Thread: Caine Prize Nominee, Adichie Advises Youngsters

Daily Champion (Lagos)
NEWS
July 21, 2004
Posted to the web July 21, 2004
Lagos

STUDENTS have been advised to read as many good books as possible as these would help develop their writing skill.

Caine prize nominee and winner of the Orange Prize 2002, Miss Chiamamande Adichie gave the advice at the Sixth CATHY session of the Zaccheus Onumba Dibiaezue Memorial Libraries award.

"For you to be a writer that people will one day celebrate, you must read as many books as possible to know how to develop your skill. If you want to build a chair, you must look at the one others have built earlier for you to know the best approach to it", she said.

Miss Adiche said a writer should focus his attention first on writing and not publishing adding that the latter would divert attention.

She further called on as many that have the talent to write to do so, saying "I don't believe it is better to do a particular thing in life, but to do what you know you can do well", she explained.

On her book, Purple Hibiscus, Miss Adichie, stated that it took her about a year and half to complete the writing, stressing that the idea came from many places particularly in Nigeria.

Miss Adichie who started her writing career at 11, noted that writing is one of the things that gives her pleasure, promising that her subsequent works will attract the interest of children.