Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been named as one of this year's "Library Lions" by the New York Public Library, describing the honour as "utterly spirit-lifting" in an Instagram post:

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A post shared by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (@chimamanda_adichie)

The annual ceremony in the US city is organised to honour people who have distinguished themselves in arts, culture, letters and scholarship.

Other honourees this year were Tina Brown, Jonathan Lethem, and Darren Walker.

And previous recipients include Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Atwood, Martin Scorsese, Zadie Smith, Gloria Steinem and Steve Martin.