Awards showcase Nigerian authors
Man Booker International Prize winner Chinua Achebe pioneered Nigeria's literary contributions.
from the June 14, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Fellow writer, Dulue Mbachu, who lives in Nigeria's sprawling commercial capital, Lagos, understands why writers like Adichie leave.
"It's very difficult to work in the Nigerian context," says Mr. Mbachu. "You have to be fed before you can write."
Though Nigeria is the continent's largest oil exporter, the majority of its people live in poverty without reliable electricity to turn on a light bulb and read after dark. And with younger Nigerians, literacy rates are falling as worsening economics force children out of school.
Adichie's award-winning book sells for about $10 in Lagos – a fortune to most residents, two-thirds of whom live in slums. Not surprisingly book sales here have dropped off and even the 1958 book that launched Achebe to fame – "Things Fall Apart" – can be hard to find.
Authors like Mbachu are left frustrated that most fellow Nigerians are unable to read acclaimed Nigerian novels.
Chinua Achebe
• Author of more than 20 books.
• Best known for his first novel "Things Fall Apart" (1958) which has sold 10 million copies in 50 languages.
• Also known for "Anthills of the Savannah" (1988) and "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness.' "
• Born 1930 to Protestant converts.
• Studied English, history, and theology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
• Currently is professor of languages and literature at Bard College, New York.
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