Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been honoured with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. The award was presented to her at the university’s St Cecilia’s Hall, which happens to be Scotland’s oldest concert hall, by the university’s Principal and Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, “in recognition of Ms Adichie’s achievements as an author and public intellectual.”

Following the presentation, she sat down for an interview at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, an event organized in association with the university’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. This is what Adichie had to say:

It is lovely to be in this place, which is hallowed. I feel very fortunate to be included among the people who have been honoured with a degree from this University.

In proposing Adichie for the honour, Dr Barbara Bompani, Director at the Centre of African Studies, said:

Through her writing, her advocacy, and her public engagement, she inspires all of us to better understand our own, and other peoples’ stories.

Adichie also met with a group of students from the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program.

Congratulations to her.

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Images via via @EdinburghUni

Images via @jjstruthersuk