Award-winning Nigerian-born writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has received the 2025 receive Sjöjungfrun/The Mermaid Gothenburg Book Fair’s literary prize.
The award, received during the Gothenburg Book Fair which took place September 25-28, 2025 where her presence was one of the Fair’s major highlights, was presented as part of a special seminar dedicated to honouring Adichie and her literary work.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a writer of novels, short stories, poems, and children’s books; she is also a book reviewer and literary critic and is widely recognised as a central figure in postcolonial feminist literature.
The award was established in 2024 as part of the Book Fair’s 40th anniversary and is given annually to a fiction writer who has moved Swedish readers. The first recipient was Joyce Carol Oates. Adichie is the second person to be presented the award.
Organisers said the 2025 Sjöjungfrun/Mermaid Award went to her because her “stories have captivated readers worldwide with their sharp portrayals of identity, feminism, and migration.”
“I am grateful for this award that recognizes my vocation, for that is what writing fiction has always been for me: a vocation, the defining center of my life. I am as moved by the rich literary symbolism of the mermaid as I am by the knowledge that my work has deeply touched Swedish readers,” says Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, born in 1977 in Nigeria, is one of the world’s most influential contemporary authors. She made her breakthrough with Purple Hibiscus (2003), followed by Half of a Yellow Sun (2006) – a gripping portrayal of the Biafra War that was awarded the Orange Prize for Fiction. With Americanah (2013), which became an international bestseller, she deepened her exploration of themes such as race, migration, and belonging. Her feminist manifesto, We Should All Be Feminists (2014), has had a global impact and has been cited in everything from UN speeches to popular culture.
“Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of the most influential storytellers of our time and a dream guest for Gothenburg Book Fair. It is an honour to present her with Sjöjungfrun/The Mermaid Award. Her literature sparks important conversations and engages readers across the world,” says Oskar Ekström, Programme Director of Gothenburg Book Fair.
The motivation for the award read: “Since her debut in 2003, she has brought new perspectives on identity, feminism, and belonging into contemporary literature. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie bridges the personal and the political, portraying issues of power, gender, migration, and postcolonialism. Beyoncé and Barack Obama have praised her, Dior has printed her words on t-shirts – but her work echoes ancient storytelling traditions and highlights those who are often overlooked. The 2025 Sjöjungfrun/Mermaid Award is presented to a writer whose voice is both urgent and timeless.”
