In 2024, the English edition of “Lugar de fala” will be released by Yale University Press. Titled “Where we stand: Speech, Place, Justice”, the book will have a foreword by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

On Instagram, the Brazilian philosopher shared the news, recalling how she met the award-winning Nigerian writer:

“We met in 2022 when she was in Rio de Janeiro for a literary event, which I had the honor of mediating. As soon as she saw me, she said: ‘Djamila, we’ve finally met’. The connection was immediate, we talked about feminism, motherhood and books”.

That same day, Chimamanda showed an interest in learning more about the Brazilian publishing market and said she would like to read Brazilian women. When she heard that “Lugar de fala” was to be translated into English, the author of “Americanah” (2014) and the short story collection “The Thing Around Your Neck” asked Djamila for her phone number:

“A beautiful bond of sisterhood was established there. At the last dinner after the event, minutes before I left, she called me and said: ‘Djamila, I want to be part of your book, to support you in some way’,” Djamila revealed on her social media account.

The partnership was formalized this year when Djamila was asked by the publisher who would sign the foreword:

“I wrote shyly to Chimamanda, who replied immediately accepting”.

At the beginning of July, Chimamanda sent the text to Djamila:

“An exquisite text. I can’t tell you what an honor it is to have Chimamanda introduce me to the English-speaking public. A giant, award-winning writer, one of the biggest names in world literature and with a heart the size of the world. The alliance between women is revolutionary. All my gratitude to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie,” Djamila concluded on her Instagram.