When bestselling author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie releases new feminist writing, the world should stop to read it. Her latest book, Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto In Fifteen Suggestions (March 7; Knopf) is no exception to this rule. Written as a 15-step guide, Dear Ijeawele is a compelling, relatable, and unpretentious call-to-action to raise children who are loving, respectful, understanding, empathetic, and fully, actively feminist.
The story behind Dear Ijeawele's writing is just as powerful as the manifesto itself. A few years ago, Adichie, the bestselling author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists, received a letter from a childhood friend asking her for advice on raising her newborn daughter to be feminist. It was an intimidating request, to be sure. But Adichie rose to the occasion beautifully, and she wrote the letter which would become this book. Since then, Adichie herself has become a mother to a baby daughter. But don't worry, non-parents: Dear Ijeawele is an essential read for all. It is a timely, universal reminder that feminism is not a word or a trend, but an active state of being.
On Tuesday, March 7, Adichie will celebrate the release of Dear Ijeawele with Strand Book Store at an event at Cooper Union's Great Hall in New York City. The event is sold out, but you can still participate: Bustle will live-stream the book launch in full on our official Facebook page. Tune in at 7:30 pm ET for for a spirited conversation about motherhood, sexual politics, and, of course, feminism with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and TIME magazine's Sarah Begley. The event is a must-watch for women everywhere — mothers or not — who need guidance on living feminism every single day.
You can buy a signed copy of Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at Strand Book Store.
