Award winning author of ‘Half of a Yellow Sun', Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, read from her latest work at a packed event held at the Debonair Bookstore in Yaba, Lagos, on March 19.

Tagged ‘An Afternoon with Chimamanda', the event included the reading of the writer's collection of short stories, ‘The Thing Around Your Neck' - and discussions moderated by Wana Udobang, a radio presenter.

After a brief reading, Adichie fielded questions from the eager audience. "What do you know now that you didn't know at 22?", asked a member of the audience. "There is a sense that everything is a process. I like the journey I have been on," she replied.

On what inspires her to write, Adichie replied that, "‘For ‘Half of a Yellow Sun', I did a lot of research but it was all about a deep need to make sense of my family history." She added that, "With ‘Purple Hibiscus', it was simply that I was hopelessly homesick.

"‘Half of a Yellow Sun' is a book that I had been waiting to write about," said the author in response to a question about her state of mind while writing the novel that clinched the prestigious Orange Prize for Women Writing in 2007.

"I grew up the daughter of people who had both lost their fathers in Biafra. As a child, I knew it was a big thing that had happened. I was haunted by that," she revealed, adding that her paternal grandfather had died in a refugee camp and had been buried in a mass grave.

Her eyes clouding up, Adichie disclosed that someone pointed out to her father the area where her grandfather was likely to have been buried with thousands of others; and that he stooped and picked up a handful of soil and kept it in memory of the departed.

"I wrote an atrocious play titled ‘For the Love of Biafra' at 15. The short story I wrote before the book was also a step towards something potentially overwhelming," she said. "I often said to myself that I am doing this for my father. I am doing this because I feel we need to remember," Adichie said.

"One of the wonderful things about fiction is the possibility of multiple meanings. My intent was to write a book about people going through a terrible period and still holding on to their humanity."

She revealed that during the four-year period of writing the Biafran story of Olanna, Kaneine, and Richard, she would sometimes stop and cry. "When I finished the book, I sank into depression. However, I am happy to announce that I am fairly stable now," the author said, laughing.

Another audience member asked the writer if her debut novel, ‘Purple Hibiscus', is a true story. Adichie disclosed that she often gets this question.

"Once, during a reading in Lagos, a woman walked up to me, wanting to see my feet, if they were scarred," said Adichie, who was emphatical in stating that Kambili's story is not her own.

On her favourite kinds of books and authors, the writer said that, "I don't have a kind. I like a good story. I like poetry as well. I like Toni Morrison. I am right now reading an anthology of short stories. I like character-driven stories."

"There are simple things we need to do to improve the reading culture instead of just moaning about it," stated Adichie in response to an observation from a member of the audience. "Parents, when was the last time you bought your kids books?" she asked.

"If you were not a writer, what would you be doing?" - came another question. "I would have been a teacher, teaching full-time. I would be teaching something philosophical and political," the author said.

There was a passionate treatise from a member of the audience about the state of affairs in the country and the speaker wanted to know if Adichie would be an agent of change, rather than enjoying the privileges of a life overseas. The writer found this query a bit irksome.

"People say you go abroad, what are you doing for Nigeria? They never ask what Nigeria is doing for you," she replied. "On the question of politics, I think that every country needs it cultural warriors as much as its political warriors. I do not know that I am going to run for political office. I think my role is to tell stories."

Rejoinders came from the audience about ‘Half of a Yellow Sun' and they were quite positive, as some of them dwelt on the fact that the book is an eye opener on the war and its effects, things that had always been shrouded in secrecy.

"I found ‘Half of a Yellow Sun' very insightful. It helped me see things a bit clearer," said one book lover. "Biafra is a period in our history we feel uncomfortable talking about. Probably because it is still very recent and because some of the players are still active in politics today," Adichie said.

On where her preference lies between the short story genre and the novel, Adichie said that, "I like both. I do not think short stories are the younger siblings of long stories. Some of my favourite authors are short story writers. I think it depends on what I am writing about."

On her initial challenges as a writer, she said, "there is the writing itself and there is also getting published... If I didn't have the good fortune of being published, I would still be writing. Rejection comes and when it comes, it stuns you, because you write hoping everyone will love your stories."

She recalled that, "In JSS 3, I sent my stories out to ‘Prime People', because I had made up my mind at that time that I wanted to get published." Adichie disclosed that receiving a response from the now defunct soft sell magazine meant a great deal to her, even at that age.

Her views on writer's block: "There are good days and bad days. I think it's giving yourself time. I take some time off and read the books I love. Reading nurtures your writing."

"Have you ever thought of adapting ‘Purple Hibiscus' into a movie?", someone asked. "Filmmaking is not my forte and yes, a few people have optioned for it on some occasions," she said, laughing.

"There is a film in process for ‘Half of a Yellow Sun'," she disclosed, confirming reports that had been making the rounds for some time. British actor of Nigerian parentage, Chiwetel Ejiofor, is tipped to star alongside Thandie Newton, who is expected to fill the role of Olanna.