Award-winning Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has revealed that she once went through a dark season of depression that left her deeply unhappy and unable to write fiction — the very thing she loves the most.
In a recent interview, Chimamanda admitted that the period was a painful one, describing it as living with a “constant shadow.”
“I was fighting depression. Deeply unhappy. And there are ways to try and hide your unhappiness, but it’s there. It’s a constant sort of shadow with you. And it’s not a good place to be,” she said.
The celebrated writer explained that during that time, she distracted herself by accepting more speaking engagements than usual, hoping they would inspire her. But instead, she would return from events feeling even more miserable.
She also turned to books she loved and read a lot of poetry, which she said helped her reconnect with language when fiction wasn’t flowing.
“It’s just about waiting and hoping,” she noted. “You’re not in control of this thing. There are stories — I call it the ancestors and the spirits speaking to me. So they’re really speaking to me now.”
Chimamanda said that finding her way back to writing gave her deep joy.
