Chinua Achebe renowned as Africa's most famous novelist and author who
died in Boston, USA, on 21st March 2013 at the age of 82. He is
recognized as the founding father of Modern African writing in English.
The publication of his first novel Things Fall Apart not only contested
European narratives about Africa but also challenged traditional
assumptions about the form and function of the novel. His literary life
spanned over fifty years, from the publication of Things Fall Apart
(1958) to There Was A Country (2012), his memoir of the Nigerian Biafran
war in the 1960s. His first novel, Things Fall Apart - a classic of 20th
century fiction has been translated into over 50 languages and sold
millions of copies all over the world. Before Achebe came on the world
literary scene in the late 1950s, African literature was considered by
the rest of the world and more sadly, by many educated Africans
themselves, as a quixotic enterprise, in which dark forests and evil
spirits held all the shares. Achebe was not only an accomplished writer
but also a man who was close to his readers and had the precious gift of
being a great communicator and storyteller of African realities. His
legacy as one of Africa's most vocal voices against the ravages of
colonialism and its long-term effects on Africa will endure through his
writings for generations to come. This volume is a fitting memorial to
his legacy. Achebe was the conscience of Africa - his death gives new
significance to his writing, anchoring his activism and his literary
legacy in eternity. He will be remembered internationally as one of
Africa's greatest writers.
