Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been honored with two prestigious European literary awards in recent weeks, cementing her position as one of the most influential voices in contemporary literature.

Adichie received the 20,000 Euro Felix Jud Prize at the opening of the Harbour Front Literature Festival in Hamburg. Donated by the association of the same name, the prize honors committed personalities from the fields of literature, art, and culture who have distinguished themselves through their work in strengthening “resistant thinking.” The laudatory speech was given by Kenyan author Auma Obama, half-sister of former US President Barack Obama.

On Saturday, Adichie received Sjöjungfrun (The Mermaid Award), Gothenburg Book Fair’s literary prize, before a sold-out audience of 1,500 people in K-hall. The award, established in 2024 as part of the Book Fair’s 40th anniversary, is given annually to a fiction writer who has moved Swedish readers. Joyce Carol Oates was the first recipient in 2024, making Adichie the second author to receive the honor.

“I am grateful for this award, which recognizes my calling – because that is precisely what writing fiction has always been for me: a calling, the central and defining part of my life. I am equally moved by the rich literary symbolism of the Mermaid as by the knowledge that my work has resonated so deeply with Swedish readers,” Adichie said.

Born in 1977 in Nigeria, Adichie is one of the most important authors of the African continent. Books like Americanahand Purple Hibiscus have sold millions of copies and have been translated into more than 50 languages. Her recent work Dream Count continues her exploration of themes including race, migration, and belonging. Her feminist manifesto We Should All Be Feminists (2014) has had a global impact, cited in everything from UN speeches to popular culture. She made her breakthrough with Purple Hibiscus (2003), followed by Half of a Yellow Sun (2006), which won the Orange Prize for Fiction.

“Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of the most influential voices of our time and a dream guest for the Book Fair. Awarding her the Mermaid today is a true honor. Her literature sparks vital conversations and inspires readers across the globe,” said Oskar Ekström.

Congratulations to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie!