1. Things Fall Apart

2. Albert Chinualumogu “Chinua” Achebe

3. Born:

4. Nov 16, 1930

5. Born: Nov 16, 1930 in the Igbo village of Ogidi, Nigeria

6. Currently… Professor at Brown University Rhode Island

7. Family… Father (Isaiah Okafo Achebe) Christian churchman Mother (Janet Anaenechi) Ibo tribeswoman

8. Family… Parents converted to the Protestant Church Mission Society, but still highly respected traditional religious beliefs and practices.

9. Family… 1961 married Christie Okoli (met at NBS) 2 sons and 2 daughters (Chinelo, Ikechukwu, Chidi, Nwando)

10. Education… at 6 – St Philips’ Central School at 12 – moved to Central School at 14 – took entrance exams and was accepted at Government College (very prestigious) Achebe consistently excelled and was promoted.

11. Education… Unusually high entrance exam score = “Major Scholar” and scholarship at University College (Nigeria’s first university, now called Univ. of Ibadan) at first, medicine; then switched to English, History and Theology

12. Education… Gov’t College, Umuahia (1944-1947) Univ college, Ibadan (1948-1953) B.A. London University (1953) British Broadcasting Corp, London (1956)

13. Education… Gov’t College, Umuahia (1944-1947) Univ college, Ibadan (1948-1953) B.A. London University (1953) British Broadcasting Corp, London (1956) began writing in university; after graduation worked for Nigerian Broadcasting Service

14. Writing… wrote many of the stories his mother and aunt told him as a child disliked European literature because of inaccurate portrayal of Africans (especially tribal life) Included some personal experiences and memories in his fictional novels

15. Writing: Purpose…

16. “Art is, and always was, at the service of man. Our ancestors created their myths and told their stories for a human purpose. Any good story, any good novel, should have a message, should have a purpose.”

17. Writing: Novels… Things Fall Apart (1958)

18. Writing: Novels… Things Fall Apart (1958) over 8 million copies translated into 50 languages

19. Writing: Novels… Things Fall Apart (1958) No Longer at Ease (1960)

20. Writing: Novels… Things Fall Apart (1958) No Longer at Ease (1960) Arrow of God (1964)

21. Writing: Novels… Things Fall Apart (1958) No Longer at Ease (1960) Arrow of God (1964) A Man of the People (1966)

22. Writing: Novels… Things Fall Apart (1958) No Longer at Ease (1960) Arrow of God (1964) A Man of the People (1966) Anthills of the Savannah (1987)

23. Writing: Novels… Things Fall Apart (1958) No Longer at Ease (1960) Arrow of God (1964) A Man of the People (1966) Anthills of the Savannah (1987) SS: “Marriage is a Private Affair” (short stories, poems, essays, & children’s books)

24. Writing: Awards… Rockefeller Fellowship finalist for Man Booker Prize (1987) Man Booker International Prize (2007) Dorothy & Lillian Gish Prize (2010)

25. Albert Chinualumogu “Chinua” Achebe

26. Things Fall Apart