Literature
- I Will Stop Writing If I Don?t Win Nobel Prize ? Ebhodaghe
On the social media the London-based Nigerian writer, Omohan Ebhodaghe, is dubbed ?self-praise singer? because he is never shy of posting about the qualities of his work, what is supposed to be done by a critic. He also believes his yet to be published...
- 52 Glorious Years Of Nigerian Literature
As Nigeria marks its 52th Independence anniversary, SUMAILA UMAISHA highlights the literary landmarks Before 1960 The effective date of Nigerian?s attainment of independence from the British colonial rule is October 1st, 1960. But the same could...
- Writers Mourn The Fallen Iroko
In this vox pop conducted by SUMAILA UMAISHA, the literary community in Nigeria, particularly members of the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, which he founded in 1981 alongside other first generation Nigerian writers, pay glowing tributes to the...
- Denja - 'achebe Colloquium Will Be Bigger Than Soyinka?s'
As the International Colloquium to mark the 50th Anniversary of the publication of Chinua Achebe?s Things Fall Apart draws near, the General Secretary of Association of Nigerian Authors, MALAM DENJA ABDULLAHI, speaks to SUMAILA UMAISHA on the preparations...
- Eternal Love (poem)
Somewhere someone is waiting the stranger part of me waiting... to be realized someday in a final embrace of that eternal moment a moment when love will be love not this ellipses that fill the heart with painful meaninglessness emptiness a moment when...
Literature
Adieu, Chinua Achebe!
Man is no stranger to death. He has lived with it since the beginning. Yet, each time it bares its fangs, he sees something strange, an abomination that should not befall him. He would rather have it go elsewhere; far away from the neighbourhood.
But death inevitably strikes where and when it chooses. And when it does, carting away its victim, we break down with grief, knowing that a story has come to an end. We don?t want a story to cease, especially if it is a beautiful story. That is the nature of man. But it is also a universal law that stories must terminate, however interesting or boring, short or long, the end is always by the corner waiting patiently.
Each time I finished reading Things Fall Apart I got disappointed it had ended. I would replay in my mind the scenes of Okonkwo in action; his rise to fame, his flaws and the consequences, and his final hour. I would wish the story continued. Achebe could have added more pages to the novel, expand the tale endlessly!
But then, if he had continued the story beyond the last plot where Okonkwo hung himself, what else would he have told. What is there to narrate in the cold absence of Okonkwo? Maybe he could have somehow resurrected Okonkwo, make him go after the colonial masters and chase them out of the land. But that would be a different story altogether; a ghost story! That would not be our story. It would not be the Things Fall Apart that was eventually translated into over 50 languages and sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. That would not be our success story.
A good novel is not about stretching the tale beyond its logical limit. It is about making the story count, timeless and universal, and thus giving it eternal life. The end of Achebe?s life is like the end of an exciting reading. The reading has closed but the wonderful story remains ? to be read over and over again.
Achebe?s life story is complete. There was nothing to wait for anymore. Some feel he should have been awarded the Nobel Prize for his exceptional literary achievement. But what prize has he not won? What trophy could be higher than the accolade that keeps resounding each time a literature teacher enters a class? What tribute could be greater than the sweet memories evoked each time a literary discourse is being held at national and international conferences in every land and clime, generations after generations?
Like Caesar, twice the Nigerian government presented him a national honour and twice he rejected it. He saw no honour in the medal, even though it is said to be the most prestigious in the land. He distanced his dignity from being soiled by the ?exalted honour? and thus left with his reputation intact. What more would a man ask for?
Achebe has done his beat. He has done more than teach his African readers that ?their past was not one long night of savagery from which the first Europeans acting on God?s behalf delivered them?. His novels have rubbished the racist lies in Joseph Conrad?s Heart of Darkness and exposed the meaninglessness of Joyce Carey?s Mister Johnson, thereby inspiring the black race and humanity in general to be the human beings they original were, and to see their past as a proud reference point for the future.
Therefore, as we grieve over the grand finale of this beautiful story, we must bear in mind that champions of the cause of humanity do not die in the hands of death; they only pass away leaving death behind to tell their stories eternally. The end of this particular song should be a cause for celebration rather than mourning. It is time for us to enjoy the sweet silence that comes after a breathtaking music. Let us savour this moment as one would relish the moment after reading Things Fall Apart, knowing that even though the story has ended it has only just begun.
http://blueprintng.com/2013/03/adieu-chinua-achebe/
- I Will Stop Writing If I Don?t Win Nobel Prize ? Ebhodaghe
On the social media the London-based Nigerian writer, Omohan Ebhodaghe, is dubbed ?self-praise singer? because he is never shy of posting about the qualities of his work, what is supposed to be done by a critic. He also believes his yet to be published...
- 52 Glorious Years Of Nigerian Literature
As Nigeria marks its 52th Independence anniversary, SUMAILA UMAISHA highlights the literary landmarks Before 1960 The effective date of Nigerian?s attainment of independence from the British colonial rule is October 1st, 1960. But the same could...
- Writers Mourn The Fallen Iroko
In this vox pop conducted by SUMAILA UMAISHA, the literary community in Nigeria, particularly members of the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, which he founded in 1981 alongside other first generation Nigerian writers, pay glowing tributes to the...
- Denja - 'achebe Colloquium Will Be Bigger Than Soyinka?s'
As the International Colloquium to mark the 50th Anniversary of the publication of Chinua Achebe?s Things Fall Apart draws near, the General Secretary of Association of Nigerian Authors, MALAM DENJA ABDULLAHI, speaks to SUMAILA UMAISHA on the preparations...
- Eternal Love (poem)
Somewhere someone is waiting the stranger part of me waiting... to be realized someday in a final embrace of that eternal moment a moment when love will be love not this ellipses that fill the heart with painful meaninglessness emptiness a moment when...