Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe (b. 1930–d. 2013) is the best-known African novelist. Although several African writers preceded him, the author of the groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart (1958) is considered the father of African literature. This novel is the most widely studied work of art in Africa, and it is one of the most frequently taught African texts in the world. His other novels are No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Things Fall Apart dominates discussions on Achebe, hence the need to study his other works, especially his poetry and children’s books. The famed writer was born Albert Chinualumogu Achebe on 16 November 1930 in Ogidi, southeastern Nigeria. He attended the University of Ibadan between 1948 and 1953. After an eight-month teaching stint at Merchant of Light School, Achebe joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation as a producer in 1954 and received training at the BBC in 1956. It was while in London that he submitted his manuscript for Things Fall Apart to Heinemann. Achebe rejoined the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation in 1961 as director of external broadcasting, a position he held until 1966. He is most recognized in African letters not only for his works but also for being the founding editor of the prestigious Heinemann’s African Writers Series, which he started in 1962. He taught in such universities as the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Bard College in New York, and Brown University in Rhode Island, USA. Besides receiving over thirty honorary doctorates from universities across the globe, Achebe won numerous literary awards, including the Man Booker International Prize (2007) and the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize (2010). He died on 21 March 2013, at the age of 82, in Boston, Massachusetts. A prolific author who has also been widely discussed from various perspectives, Achebe has excited a large body of work. This article outlines works by Achebe and on him. It starts with books that give an overview of his writing. The article further considers reference books on Achebe’s work before introducing his novels, essays, short stories, and poetry as well as criticism that his major works have generated. The article also presents works discussing themes in Achebe’s texts, including his treatment of gender issues. However, the article suggests that the theme of masculinity in Achebe’s works needs to be explored further, as critics tend to limit themselves to analysis of the construction of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart. Also noting the paucity of research on Achebe’s style besides his use of folklore in his early novels and children’s books, the article closes with reference to a few works that consider Achebe’s stylistic choices.