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Albert Chinualimogu Achebe was born on November 16, 1930 in Ogidi a village in Anambra state Nigeria and died March 21, 2013. He was a novelist, poet, professor and a vocal critic of western cultures and value system being imposed upon the African society.
His books depicted the
erosion of African value system after contact was first made with the white
man. Though he gained scholarship to study medicine, Achebe took a decision to
study English Literature at the University of Ibadan formerly known as
University College.
His book Things Fall Apart is the most generally read
book in African Literature.
He started writing
short stories as an undergraduate with focus mainly on African cultures and
religions.
Achebe during his life
time was often referred to as the “father of African Literature”
Early life of Achebe
Achebe was born in
Ogidi, Anambra State to Isaiah Okafor Achebe who was a teacher and evangelist
and Janet Iloegbunam, the daughter of a blacksmith from Awka. His parents both
converted to Christianity early thus he abandoned his traditional beliefs but
still had respect for its teachings and beliefs.
His love for story
telling was incubated as a child as it was a common practice for parents to
tell folk stories to their in Igbo land where he came from. His mother often
told him stories which later influenced the nature and characters in his books.
Education
He was enrolled in 1936
at the St Philips central School Ogidi but resisted being in the religious
class for young children. He was promoted to a higher class when the chaplain
of the school observed his brilliance and intelligence.
Achebe was described as
the student with the best hand writing and best reading skills. As a teenager
he was godly and attended Church services regularly.
After his secondary
education he gained scholarship to the University College as one of the
universities first intake to study medicine.
The University College
now known as the University of Ibadan had a strong Arts faculty. This
university has produced renowned writers including Wole Soyinka, Christopher
Okigbo and many others.
As he student at the
university the negative effect of European literature on Africa became obvious
to him. The decision to become a writer was taken when a read a book; Mister
Johnson written by Joyce Cary.
According to him, the
Nigerian characters in that book were portrayed as clowns and barbarians which
left him in deep thoughts. He thus understood the negative perception of the
white man with respect to an African man.
Journey into Arts
He therefore made a
decision to abandon medicine to study English, History and theology. This
switched however affected his scholarship, hence had to pay for his education
himself.
To raise money for his
tuition fees family members donated money while his elder brother gave a huge
chunk of his money for Achebe to continue his education.
The first piece he
wrote, Polar Undergraduate in 1950 was essentially to celebrate the
intellectual sagacity of his classmates. The piece was first published in the
Universities Press, the University Herald which he served as its editor from
1951-52.
He later wrote essays,
letters and afterwards his first short story entitled In a Village Church. In 1953 he graduated from the university and
was awarded a second-class degree which he felt was below what he aspired for;
a First class.
Achebe joins the Teaching profession
Unsure of what to do
after graduation a friend advised him to join the teaching profession. His
friend further convinced him to apply for a position as an English teacher at
the merchants of light School at Oba, in Anambra state.
The school was of a
dilapidated structures and was built on a forbidden land; a land inhabited by
terrible spirits. Achebe spent just 4 months there and left when the
opportunity to work with the Nigerian Broadcasting Service in (NBC) 1954.
Achebe in Lagos
His job at the NBC
prepared and significantly helped him develop the skills that helped him in his
profession as a writer.
It was in Lagos that he
started writing his first novel despite the fact that Africa had produced very
few writers.
Achebe travelled to
London in 1956 where he developed his writing skills further. He also met
Gilbert Phelps a novelist who he offered the manuscript of his book. Gilbert’s
offer to show it to his editors was rejected by Achebe who felt he still needed
to do more work on his book.
He came back to Nigeria
and continued to work on his book which he titled Things fall Apart.
After finally editing
it, he unwisely sent the only copy he had written by hand, with 22 pounds in it
to a company in London for typing.
Months later he was yet
to get a response from this London company and soon became agitated. He
solicited the assistance of his boss Angela Beattie at the NBC, who was
travelling to London, to help him retrieve his work.
She went to the company
and thereafter ensured the manuscript was typed and sent back to Achebe.
Perhaps if Angela had
not intervened, Achebe would have jettisoned his passion for writing.
Now getting close to
have his book he contacted Gilbert in 1958, who recommended certain publishing
companies in London. They all rejected it on the ground that African novels
were not profitable.
Fortunately Heinemann
accepted to publish the book after being coerced by Donald MacRae; an
educational adviser. He had convinced them with these words “This is the best
novel I have read since the war”.
The book was finally
published with 2000 hardcopies produced on June 17, 1958. Though initially not
accepted even at the University College the book later became the most
important book in African Literature.
