Chinua Achebe (16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as a central figure of modern African literature. His first novel and magnum opus, Things Fall Apart (1958), occupies a pivotal place in African literature and remains the most widely studied, translated, and read African novel. Along with Things Fall Apart, his No Longer at Ease (1960) and Arrow of God (1964) complete the “African Trilogy”; later novels include A Man of the People (1966) and Anthills of the Savannah (1987).

Achebe was born in Ogidi, Nigeria, into the Igbo tribe. He was educated at Government College Umuahia and the University of Ibadan, where he studied English and literature. After graduating, he worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) in Lagos. In 1960, he published his first novel, Things Fall Apart, which tells the story of Okonkwo, a proud and successful Igbo man who struggles to adapt to the changes brought about by colonialism. The novel was an immediate success, and it helped to launch Achebe’s career as a writer.

In 1966, Achebe left the NBC and became a full-time writer. He continued to write novels, short stories, and essays, and he also became a vocal critic of the Nigerian government. In 1970, he co-founded the publishing company Heinemann Educational Books (Nigeria) Limited.

Achebe was a prolific writer, and he published over 20 books during his lifetime. He was also a tireless advocate for African literature, and he helped to raise the profile of African writers around the world. He was awarded numerous honors for his work, including the Man Booker International Prize in 2007.

Achebe died in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2013. He was 82 years old.

Achebe’s work has had a profound impact on African literature and culture. His novels have been translated into over 50 languages, and they have been adapted into films, television shows, and plays. His work has helped to introduce African literature to a global audience, and it has helped to challenge stereotypes about Africa.

Achebe was a complex and controversial figure, but he was also a gifted writer and a passionate advocate for African culture. His work will continue to be read and studied for generations to come.

Some of Chinua’s books you must not miss include;

1. Things Fall Apart
2. There Was a Country
3. No longer at ease
4. Arrow of God
5. The Education of a British-Protected Child
6. A Man of the People
7. Anthills of the Savannah
8. Girls at war and other stories

In his book ”Things Fall Apart”, he writes about togetherness of Africans and condemns the act of Europeans intended to divide Africans. “A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.” Chinua Achebe-Things Fall Apart.

He Condemned the Europeans’ intentions to divide Africans when he wrote that, ‘‘The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with religion and politics. We were amused at his craziness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.’’

Chunua encouraged Africans to keep together sharing the good values and practices of Africans. ”In the rest of the world we read information, we read stories, in the world there are books, there is written information but in African history there was something else our ancestors did, they used to sit under the ancient tree, under the moonlight in the village ground, around the fire place as the story-teller used words to weave a tapestry in one’s mind with his or her words. “A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.”

Children loved to hear the adults speak and sing, they related to them, related to the characters in their tales, and loved the gentle rhythm of the songs and the words that allowed children to see the possibilities in life. As Africans, we not only call one another to a feast, but also call one another to talk together, to think together and to prosper together. We are different cultures today, we all live together as one community, we need to establish a platform where all of us can celebrate, appreciate and explore a diversity of cultures alongside their own and get inspired to different developments.

Share this: