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How Chimamanda Adichie tutored a French Journalist who asked If there are bookstores in Nigeria
Many Europeans and Americans have a wild thought and description of Africa and all countries within the continent.
Chimamanda Adichie is one of the invited guests to this year’s annual Night of Ideas by the French government held on Thursday, January 25, 2018. During the event, Caroline Broué, a French journalist conducting the interview asked Adichie if people in Nigeria read her work.
Adichie replied: “They do shockingly.”
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Afterward, the French journalist asked: “Are there bookshops in Nigeria?” An noticeable shock from the audience made Broué to reframe the question by putting some context to it.
“You were talking about single stories, now when you talk about Nigeria, in France, unfortunately, there is not much said about Nigeria. But when people talk about Nigeria it’s about Boko Haram, it’s about violence, it’s about security,” Broué pressed.
“I should like you to tell us something about Nigeria which is different, talk about it differently, and that’s why I am saying, ‘are there bookshops?’ Of course, I imagine there are.”
Chimamanda Adichie's epic response
In defence of her work and country, Chimamanda Adichie took a swipe at the French people for this kind of thought about Nigeria and Africa.
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“I think it reflects very poorly on French people that you have to ask me that question,” Adiche responded.
“Because I think surely it’s 2018, you know, I mean common. My books are read in Nigeria. They are studied in schools, actually not just Nigeria, across the continent of Africa.”
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