UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of the book “Americanah,” will speak on campus Oct. 13 as part of the 2014 Penn State Reads program.
In “Americanah,” Adichie examines the human experience, identity and blackness in America, Nigeria and Great Britain through the story of a smart, strong-willed Nigerian woman named Ifemelu. The book is listed on The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2013.
Adichie, who grew up in Nigeria and now lives in both her home country and the United States, is the award-winning author of “Half of a Yellow Sun,” and has a widely watched TED talk, called “The Danger of a Single Story.”
Adichie will speak at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 13 in in Schwab Auditorium. Tickets will be available to students beginning on Monday, Sept. 29, at any Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State ticket outlets, which include Eisenhower Auditorium, the Bryce Jordan Center, HUB-Robeson Center and Penn State Downtown Theatre. If there are any tickets remaining, they will be available for faculty, staff and the general public on Oct. 8.
Her talk will also be live-streamed in the Freeman Auditorium in the HUB-Robeson Center and available to watch online for anybody with a Penn State access ID. (hyperlink needed for online live stream). Adichie will also speak in an interview open to the public on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
The Penn State Reads program is a common reading program that runs complementary to Penn State’s New Student Orientation and supplies each first-year University Park campus student with a copy of the chosen book to provide a shared experience. The program aims to encourage intellectual engagement within and beyond the classroom, stimulate critical thinking and foster a deeper connection to Penn State’s mission and core values.
Other events based upon the book’s themes are planned throughout the 2014 fall and spring semesters, including a screening and discussion of “Half of a Yellow Sun,” a film based on Adichie’s book, on Oct. 6. A complete list of planned events can be found at pennstatereads.psu.edu/events.html.