Chinua Achebe
Waking up in the morning to news of someone’s death – especially that of an icon like Chinua Achebe is all kinds of depressing. He was born in 1930 and died at the age of 82. He has published many popular and influential books, including Arrow of God and Anthills of the Savannah. His latest work, There Was A Country was published last year and is a detailed account of the Biafran war from his eyes and his participation in it. His most popular work, Things Fall Apart was published in 1958, has sold over ten million copies around the world, and was has been translated into more than 50 languages.
Is there anyone who did not know Chinua Achebe growing up? Even if you did not know what he looked like, you knew there was a great Nigerian author called Chinua Achebe, and if you did not know any other books of his, you had to have known about Things Falls Apart. If you did not read it, then maybe you watched it on television. Okonkwo was played by Pete Edochie. That was when my love for Pete Edochie started.
And now, he’s returned to where we all must return to one day. There is no sugar coating it, we have lost an icon. I pray that his legacy lives on, and that the household of Achebe, the State of Anambra, the country of Nigeria, and the continent of Africa will continue to produce more icons.
Before his death, he was a visiting professor at Brown University. He died in a hospital last night in Boston, Massachusetts May his soul rest in perfect peace. And may God grant his family the fortitude to bear this loss.
Good bye, Chinua Achebe (I’m tempted to end this with adios as Nigerians do, but I won’t. Maybe I’ll even wish him safe journey sef).
RIP sir
Amen.
very sad something
Yup. 🙁