Chinua Achebe (1993)

Novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist Chinua Achebe, born in Nigeria in 1930, has become an ambassador and spokesperson for Africa and a citizen of the world. Achebe’s first novel, Things Fall Apart (1958),is a classic, with millions of copies published and translated into fifty languages. With Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease, Arrow of God, A Man of the People, Anthills of the Savannah and other works, Achebe became the first Nigerian artist to shape the novel’s form to the landscape of Africa. He essentially created a new genre and earned the title “Father of the modern African novel.” The themes of his fiction are characteristic of African literature—representing the integrity and grandeur of traditional African culture, exploring the conflict and clash with European imperialism, as well as describing the moral and political challenges of postcolonial independence. Chinua Achebe has been the recipient of many honors and awards, including an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from City College.