Announcing the Women’s Prize for Fiction ‘Winner of Winners’

You voted in your thousands to select your ‘Winner of Winners’ from 25 years of Women’s Prize for Fiction winning books, and we are delighted to announce that you chose Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie with her novel Half of a Yellow Sun.

Scroll on to watch our live-streamed event with Chimamanda in conversation.

Ms Adichie’s book ultimately prevailed over a stellar-line up including Zadie Smith, the late Andrea Levy, Lionel Shriver, Ali Smith, Rose Tremain and Maggie O’Farrell, amongst others (the full list is available here). This one-off award marks the culmination of our year-long 25th anniversary celebrations, including our #ReadingWomen campaign championing a quarter of a century of unforgettable winners.

Half of a Yellow Sun, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s haunting novel, originally won the Women’s Prize for Fiction (then the Orange Prize) in 2007. Set in Nigeria during the Biafran War, the novel is about the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class, race and female empowerment – and how love can complicate all of these things.

Chimamanda, who is currently in Lagos, Nigeria, said: ‘I’m especially moved to be voted ‘Winner of Winners’ because this is the Prize that first brought a wide readership to my work – and has also introduced me to the work of many talented writers.’

She was presented with a silver edition of the Prize’s annual statuette, known as the ‘Bessie’, which was originally created and donated by the artist Grizel Niven as part of the gift of an anonymous donor. An exclusive hardback special edition of Half of a Yellow Sun is also available from Waterstones.

Watch the recording of our live-streamed event with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, in which she talks about her writing and being chosen for the ‘Winner of Winners’ award, in an interview with Jola Ayeye, hosted by Women’s Prize Founder Director Kate Mosse.