Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe literary profile

By
Ridwan Adédèjì
-
0
Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe

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Basic Information

Full NameAlbert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe (Chinua Achebe)
Pen Name(s)None
Date of Birth16 November 1930
Place of BirthOgidi, Colonial Nigeria
NationalityNigerian (Igbo)
LanguagesEnglish (wrote in), Igbo (personal/publ.)
GenresNovel, Poetry, Short Story, Essay, Children’s Lit
Active Years1950–2013
Literary MovementModernism, Postcolonial African Literature
EducationUniversity College Ibadan (English, History & Theology; graduated 1953)
Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe

Writer Stats

Books Published20+ (including novels, essays, poetry, children’s)
Novels Written5+
TranslationsThings Fall Apart translated into 50+ languages; most‑translated African writer
Most Popular WorkThings Fall Apart (1958); iconic African novel
Major PrizesMan Booker International Prize, 2007 for lifetime achievement
Estimated Citations300+ academic references and critical studies (e.g. Morning Yet on Creation Day, essays)
Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart
Another front cover of Things Fall Apart
Another front cover of Things Fall Apart

Bibliography Highlights

  • 1958 – Things Fall Apart (Novel)
  • 1960 – No Longer at Ease (Novel)
  • 1964 – Arrow of God (Novel)
  • 1966 – A Man of the People (Novel)
  • 1971 – Beware Soul Brother (Poetry)
  • 1975 – Morning Yet on Creation Day (Essays)
  • 1987 – Anthills of the Savannah (Novel)
  • 2009 – The Education of a British‑Protected Child (Essays & Memoir)
  • 2012 – There Was a Country (Memoir on Biafra war)

International Reach

LanguageReach & Status
EnglishOriginal works globally sold and studied
MultipleTranslated Things Fall Apart into 50+ languages; academic use internationally
AnthologiesAphorisms, essays included, essay collections widely anthologized

Awards & Recognition

AwardYear
Man Booker International Prize (lifetime achievement)2007
Dorothy & Lillian Gish Prize2010
Honorary degrees from 30+ universities globallyMultiple
UNESCO & literary festivals in his honorAnnual Chinua Achebe Literary Festival; UNESCO recognition

Themes & Literary Influence

Core ThemesCulture & Colonialism, Identity, Female Agency, Tradition vs Modernity
InfluencesIgbo oral traditions, Western literary forms, Christian-Igbo heritage
InfluencedEntire generation of African writers; founding African Writers Series
Cultural SignificanceKnown as the ‘father of modern African literature’ (though he rejected this label)

Notable Quotes

“The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.”

Things Fall Apart

Further Reading

Editor’s Note

Chinua Achebe revolutionised African storytelling by positioning indigenous voices at the center of global literature. His blend of straightforward narrative, proverbs, and Igbo storytelling structures reshaped how African stories are told. Though widely called the “father of modern African literature,” he viewed himself simply as an African writer telling African truths in English. His memoir There Was a Country and essays remain as vital to understanding postcolonial identity as his fiction.

Status: Deceased

Last Updated: 07 August 2025

Reference
Adédèjì, Ridwan. (2025). Chinua Achebe. Literature PADI. https://www.literaturepadi.com.ng/2025/08/07/chinua-achebe/ (Accessed on September 26, 2025 at 01:36)

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