Fun Facts About Chinua Achebe
- Chinua Achebe's only handwritten copy of Things Fall Apart sat ignored in a London typing office until his boss, Angela Beattie, went in and angrily demanded to know why.[1]
- Achebe took the title Things Fall Apart from a line in W. B. Yeats's poem "The Second Coming."[1]
- Achebe was baptized Albert Chinualumogu Achebe.[1]
- Achebe entered university to study medicine but switched to English, history and theology, which cost him his scholarship.[1]
- In a 1975 lecture Achebe called Joseph Conrad "a bloody racist" over Heart of Darkness; one professor reportedly said "How dare you!" and stormed away.[1]
- Achebe twice refused Nigeria's Commander of the Federal Republic award, in 2004 and again in 2011.[1]
- Chinua Achebe was alive at the same time as Thomas Edison — their lives overlapped for 1 year (1930–1931).[1][2][3][4]
- Chinua Achebe and Neil Armstrong were both born in 1930.[1][2][5][6]
Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as a central figure of modern African literature. His first novel and magnum opus, Things Fall Apart (1958), occupies a pivotal place in African literature and remains the most widely studied, translated, and read African novel. Along with Things Fall Apart, his No Longer at Ease (1960) and Arrow of God (1964) complete the "African Trilogy". Later novels include A Man of the People (1966) and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Achebe is often referred to as the "father of modern African literature", although he vigorously rejected the characterization.[1]
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Questions About Chinua Achebe
When was Chinua Achebe born?
Chinua Achebe was born on November 16, 1930, and died on March 21, 2013.
How old was Chinua Achebe at death?
Chinua Achebe was born on November 16, 1930, and died on March 21, 2013, at age 82.
What was Chinua Achebe known for?
Chinua Achebe was known for: Things Fall Apart, landmark of modern African literature. Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as a central figure of modern African literature. His first novel and magnum opus, Things Fall Apart (1958), occupies a pivotal place in African literature and remains the most widely studied, translated, and read African novel. Along with Things Fall Apart, his No Longer at Ease (1960) and Arrow of God (1964) complete the "African Trilogy". Later novels include A Man of the People (1966) and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Achebe is often referred to as the "father of modern African literature", although he vigorously rejected the characterization.
Who was alive at the same time as Chinua Achebe?
Chinua Achebe's closest contemporary was Nelson Mandela. Their lives overlapped for 83 years.
Sources
- Chinua Achebe — Wikipedia. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chinua Achebe (Q155845) — Wikidata
- Thomas Edison — Wikipedia
- Thomas Edison (Q8743) — Wikidata
- Neil Armstrong — Wikipedia
- Neil Armstrong (Q1615) — Wikidata
- Portrait: Chinua Achebe, 2008 (cropped).jpg — Wikimedia Commons. Stuart C. Shapiro, CC BY 3.0