Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebewas a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic. His first novel Things Fall Apartwas considered his magnum opus, and is the most widely read book in modern African literature...
NationalityNigerian
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth16 November 1930
CityOgidi, Nigeria
CountryNigeria
writing somewhere-else numbers
There's no lack of writers writing novels in America, about America. Therefore, it seems to me it would be wasteful for me to add to that huge number of people writing here when there are so few people writing about somewhere else.
country differences trouble
I've had trouble now and again in Nigeria because I have spoken up about the mistreatment of factions in the country because of difference in religion. These are things we should put behind us.
doe chiefs
A chief does not hurry.
drama book writing
To the question of writing at all we have sometimes been counselled to forget it, or rather the writing of books. What is required, we are told, is plays and films. Books are out of date! The book is dead, long live television! One question which is not even raised let alone considered is: Who will write the drama and film scripts when the generation that can read and write has been used up?
world singers should
The singer should sing well even if it is merely to himself, rather than dance badly for the whole world.
eye past men
This is not pessimism but rather casting a cold eye on things. It is only one man's story, and I think that things will go better, but difficulties exist and nothing is served by hiding them under a poetic veil or under a lyricism of the past. I am against slogans.
brother flesh bones
A kinsman in trouble had to be saved, not blamed; anger against a brother was felt in the flesh, not in the bone.
jobs book writing
My books have done extremely well, I know. But I don't honestly feel much different from when I began to write. I still think we have a long way to go. I suppose my name means more in Nigeria today than it did five years ago. But I feel the job that literature should do in our community has not even started. It's not yet part of the life of the nation. We are still at the beginning. It's a big beginning, because now we are catching the next generation in the schools. When I was their age, I had nothing to read that had any relevance to my own environment.
hurt men necks
We do not seek to hurt any man, but if any man seeks to hurt us may he break his neck.
reality difficult
It is difficult to express the reality of Ibo society in classical English.
way likes poet
The emperor would prefer the poet to keep away from politics, the emperor's domain, so that he can manage things the way he likes.
running fighting coward
A coward may cover the ground with his words but when the time comes to fight he runs away.
ignorant mystery known
That we are surrounded by deep mysteries is known to all but the incurably ignorant.
humble spirit forget
Those whose kernels were cracked by benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.