Renowned Nigerian author and activist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has revealed that she welcomed twin boys in 2024 but chose to keep their birth private.
In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Adichie opened up about the intense public curiosity surrounding her personal life, her struggles with motherhood, and her journey back to fiction writing.
Protecting Her Children’s Privacy
Speaking on her decision to keep her sons out of the public eye, Adichie, 47, explained:
“I want to protect my children. I’m OK with having them mentioned, but I don’t want the piece to become about them.”
Adichie has always been known for her privacy, rarely discussing her marriage to Dr. Ivara Esege, whom she wed in 2009.
“Nigerians are… they want to know about your personal life. Because of that, I am resistant. I very rarely talk about it,” she said.
Balancing Motherhood and Writing
After a 10-year hiatus from fiction, Adichie is set to release her new novel, Dream Count, which explores immigration, motherhood, and marriage. However, she admitted that motherhood initially disrupted her creative flow.
“I had a number of years in which I was almost existentially frightened that I wouldn’t write again. It was unbearable.”
She credited her breakthrough to writing Notes on Grief, an emotional reflection on the loss of her father in 2020.
A Tribute to Her Mother
Adichie later realized that Dream Count was subconsciously influenced by her late mother.
“My God, it’s about my mother. It wasn’t intentional. I’m happy that it’s not a sad book. She wouldn’t want a sad book dedicated to her.”
With Dream Count, Adichie returns to the literary world with a deeply personal and hopeful novel, proving that even in grief, stories can still be written.
