have never lost my sense of wonder. It is not false modesty, it is, in fact, true that I go through these things, I am just shocked that it (book events) are sold out in 24 hours, that there are 1,000 people there to see me, they bloody paid money to see me,” she said.
She added that she is often moved by the heartfelt responses of readers, many of whom see themselves in her writing.
“There is a part of me that still thinks really why? That is always lovely to just see the kind of connection that people make to my work. I am also very moved by the idea of human connection, so people who are so different from you. They read you and they say to you ‘this was me’.”
Recalling one emotional encounter, she shared a moment from a tour in Denmark that left a lasting impression.
“In all of my touring, the most moving that actually brought me to tears was a woman in Copenhagen,” she said.
“She just looked at me and she said to me ‘you make me feel stronger’.”
Chimamanda Adichie is internationally celebrated for her work and has received numerous honors, including becoming the first Nigerian to win the United Nations Foundation’s Global Leadership Award in 2019. She has also appeared on New African’s list of the ‘100 Most Influential Africans,’ The New Yorker’s ‘20 Under 40,’ and Time Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People.’
