Chimamanda Adichie’s ‘Half Of A Yellow Sun’ Wins Best Book To Have Won Women’s Prize for Fiction
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel Half of a Yellow Sun has been voted the best book to have won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in its 25-year history.
It originally won the Women’s Prize for Fiction (then the Orange Prize) in 2007.
Half of a Yellow Sun is set in Nigeria during the Biafran War, exploring the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class, race and female empowerment. Published in 2006, it has received global acclaim.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the voting public were asked to choose their ultimate winner of all the 25 recipients, which include Zadie Smith, the late Andrea Levy and Maggie O’Farrell.
Chimamanda won out over the stellar line-up of authors.
Adichie said of her win: “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.”
Adichie has been presented with a specially-commissioned 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.
The one-off award marks the anniversary of the prize, formerly known as the Orange Prize and the Bailey’s Prize.
