Chimamanda Adichie vs Akwaeke Emezi

The tension between Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Akwaeke Emezi emerged publicly in 2021 but had roots in earlier disagreements. It began after Emezi, a non-binary Nigerian author who was once mentored by Adichie, criticized Adichie for her 2017 comments that questioned whether trans women are the same as cis women. Adichie's comments sparked backlash, particularly within LGBTQ+ communities.

Emezi, who had been part of Adichie's writing workshop, later removed Adichie's name from the acknowledgments of their debut novel and called her out publicly for transphobia. In a 2021 essay titled “It Is Obscene,” Adichie indirectly addressed the situation, accusing unnamed younger writers (widely understood to include Emezi) of bad faith, performative outrage, and using social media to stoke division.

The fallout revealed generational and ideological divides in Nigerian literary and activist spaces, touching on issues of identity, mentorship, and the limits of public discourse.

Who do you have as the ultimate winner?

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