Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe is said to be “one of the most influential writers” of the century not only in Nigeria, his homeland but also throughout the world (Albany). Chinua Achebe was born in Ogidi, Nigeria on November 16, 1930. He was born a son of a Chrisitan Churchman, Isaiah Okafo and Janet N. Achebe. Achebe was raised an Ibo Christian, which made him stand out among his fellow peers. Achebe’s lifestyle was different than that of other people living in his village because of his religious background and upbringing. When Achebe was fourteen he began schooling at Government Albany College in Umuahia for three years. He then attended the University of Ibadan from 1948 through 1953. Following his education at the University of Ibandan Achebe earned his Bachelors Degree from London University in 1953. It was a year later when Achebe was named Talk Producer of the Nigerian Broadcasting Service. Then in 1956 Achebe began to study broadcasting at the British Broadcasting Corporation in London. (Critical Survey of Short Fiction) Finally in 1958, Achebe’s first novel, Things Fall Apart was published. (Albany) Following the completion of his first book, Achebe became the founding editor of Heinemann’s African Writers Series. Since writing his first novel Achebe has won many awards and honors for his publications. Among these awards and honors are the Commonwealth Prize, and the highest award for intellectual achievement in his native country Nigeria. (Albany)

Following the Nigerian civil war, Achebe was named Senior Research Fellow at the University of Nigeria. Presently he lives in Nsukka, Nigeria where he teaches,

Achebe also spends a lot of time lecturing at major Universities. Achebe is married to...

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...ting Achebe hopes to eliminate some of those stereotypes and create an opportunity for people to have a better understanding of Africa and the people who live there. He has accomplished this goal by writing from his own personal experience and using his diverse background as the roots of his knowledge and style of writing.

Bibliography:

Achebe, Chinua. “Civil Peace.” One World of Literature. Ed. Shirley Geok-Lin Lim and

Norman A. Spencer. New York: Houghton Mifflin. 128-133.

Achebe, Chinua. “Chinua Achebe.” Critical Survey of Short Fiction. Ed. Frank N.

Magill. 3rd ed. New Jersey. Salem Press, 1981. 819-823.

“Why The Tortoise’s Shell Is Not Smooth.” Discovering Literature. Ed. Hans P. Guth and Gabriele L. Rico. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997. 12-14.

Culross, Melissa. Postimperial and Postcolonial Literature in English.