Former United States Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris will join renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Odelu Uwa) for a live conversation at the 2025 London Literature Festival.
Harris announced the event on Tuesday in a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter. She wrote, “I look forward to being in conversation with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Thursday as part of the London Literature Festival.” The Southbank Centre in London will host the event on Thursday, October 23.
The session is part of Harris’s global tour promoting her latest book, 107 Days, which captures her reflections on politics, leadership, and life after public office.
Adichie, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated literary voices, is known for her storytelling that spans culture, identity, and feminism. Her acclaimed works, including Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah, and Purple Hibiscus, have earned international recognition, cementing her place among the most influential writers of her generation.
London Literature Festival
The London Literature Festival, which runs from October 21 to November 2, is an annual celebration of writing, poetry, and performance. The 2025 edition, curated by British singer and songwriter Self Esteem, focuses on women’s voices and the evolving world of publishing.
The festival will also feature Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai alongside other writers and poets. Attendees can enjoy free poetry readings and evening sessions blending music, spoken word, and storytelling.
Chimamanda’s Journey
Born on September 15, 1977, in Enugu, Chimamanda grew up in Nsukka. Her father, Professor James Nwoye Adichie, was Nigeria’s first professor of statistics and a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, while her mother, Grace Ifeoma Adichie, was the institution’s first female registrar.
Chimamanda initially studied medicine at the University of Nigeria before moving to the United States at 19 to study communication and political science at Eastern Connecticut State University. Her writing often reflects her Nigerian background, giving voice to African experiences with global relevance.
Recognition in Sweden
In 2025, Chimamanda received the Mermaid Award at the Gothenburg Book Fair in Sweden, one of Europe’s most prestigious literary honors. The award recognizes writers whose work has deeply moved Swedish readers.
In her acceptance speech, she said, “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 centre 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.”
Expected Conversation
The upcoming dialogue between Harris and Adichie is expected to explore literature, leadership, and the role of storytelling in shaping public thought. It will bring together two global figures who continue to influence discussions on power, identity, and social change through their words and actions.
