Celebrated Nigerian novelist and public intellectual Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been named the inaugural recipient of the Felix Jud Prize for Defiant Thinking, a distinguished German honour that recognises individuals who embody freedom of expression, intellectual resistance, and human rights through their work.
The award will be presented on September 20, 2025, at the 15th Harbourfront Literature Festival in Hamburg’s iconic Elbphilharmonie concert hall.
A distinguished jury including Reinhold Beckmann, Robert Eberhardt, Jonathan Landgrebe, Jo Lendle, Joachim Lux, André Schmitz, Jette Steckel, and Nicola Verstl — unanimously selected Adichie for her fearless voice and unwavering advocacy.
The prize is named after Felix Jud, a legendary German bookseller and political dissenter whose Hamburg bookshop became a quiet sanctuary of resistance during the Nazi era.
Founded in 1923, the shop circulated banned literature and offered a haven for regime opponents. Jud, who defiantly refused to change his surname “Jud” meaning “Jew” in German, despite Nazi persecution, remains a symbol of intellectual courage and moral resistance.
Through the prize, organisers aim to honour contemporary figures in literature, arts, and culture whose work reflects Jud’s enduring legacy: courage, humanity, critical thinking, and uncompromising defence of free expression.
Adichie, who turned 48 this year, has spent her career weaving these same principles into both her writing and her public engagement. Her novels — Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun, and Americanah — have been hailed worldwide for their layered explorations of identity, history, and power.
Her TED Talks, The Danger of a Single Story and We Should All Be Feminists, have reached millions globally, sparking debate, shaping policy discussions, and inspiring curricula across continents.
Her influence also extends beyond the page. From Beyoncé sampling her words in global music to fashion designers drawing inspiration from her meditations on heritage and identity, Adichie has become a cultural touchstone for conversations on feminism, race, and postcolonial narratives.
Over the years, she has received numerous accolades, including the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and multiple honorary doctorates. Yet the Felix Jud Prize carries a unique resonance: it situates Adichie within a historical lineage of thinkers who use literature as a form of resistance.
Organisers described her as “a voice of fearless clarity” whose work embodies the spirit of defiant thinking that Felix Jud lived and died for.
By becoming the first laureate of this prize, Adichie not only cements her place in the global literary canon but also joins a tradition of intellectual defiance that insists on literature’s role as both mirror and weapon in the fight for justice.
