Achebe, A month and a Writer

I am happy to tell you that I share a birthday month with one of Nigeria’s greatest writers . This does not however mean that my destiny as one of Nigeria’s youngest poets is sealed, it only means that if Achebe can make a mark as a writer, I too can.

Chinua Achebe, one of West Africa’s award winning novelists, turned 80, November 16. Born in Ogidi, Anambra State, Achebe who is known for his novels, Things Fall Apart (1958), No Longer at Ease (1960) and Arrow of God (1964), studied at the University College Ibadan, now University of Ibadan. He is a recipient of the Order of the Federal Republic, 1979 and the National Productivity Award, 1999. He was listed for the Commander of the Federal Republic in 2004 but rejected it as a protest against the lack of infrastructures in the country. Achebe is also the author of the novels, A Man of the People (1966) and Anthills of the Savannah (1987), amongst a long list of Short Stories, Children Stories, Poetry Collections and Essays. He is the current winner of the Gish Prize, an award for extraordinary impact in their field.