Renowned novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ’s best selling book, Half of a yellow sun has added the Bailey’s Women Prize for fict...
Renowned novelist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s best selling
book, Half of a yellow sun has added the Bailey’s Women Prize for fiction “best
of the best” of the decade.
The “best of the best” winning book is picked from the ten
novels that have won the prize in the past ten years. Half
of a yellow sun won the Prize in 2007 when the Bailey's Prize was still known as the orange
prize for fiction.
Speaking on their choice of Half of a yellow sun as the "best
of the best" winner, Muriel
Gray, the chair of Judges said; “while it’s
sometimes pompous to call a book ‘important’, it’s appropriate to say it of
Half of a yellow sun. Chimamanda’s achievement makes Half of aYellow Sun not
just a worthy winner of this most special of prizes, but a benchmark for
excellence in fiction writing”.
Reacting to the accolade, Chimamanda commented “I have a lot
of respect for the books that have won in the past ten years and also for the
books that have been shortlisted – I feel I am in very good company. To be
selected as ‘Best of the Best’ of the past decade is such an honour. I’m very
grateful and very happy”.
Still on the prestigious prize winners, Syl Salle, Chief
Marketing Officer of Diageo, the Prize sponsors, stated that “It is a delight
to shine a light on the women who have shaped the literary landscape for the
past decade. Chimamanda is an exceptional talent and a truly worthy winner of
the Best of the Best accolade”
The Bailey’s women prize for fiction, which was established
in 1996, is the world’s most prestigious annual book award for fiction written
by a woman.
The Best of the Best award announcement was made at a live
event in the Piccadilly Theatre in London on the 2nd of November.
Additional Info: ynaija.com 
