Commonwealth Lecture Praises Realist Literature
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivered the 2012 Commonwealth Lecture in London’s Guild Hall on 15 March. Ms Adichie's lecture was titled 'To Instruct and Delight: A Case for Realist Literature'.
Ms Adichie reminded her audience that ‘when we read human stories, we become alive in bodies not our own ... It seems to me that we live in a world where it has become increasingly important to try and live in bodies not our own, to embrace empathy, to constantly be reminded that we share, with everybody in every part of the world, a common and equal humanity.’
‘I read human stories,’ she said, ‘to be instructed and to be delighted. I also read to remind myself that I am not alone.’
Ms Adichie's lecture, presented by the Commonwealth Foundation, is available on You Tube. To watch the lecture, click here. You can also read a full transcript here.