This book has sold more
than 20 million copies and has been translated into more than 57 languages.
Things Fall Apart is today the most translated book from an African writer. It
also occupies a position in Encyclopedias’ list of “12 Novels Considered the
Greatest Book Ever written”.
With the success of his
book came recognition and promotion at the NBC and was put in charge of the
eastern Region of the NBC in Enugu.
It was at the NBC that
he met and married one of its staffs Christiana Chinwe who he later married in
1961. Together they had four children.
He wrote a second novel
“No longer at Ease”- a sequel to Things Fall Apart- a book he dedicated to his
Chinwe during their courtship.
After a six months tour
of countries facilitated by the Rockefeller Fellowship, he was promoted to the
position of Director of external Affairs at the NBC.
He helped create the
Voice of Nigeria Network which broadcast its first transmission on January1,
1962. His opinion became sought after at different events where African
literature was discussed and was later chosen to be General Editor of the
African Writers Series.
Achebe runs into Trouble
A book he published in
1966 A Man of the People coincided
with the coup orchestrated and carried out by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu. This book
narrated the story of a new nation which just attained independence and
bedeviled with corruption.
The similarities between
the events happening in Nigeria then and the details in the book drew the
attention of the military. Achebe was suspected of having knowledge of the
coup.
When he got wind of the
governments’ intention to arrest him he first set his family on a boat and sent
them to Port Harcourt through very dangerous creeks. Unfortunately his wife who
at that time was pregnant suffered a miscarriage due to rigors of the journey.
Nevertheless his family
arrived the Eastern region of Nigeria during the crisis safe while he joined
them afterwards.
Life during the war
Soon after he arrived
in the East he started a publishing house with Christopher Okigbo which the
called the Citadel Press. The aim was to provide young readers with quality
reading materials. The first to be released was titled How the Dog was Domesticated which he later rewrote and retitled it How the Leopard Got His Claws. The book
metaphorically depicted the political turmoil and commotion in the country.
During the war the
followed after the Nzeogwu coup, he close friend Christopher voluntarily joined
the Biafran Army. Though he still contributed the little he could at the
Citadel press, the job of running the place now fell on Achebe solely.
Christopher Okigbo
while on a mission was killed at the war front.
Achebe still continued
his writings despite the war getting closer and closer to him in fact his house
was bombed. Luckily no one was home when the bombing happened.
He accepted an offer to
serve the infant nation as its Foreign Ambassador. Achebe traveled all over
Europe and America as well as Africa soliciting for support.
After much fighting and
deaths, Biafra capitulated and submitted to the Nigerian forces on January 12,
1970.
Life returned back to
normal for Achebe, his family and people. He joined the University of Nigeria
Nsukka, though offers came from other countries.
Achebe joins Politics
In 1972 the University
of Massachusetts offered Achebe a professorship which he accepted and hence
moved to the United States with his family.
After four years in
America he returned to Nigeria as a lecturer still at the University of Nigeria
Nsukka. He was very critical of the Nigerian elites and intellectuals who he
accused of being more interested in status and stomach.
For his works and
achievements he was awarded the first-ever Nigerian National Merit Award. After
several years as a lecturer he retired from the University of Nigeria and
became more active in politics. He joined the People’s Redemption Party (PRP)
in 1982 and in 1983 became its deputy national vice-president.
The
elections of 1983 convinced him that little had changed politically in Nigeria
but had further deteriorated. He observed the inability of political actors to
act honestly, for this he left the party and politics entirely.
The
1980s for him was a period of delivering speeches, attending conferences and
writing. The town union of Ogidi elected him its President-General which he
held for three years.
The
Accident
The
unfortunate accident that happened on March 22, 1990 sent Achebe to a wheel
chair. The car in which they driving flipped with the weight of the car resting
upon him where he laid after the accident occurred. His son and driver suffered
slight injuries however Achebe’s spinal cord was severely damaged.
He
was flown to England for treatment where he his life was restored. However he
was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Achebe was paralyzed
from his waist down to his legs.
After
his recuperation he ventured back into the teaching profession and was made a
professor of language and Literature at Bard College a position he held for 15
years.
In
2012 he wrote his final and last book There
was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra. This book was a reflection and
personal account of the events that happened during the Nigeria-Biafra War.
This book opened up heated arguments once again on the war.
Death
On
March 21, 2013, Achebe passed away in Boston, United States after a brief
illness. He remains was led to rest in his home town Ogidi.
Legacy
He
was one of Africa’s most widely read novelist and one of the continents
towering men of letters according to the New York Times.