Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is mourning the death of her toddler son.
A family statement said that 21-month-old Nkanu Nnamdi died on Wednesday after a brief illness.
According to the BBC, the family expressed through the statement that they were “devastated by this profound loss” and thanked well-wishers while also asking for privacy and prayers.
The Nigerian author became famous in the mainstream after Beyoncé sampled her essay We Should All Be Feminists in her song Flawless, in 2013.
US-based writer Adichie is an award-winning writer of novels, including Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah.
In 2015, she was one of Time Magazine‘s 100 Most Influential People.
Adichie, 48, is married to Dr Ivara Esege. She had her first child, a daughter, in 2016.
In 2024, her twin boys were born through a surrogate.
Adichie receives messages of condolences
Messages of condolences have started pouring in, including one from Nigerian president Bola Tinubu:
With a deep sense of grief, I condole with Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie @ChimamandaReal, her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, and the entire family on the passing of their son, Nkanu Nnamdi.
As a parent myself who has suffered the loss of a loved one, no grief is as devastating as losing a child. I empathise with the family at this difficult time, and I mourn this sad loss with them.
Ms Adichie is a literary icon who has brought joy and light to many homes globally, and I pray she and her family find strength in the Almighty in this trying hour. My prayers are with the family.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
GCFR President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Federal Republic of Nigeria
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