The literary icon Chinua Achebe passed away, after a brief illness, in Boston USA. His seminal book “Things Fall Apart” published in 1958 propelled him to international fame and acclaim and is described as a “classic of world literature”. It has been translated into over 50 languages and it is a book I had read three times by age 15.
Widely regarded as the “father of African literature in English”, he has left an indelible mark in the world of African literature. A man of great conviction, his last publication “There Was a Country: a Personal History of Biafra” published in 2012 caused quite a stir in Nigeria. The book was probably his departing message the country. Rest in Peace Achebe.
There was a Writer. There Is a Great Literary Icon. There Is a Country.
Here’s an interesting video of an interview with Achebe:
Thank you for this, Zainab. I had just communicated with Achebe’s assistant at Brown University, hoping to see him. Achebe and my husband were at University of Ibadan together. We were too late!