The Chimamanda Phenomenon

I always wanted another human being to truly know me,” says Chiamaka, a character created by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her new novel, in the first line of The Count of Dreams (Companhia das Letras, 424 pages, 89.90 reais).

The narrative begins during the pandemic, with Chia washing her hands and using hand sanitizer nonstop. She also wants to write, but can't, and talks to her family, some of whom are in Lagos, Nigeria, via Zoom. It becomes almost inevitable that we believe this narrator is actually Chimamanda.

The author recounts, in the 2023 edition commemorating the tenth anniversary of Americanah, that many were also certain that Ifemelu—the novel's protagonist—was herself. Chimamanda jokes, saying that, in fact, she thinks she looks much more like Obinze, Ifemelu's teenage boyfriend.

If Chimamanda leaves readers with the impression that she's talking about herself, it's because of the truth her narrative exudes, but not only that. Her characters take us into a world that has long been alienated from fiction: that of the African diaspora, which has shaped, in different ways, societies in many countries.

It's our lack of knowledge about the continent that makes us think that a rich, beautiful, black woman like Chia must be Chimamanda. But no. Many African women are like that.

In The Counting of Dreams, they are personified by Omelogor, Chia's cousin who made a fortune in Abuja, in the center of Nigeria, and Zikora, a successful lawyer based in the United States. The fourth woman to assume the intertwined protagonist role in the book is Kadiatou, whose life, from an early age, was marked by tragedy.

Kadiatou was inspired by the Guinean immigrant who accused the powerful Dominique Strauss-Kahn of raping her in a hotel room in 2011. Chimamanda wanted, as she says in the text at the end of the volume, "to create a fictional character as an attempt to regain dignity."

Dignity. This is a key word for understanding her characters. Another, closely related word used by The New York Times to describe Chimamanda herself is "regal." The term, in English, refers to the royalty and grandeur of her public persona.

We thus enter another realm, adjacent to the literary, in which Chimamanda treads majestically: that of appearances, whether in interviews, conferences, or on the cover of fashion magazines. Already called a "literary titan" by The Guardian, the author is also a muse in cultural and feminist circles, considered a beacon for understanding Black feminism.

The English release of The Count of Dreams in March included two events in the UK and a handful more in North America. The book, which marks his return to fiction after a 12-year hiatus, became a sensation even before it was read.

Her visit to Brazil in June to launch the book was also a huge success. She came to the country to participate in the Rio Book Biennial and the Frontiers of Thought program in São Paulo. Actress Taís Araújo led her panel at the Biennial. At the event, she was introduced to Conceição Evaristo, with whom she would share another panel at Globo's LED Festival – Light in Education.

In São Paulo, besides speaking at the Fronteiras do Pensamento event at the Renault Theater, she also participated in a guest-only event at the Megafauna bookstore at the Cultura Artística Theater. The event was packed. Chimamanda came to Brazil with her family—her husband and three children—and a friend. From there, she returned to Lagos.

She had already visited the country on other occasions and, about ten years ago, she asked a question here that resonated deeply: “Where are the black people?”

“Sometimes when we write fiction, magical moments fall from the sky,” she says of her craft.

Authentic and charismatic, Chimamanda manages to produce high-quality literature and, at the same time, act as a thinker, speaker, and activist.

These latter attributes may even lead to a certain bias in our perception of his fictional writing, which is far from any discursive bias. His stories are an engaging world where we are led to smile, reflect on contemporary times, suffer, and dream.

“Sometimes when we write fiction, magical moments fall from the sky,” she says, trying to explain her own amazement at the novel’s final scene.

Her talks are like shockwaves, mobilizing people to address sensitive topics like identity. Two of her TED talks became landmarks: "The Danger of a Single Story" and "We Should All Be Feminists." The latter was even sampled in Beyoncé's song "Flawless," which ultimately boosted sales of "Americanah," which has been translated into 55 languages.

Born in Nigeria in 1977, Chimamanda studied medicine in her country before moving to the United States at the age of 19 to pursue what she believed to be her calling: writing.

Before becoming famous with Americanah (2013), she had written the novels Purple Hibiscus (2003) and Half of a Yellow Sun (2006). She is also the author of the short story collection No Seu Pescoço (2017).

The Counting of Dreams, a work that follows motherhood, a creative block, and the death of both her parents, is another step on her brilliant path. The novel, with its sometimes sad but always dreamy beauty and admirable narrative sophistication, helps us get to know her a little better—although not "truly"—and reinforces that the Chimamanda phenomenon is something to be celebrated. •

Published in issue no. 1373 of CartaCapital , on August 6, 2025.

This text appears in the print edition of CartaCapital under the title 'The Chimamanda Phenomenon'