Chinua

Achebe:
Biography
z By: Garrett Love
 z
Early Life and Professional Career
 Chinua Achebe, or Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, was
born on November 16, 1930 in the Igbo town of
Ogidi, Nigeria.

 Studied English and Literature at the University of

Ibadan (formerly University College)

 Worked as the Director of External Broadcasting for

the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation in Lagos from Okigbo (left) and Achebe (right)
1961-1966

 Joined with Christopher Okigbo, a poet and friend of

Achebe, to found the Citadel Press Publishing House
in 1967
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Literary Career

 Achebe wrote and published his first book, Things Fall Apart, in 1958.
This novel was massively successful and focused on the divide
between traditional African culture and the impact of colonialism.

 Following Things Fall Apart, Achebe released No Longer at Ease in

1960, Arrow of God in 1964, and A Man of the People in 1966. Each of
these were released as sequels to his original novel and similarly deal
with the encroachment of colonialism on traditional African life

 After finishing his Things Fall Apart series, Achebe would then go on
to release smaller projects, such as his poetry collection, Beware, Soul
Brother in 1971, a children's book titled How the Leopard Got His
Claws in 1972, and Morning Yet on Creation Day, an essay book in
1975.

 In 1987, Achebe marked his return to novel writing with Anthills of the
Things Fall Apart Cover Art
Savannah, followed by Hopes and Impediments in 1988.
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Academia

 Shortly after co-founding his publishing company,

Achebe’s business partner and friend, Christopher
Okigbo, died in 1967 while fighting in the Nigerian
Civil War, which was a conflict between the Biafra
and the Nigerian Government. Two years after his
death, Achebe toured numerous universities in the
United States with Gabriel Okara and Cyprian
Ekwensi, two other Nigerian Authors to speak on and
raise awareness for the civil war.

 Over the next few years, Achebe would take on

faculty positions at numerous universities, including
the University of Massachusetts, the University of
Connecticut, and the University of Nigeria.

 Achebe taught at Bard College in New York from

1994 to 2009 after being paralyzed from the waist
down in a car accident, and then at Brown University
in Rhode Island until his passing in 2013.
An Honest Explanation of the Nigerian Civil War by NewAfrica
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Bibliography

 https://www.biography.com/writer/chinua-achebe

 https://connectnigeria.com/articles/2016/08/day-history-poet-chri
stopher-okigbo-born-ojoto-1932/

 https://www.nta.ng/uncategorized/20190212-first-edition-of-chin
ua-achebes-thing-fall-apart-sold-for-n1m/

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51094093

 http://www.christopher-okigbo.org/christopher_okigbo.php

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JCvIvb8PpY