Chimamanda Adichie. The danger of a single story.

Posted on by November 17, 2009 by Invited Contributor

After reading Binyavanga Wainaina’s How to Write about Africa, my friend Katarina Hedrén sent me a link to this wonderful talk by Chimamanda Adichie. She tells how she “found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.” The single story robs people of dignity. We need a balance of stories to repair broken dignity. By rejecting the single story, Adichie says we can regain a kind of paradise.

The talk was given in July, so you might have listened to it already. If not take the time to listen to this.

On the same subject, Katarina wrote a piece on stories for a Swedish website. Who tells which stories? Who represents whom? She writes “An African pro-verb says that “Until the tale of the hunt is told by the lion, it will always glorify the hunter”. One could add that “Until the day the hunter hears the lion’s account, the hunter will remain misinformed”. Also worth reading.

By Minor Matter