Renowned Nigerian author and activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has revealed her reasons for keeping the birth of her twin sons private.
In a recent interview with The Guardian UK, Adichie, 47, disclosed that she welcomed the babies in April 2024 but chose not to make a public announcement.
The Half of a Yellow Sun author, known for her guarded approach to personal matters, explained that her decision was rooted in a desire to protect her children.
“You’ve met my babies. I want to protect my children. I’m okay with mentioning them, but I don’t like the piece to become about them,” she said. “Nigerians are… They want to know about your personal life. Because of that, I am resistant. I very rarely talk about it. There is no reason we should know everything about the lives of our public intellectuals.”
Adichie has been married to Nigerian-American physician Dr. Ivara Esege since 2009. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in 2016, and now their family has expanded with the birth of their twin sons.
A Long-Awaited Return to Fiction
Beyond her personal life, Adichie is making headlines for her return to fiction after a decade-long hiatus. Not long ago, ShineMyCrown.com reported the release of her fourth novel, Dream Count, marking her first full-length fiction work in over ten years.
The novel, set in both the U.S. and Nigeria, delves into themes of immigration, the complexities of African and African American identities, motherhood, friendship, and societal pressures on women to marry and have children.
Adichie admitted she struggled to write fiction for years.
“When I got pregnant [with her daughter], something just happened. I had several years in which I was almost existentially frightened that I wouldn’t write again. It was unbearable,” she told The Guardian UK.
The novel’s protagonist, Chiamaka (Chia), a travel writer, reflects on unfulfilled relationships, her identity, and the pressure to have children. The novel is partially set during the COVID-19 lockdown, a period Adichie described as a time of deep reflection.
A Legacy of Storytelling
Adichie has long championed the importance of African storytelling. She has in the past trumpeted the role of African narratives in preserving cultural heritage and shaping the identity of its peoples.
Having initially studied medicine and pharmacology at the University of Nigeria before transitioning to literature, she has established herself as one of the most influential African writers of her generation.
From her early poetry collection Decisions (1997) to internationally acclaimed novels like Americanah, Adichie has used her platform to advocate for gender equality, cultural preservation, and African representation in literature. Her latest work, Dream Count, is expected to further cement her status as a literary powerhouse.
