Nigerian author named honouree American Academy of Arts and Letters

March 3, 2017 10:13 PM

Chimamanda Adichie becomes the second Nigerian to be inducted into the academy after Wole Soyinka.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for Vanity Fair

A press release issued by the Academy revealed that the honorary members will be inducted during the annual induction in May.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the inductions will make the Award Winning Author the second Nigerian to be inducted into the academy after Wole Soyinka.

The Nobel laureate was inducted into the Academy back in 1986.

According to the Academy, 14 others will be honored alongside Adichie.

“When the American Academy of Arts and Letters holds its annual induction and award ceremony in mid-May, Calvin Trillin, secretary, will induct fourteen members into the 250-person organization and Yehudi Wyner, the president will induct three foreign honorary members,” the statement read.

The Academy's objective includes "fostering and sustaining an interest in Literature, music, and the Fine Arts."

This will be done through the administration of over 70 awards and prizes, exhibiting art and manuscripts, funding performances of new works of musical theater, and purchasing artwork for donation to museums across the country.

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Adichie has previously bagged awards such as Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2007 (Half of a yellow Sun); The MacArthur Fellowship 2008 for Fiction and The PEN Open Book Award, 2007 (Half of a Yellow Sun), to name a few.

Big congrats to her.