Celebrating African Authors: Chinua Achebe & Beyond
8th November 2025
Chinua Achebe By Kavan Kislaya
This week, as we continue to celebrate African voices in literature, our spotlight turns to Chinua Achebe, often called the father of modern African writing. His timeless works, such as Things Fall Apart, opened the world’s eyes to African perspectives, identity, and storytelling.
Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian writer, celebrated as the "father of modern African literature." He was born in Ogidi, Nigeria, in 1930 to an Igbo family. His parents were early converts to the Protestant Church Missionary Society. This gave him the inspiration to write about the clash of Igbo Society and Christianity.
He received a colonial education, which exposed him early to English literary classics. However, while studying at University College , he became increasingly critical of how African characters and the continent itself were portrayed in European novels, particularly works like Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. He found these depictions to be racist, and dehumanizing. He even later dropped his Christian name, Albert.
His first novel, Things Fall Apart, published in 1958, achieved this goal, providing a tragic account of the Igbo society's destruction under the impact of British colonialism. It is widely considered the foundation of modern African literature and has been translated into over 50 languages. He followed this with two direct sequels, No Longer at Ease (1960) and Arrow of God (1964).
His writing style is notable for its rich use of the Igbo oral tradition, making use of proverbs, folk tales, and rhetorical speech into the English language to make it carry the weight and rhythm of an African voice.
Following a severe car accident in 1990 that left him paralyzed from the waist down, he moved to the United States, where he taught at several universities, including Bard College and Brown University, until his death in 2013. His courage and uncompromising vision earned him the Man Booker International Prize in 2007 for his overall contribution to world fiction
Scrabble Fridays!
Alongside this celebration of words and culture, we’re also excited to announce a fun, ongoing activity Scrabble Fridays!
See the poster for more information.
Every Friday at lunchtime, join us in the library for friendly Scrabble matches. It’s the perfect way to unwind, connect, and build your vocabulary, all while celebrating the joy of literacy.
Let’s keep reading, playing, and learning together.
Create. Write. Read. Inspire.
By Dhara Shah
