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Basic Information
| Full Name | Christopher Ifekandu Okigbo |
|---|---|
| Pen Name(s) | None |
| Date of Birth | 16 August 1932 |
| Place of Birth | Ojoto, Anambra State, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian (Igbo) |
| Languages | English, Igbo |
| Genres | Poetry |
| Active Years | 1956–1967 |
| Literary Movement | Modernism, African oral tradition |
| Education | Government College Umuahia; University College Ibadan (Classics, 1956) |
Writer Stats
| Books Published | 4 major collections |
|---|---|
| Poems Published | Dozens (collected & scattered) |
| Translations | English ↔ Igbo (unpublished works in Igbo found posthumously) |
| Most Popular Work | Labyrinths with Path of Thunder (1971) |
| Major Prizes | Refused 1966 World Festival of Negro Arts Poetry Prize |
| Estimated Citations | 200+ academic references |
Bibliography Highlights
- 1962 – Heavensgate
- 1964 – Limits
- 1965 – Silences
- 1971 – Labyrinths with Path of Thunder (posthumous)
- 1986 – Collected Poems (Heinemann)
International Reach
| Language | Status |
|---|---|
| English | Original works |
| Igbo | Posthumous unpublished poems |
| French | Anthology inclusions |
| Global | Taught in universities worldwide |
Awards & Recognition
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Okigbo Poetry Prize (est. by Soyinka in his honour) | 1987–present |
| UNESCO Memory of the World (for unpublished works) | 2007 |
Themes & Literary Influence
| Core Themes | Spirituality, Identity, Igbo mythology, Colonialism, Modernity, Political struggle |
|---|---|
| Influences | Western Modernists (Eliot, Pound), Igbo Cosmology, W.B. Yeats |
| Influenced | Postcolonial African poetry, generations of African poets |
| Cultural Significance | Fusion of oral traditions with modernist poetics; central to African literature curricula |
Notable Quotes
“Before you, mother Idoto, / naked I stand.”
— Christopher Okigbo, Heavensgate (1962)
“There is no such thing as a Negro or black poet.”
— On rejecting the Dakar poetry prize (1966)
Further Reading
Editor’s Note
Christopher Okigbo was a poet’s poet. Enigmatic, fiercely individualistic, and spiritually profound. His lyrical engagement with indigenous identity and Western poetics broke new ground in African literature. While his death in the Biafran War cut short a promising career, the intensity of his work and cultural daring remains undiminished. A literary martyr and modernist mystic, Okigbo continues to haunt the African literary imagination.
Status: Deceased
Last Updated: 07 August 2025
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