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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is this year’s recipient of Sjöjungfrun/The Mermaid Award
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is awarded Sjöjungfrun (The Mermaid Award), Gothenburg Book Fair’s literary prize, which will be presented for the second time in 2025. 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. The 2025 Sjöjungfrun/Mermaid Award goes to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, whose 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 a remarkable storyteller and a dream guest for Gothenburg Book Fair. Her literature captivates and engages readers worldwide, both by exposing power dynamics and traumas and by bringing the world to life. It is an honour to present her with 'The Mermaid'," says Oskar Ekström, Program Director of Gothenburg Book Fair.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will receive Sjöjungfrun/The Mermaid Award during Gothenburg Book Fair, taking place on 25–28 September, 2025, where her presence will be one of the fair’s major highlights. The award will be presented during a special seminar dedicated to honouring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and her literary work.
The motivation for the award reads:
"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."
Why a Literary Award?
Sjöjungfrun/The Mermaid Award was established in 2024 and is presented annually to a fiction writer whose works have moved Swedish readers. Through this award, Gothenburg Book Fair aims to honour authors whose writing resonates, inspires, and engages.
Why a Mermaid?
The reading mermaid first appeared as an illustration in the first book printed in Sweden in 1483. To mark the book’s 500th anniversary in 1983, the mermaid was chosen as the symbol for the celebration. When Gothenburg Book Fair was founded two years later, it became its official logo. Since then, the mermaid has remained a recognizable symbol of the Book Fair and the power of literature.
For more information about Sjöjungfrun – The Mermaid award and Gothenburg Book Fair 2025, please contact:
Maria Rogstad Norberg
Head of Communications
Gothenburg Book Fair
+46 722 119 339
For more information om Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, please contact:
Jenny Helldahl
Media Contact, Albert Bonniers Förlag
+46 765 26 09 80
jenny.helldahl@bonnierforlagen.se
or
Hanna Bäärnhielm Thorslund
Media Contact, Albert Bonniers Förlag
+46 722 53 13 10
hanna.baarnhielm@bonnierforlagen.se
About Gothenburg Book Fair
Gothenburg Book Fair is the largest cultural event in the Nordic region and the 41st fair will take place from 25 – 28 September in 2025, at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre. Our vision is to create tingling sensations in the soul by offering the most thought-provoking experience of the year. By promoting reading, education, and the role of literature in society, we strive to make the world a better place. The seminar program will be announced on 27 May. This year’s themes are Drama and Love and lust. Learn more about Gothenburg Book Fair at www.goteborg-bookfair.com
Press Photos
For press photos please visit Gothenburg Book Fair's Press Room. State the photographer's name.
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Svenska Mässan Gothia Towers är norra Europas största mötesplats för helhetsupplevelser med ett unikt läge mitt i evenemangsområdet i centrala Göteborg. Mötesplatsen grundades 1918 och arrangerar och driver idag mässor, möten, hotell, restauranger och spa. Varje år välkomnas två miljoner besökare från hela världen att mötas, äta och bo hos oss. Mötesplatsen ägs av Svenska Mässan Stiftelse, en ekonomiskt fristående stiftelse utan ägare och investerare med uppdrag att främja näringslivet.
The Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre and Gothia Towers is Northern Europe's largest meeting place for overall experiences with a unique location in the middle of the event district in central Gothenburg. The meeting place was founded in 1918 and today arranges and operates fairs, meetings, hotels, restaurants and spas. Every year, two million visitors from all over the world are welcomed to meet, eat and stay with us. The meeting place is owned by The Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre Foundation, a financially independent foundation without owners and investors with the mission of promoting business.
