Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Adichie was born in Enugu, Nigeria, but grew up in Nsukka. Her father was the first professor of statistics in Nigeria, and her mother was the first female registrar at the University of Nigeria. Adichie studied medicine and pharmacy at the University of Nigeria, where she also edited the student magazine The Compass. When Adichie was 19, she received a scholarship to study communications at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She remained in America and attended Eastern Connecticut University, where she completed a degree in communication and political science. Following graduation, she completed a master's degree in creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. Adichie began writing her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, while completing her final year at Eastern Connecticut University. In 2005-2006, Adichie was a Hodder Fellow at Princeton University and two years later, she completed a second master's degree in African Studies at Yale. Her novels have won a number of prizes. She's spoken at several TED events and regularly teaches writing workshops. Adichie is married and has a daughter, and her family divides their time between the United States and Nigeria.