Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie returns to Nigeria on book tour

DW (English)

Renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is drawing large audiences on a visit to Nigeria as part of the international book tour for her latest novel, "Dream Count." DW's Olisa Chukwumah traveled back home with Adichie to her birthplace in Enugu State.

Transcript

00:00Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is no stranger to adoring fans, this time in Enugu in Southeast Nigeria,

00:11at the Things Fall Apart Festival honoring the legacy of Chinua Achebe, widely regarded as the

00:17father of modern African literature. Chimamanda's public presence in Nigeria marks a homecoming

00:33tour promoting her latest novel, Dream Count. It's her first in more than 10 years.

00:38For many here, eager to get her autograph on a copy of the new book, it's been a long wait.

00:45For others, it wasn't just about the autograph, but a rare chance to finally meet the author,

00:51whose work has captured their imagination.

00:54Meeting her in person was just very ethereal for me, like it was out of this world for me.

01:00And she gave me a hug and then she drew a love sign on my book, so I'm just like,

01:04thank you. Yeah, so it was nice meeting her.

01:07She's my favorite author, actually, and I really like her work. So to get her

01:10autograph on a copy of her book and to see her in person was a lot to me.

01:17Part of her homecoming took her back to her secondary school in Unsuka,

01:21a town that influenced her first novel, Purple Hibiscus. There, she was hosted by the school

01:27officials and got to meet some of the excited students. It's really nice to have her around

01:33us because we have heard her stories and that she was, that she was part of us and one of us

01:40and has become somebody internationally. So it's really great to have her in us. It's like a dream

01:46for some of us that are here.

01:48I read one of her books, Half of the Yellowstone. It was really nice and meeting her was, yeah, I feel

01:53blessed. I am very, very lucky because many people love me as well. So I feel very, very blessed.

02:00For the students here, Chimamanda's visit serves as a reminder that they too can achieve success

02:07and that the next generation's dreams count.

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