Regarding fiction, sorrow, and, above all, ‘radical transparency’

For Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, storytelling is a vocation. Recently, the former Radcliffe fellow and 2018 Class Day speaker traveled to Harvard Square to celebrate another achievement in her career with the launch of “Dream Count” — a work over a decade in development.

The author of four novels, Adichie released her third, the lauded “Americanah,” in 2013. For a time, she feared there wouldn’t be another.

“Dream Count” represents “truly an emotional turning point for me because in some respects, I can scarcely believe that I’ve actually composed a novel,” Adichie shared with a packed assembly gathered at the First Parish Church for an event presented by Harvard Book Store. “At one stage, I wasn’t confident that I would ever write a novel again, and I was filled with anxiety. It was a daunting notion. Thus, I feel tremendous appreciation to be here, to have people actually come forth, and listen to me discuss this novel.”

“Dream Count” explores the lives of four interconnected women as they seek love and personal discovery amid challenges. The first, whose tale initiates the book, is Chiamaka, a Nigerian travel writer hailing from an affluent background residing in the U.S. The narrative also tracks her fiercely independent cousin, Omelogor, in Nigeria; Zikora, a Nigerian attorney in Washington whose life isn’t proceeding as intended; and Chiamaka’s Guinean housekeeper, Kadiatou, whose misfortune brings the characters together.

The setting is the pandemic, during which, as Adichie articulates, “The world sort of paused briefly, and it was so surreal and unique that people responded in myriad ways.” Nonetheless, the novelist had much more occupying her thoughts than just COVID.

The new work tackles “various themes,” Adichie explained. “It delves into contemplating the alternate lives we might have led. Even when we feel fulfilled in our current lives, we still envision other paths our destiny could have taken us. Additionally, I think it touches on the extent to which one understands oneself and how much one comprehends others.”

“Dream Count” was influenced in part by personal jolts that uncovered concealed inner realities, Adichie revealed. In 2020, following the passing of her father due to complications from kidney failure, the depth of her grief astonished her. Rather than the numbness she anticipated, she found herself sobbing and striking the floor.

“I began contemplating self-awareness after my father’s death,” she remarked. “I found myself reflecting on the essence of love, and one conclusion I reached is that loving someone is striving to know them. Yet, concurrently, I believe we are constrained by the extent to which we can truly understand even ourselves. The fact that we can surprise ourselves is endlessly intriguing to me.”

During the question-and-answer segment of the event, long-time admirers and new readers alike commended Adichie for her vivid characters and narrative prowess. Some sought guidance on navigating political unpredictability. A hopeful author inquired about how to write fiction without revealing too much.

“I believe you must indeed share a great deal of yourself,” Adichie responded. “Fiction is my calling. I see it as my purpose here … Therefore, when I am crafting fiction, I don’t contemplate my audience. I genuinely feel as though I’m suspended in this wonderfully magical realm.”

She went on: “When it comes to fiction, the whole aim is to release attachment. You must be ready to traverse wherever it may lead you. I think that is the essential requirement for producing quality fiction — a certain type of truth, a certain kind of what I prefer to refer to as radical honesty.”

Adichie welcomed her first child, a daughter, in 2016, followed by twin sons in 2024. When asked about balancing her professional responsibilities with family, she stated, “Motherhood has been the greatest lesson of my life, but it does come with sacrifices. It necessitates a level of balance and certain commitments that you have to temporarily step back from, and that is simply how it is. When I began to feel trapped in that dreadful writer’s block, I would carve out time to read poetry … I did that in service of my writing, even when the actual writing was not happening. There are small ways to persist in whatever you wish to accomplish, even if you are not fully involved at that moment.”