Because Dream Count is such a “glorious and rich novel,” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says when asked why it took so long to release her latest book.
Before its release, readers had waited a decade since her last novel, Americanah. “I went through what people call writer’s block,” she says, before pausing. “Which is an expression I don’t like because I’m superstitious.” She continues more seriously, “I just had years when I couldn’t write fiction—I couldn’t write a novel. I couldn’t write the thing which I love, which is long-form fiction. I just couldn’t write, which is a terrifying place to be.”
She describes the experience as one of “utter helplessness.” In an effort to reignite her creativity, she turned to poetry, hoping it would bring back her words. She re-read novels she loved, reminding herself of fiction’s magic. But nothing came. And for years, that was her reality.
And then, one day, everything changed. Dream Count was born.
What caused the shift? She explains that she had begun writing short stories again, a small step back into fiction. But it was the profound loss of her mother that truly unlocked something within her, reopening the creative channel that had been blocked for so long.
If you’re curious about how Dream Count got its name, you’ll have to watch the video below where she’s interviewd by Waterstones, a top bookseller in the UK.
