Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2006 novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, has been voted the best book to have won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in its 25-year history.
Adichie, who won the prize back in 2007, was chosen in a public poll that saw 8,500 people vote from a list of all 25 winners.
The list also includes Zadie Smith, the late Andrea Levy, Lionel Shriver, Rose Tremain and Maggie O’Farrell.
While congratulating Adichie, founder and director of the UK-based prize, Kate Mosse, said she was “thrilled” Half of a Yellow Sun won.
“Our aim has always been to promote and celebrate the classics of tomorrow today and to build a library of exceptional, diverse, outstanding international fiction written by women.
“The Reading Women campaign has been the perfect way to introduce a new generation of readers to the brilliance of all of our 25 winners and to honour the phenomenal quality and range of women’s writing from all over the world,” Mosse said.
The one-off award marks the anniversary of the prize, formerly known as the Orange Prize and the Bailey’s Prize.
Reacting to her win, Adichie said; “I’m especially moved to be voted Winner of Winners because this is the prize that first brought a wide readership to my work and has also introduced me to the work of many talented writers.”
