Chimamanda joins Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka who was elected in 1986, making her the second Nigerian in the Academy.

According to the press release, Calvin Trillin, secretary, will induct fourteen members into the 250-person organisation and President Yehudi Wyner will induct three foreign honorary members. Joyce Carol Oates will deliver the centennial Blashfield Foundation Address.

Adichie, alongside two other newly elected foreign honorees, Kaija Saariaho, a Finnish composer, and Zadie Smith, an English writer and the 14 elected Americans will be inducted at the annual induction and award ceremony in May.

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The objective of the Academy includes to “foster and sustain an interest in Literature, Music, and the Fine Arts” by administering over 70 awards and prizes, exhibiting art and manuscripts, funding performances of new works of musical theatre, and purchasing artwork for donation to museums across the country.

An exhibition of art, architecture, books, and manuscripts by new members and recipients of awards will be on view in the galleries from May 18 to June 11.

Some of her previous awards include Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2007 (Half of a yellow Sun), The MacArthur Fellowship 2008 for Fiction and The PEN Open Book Award, 2007 (Half of a Yellow Sun).