She started working on her first novel, Purple Hibiscus when she was still a student. The book has received wide critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the Orange Fiction Prize in 2004
Her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun is set before and during the Biafran War and was published in 2006
Her most recent book; Americanah, is centered around the life of a Nigerian immigrant living in the U.S.A. She has also been featured in a musical collaboration with Beyonce and hosted a TED talk. She has also received numerous awards including: National Book Critics Circle Award, Anisfield Wolf Book Award, PEN Beyond Margins Award.
Chimamanda is married and divides her time between Nigeria, where she regularly teaches writing workshops, and the United States.