Described by Times Literary Supplement as “the most prominent” of a “procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors who is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is unarguably a global literary force.
With tons of awards under her belt including a Grammy nomination, Commonwealth Writers award, PEN Beyond Margins Award and lots more, Chimamanda has engraved her name in the echleons of history. She has been interviewed by tons of media agencies and on different international platforms across the globe in over a decade.
Some of her writings have been dubbed literary recommendations for young people in Secondary Schools in some parts of the world. In Sweden, all second grade high school student aged 16 year-old has been given a copy of her book ”We Should All Be Feminist”. “This is the book that I wish all of my male classmates would have read when I was 16,” said Clara Berglund, chair of the Swedish Women’s Lobby, who announced the giveaway in 2015. “It feels so important to contribute to this project. It is a gift to all second-grade high-school students, but it is also a gift to ourselves and future generations.” She added.
Some quotes culled from some of her famous talks deserve to be adapted into an anthem. Not only are these quotes insightful, they posses inherent ability to shift the perspective of young ones and present them with alternative ways of thinking. In no particular order, see 10 quotes from Chimamanda that deserve to be chanted as an anthem by boys and girls all over the world.
- ”Wear what you want to wear, do not feel a need to perform for anybody.” This line was culled from her interview with CNN in 2019
2. ”It is not your job to be like able, it is your job to be your full self.” This line was culled from her speech at the Girls Write Now Conference in 2015.
3. ”You must never behave as if your life belongs to a man. Your life belongs to you and you alone.” This line was culled from her second book- Half of a Yellow Sun.
4. ”Culture does not make people, people make culture.” This line was culled from her book- We Should All Be Feminists.
5. ”The problem with gender is that it prescribe how we should be, rather than recognizing how we are. ”This line was culled from her TedX Speech- We Should All Be Feminists.
6. ”The single story creates stereotypes and the thing about stereotypes isn’t that they are untrue, but they are incomplete. They make one story the only story.” This line was culled from her Tedx speech, The Danger of a Single Story.
7. “The knowledge of cooking does not come pre-installed in a vagina.” This line was culled from her book, Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions.
8. ”Never ever accept because you are a woman as a reason for doing anything.” This line was culled from her book, Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions.
9. ”All of us women and men must do better” This line was culled from her book- We Should All Be Feminists.
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10. “Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.” This line was culled from one of her numerous interviews on Feminism.
This article was first published on the Daily Advent
