Chimamanda Adichie reveals why she didn’t announce birth of her twin sons

Popular Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie has revealed that she welcomed twin boys in 2024, adding to her family, which includes her nine-year-old daughter.

In an interview with The Guardian, Adichie discussed the intense public curiosity about her life, her personal losses, and the struggle of balancing motherhood with writing.

“I want to protect my children,” she said. “I’m OK with having them mentioned, but I don’t want the piece to become about them.”

Adichie, 47, has long kept her private life out of the spotlight, including her marriage to physician Ivara Esege in 2009.

“Nigerians are… they want to know about your personal life. Because of that, I am resistant. I very rarely talk about it,” she explained.

After a decade-long break from fiction, Adichie is set to release Dream Count, a novel exploring themes of immigration, motherhood, and marriage. She admitted motherhood had caused a creative block.

“I had a number of years in which I was almost existentially frightened that I wouldn’t write again. It was unbearable,” she said.

The breakthrough came while writing Notes on Grief, following her father’s death in 2020.

Reflecting on her new book, she realized, “My God, it’s about my mother. It wasn’t intentional. I’m happy that it’s not a sad book. She wouldn’t want a sad book dedicated to her.”