Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic, best known for his influential novel Things Fall Apart.

Early Life and Education:

Born on November 16, 1930, in Ogidi, Nigeria, to Isaiah Okafo Achebe and Janet Anaenechi Iloegbunam.

Raised in a traditional Igbo family with five siblings.

Attended St. Philips' Central School and later Umuahia High School.

Studied English literature at the University of Ibadan, graduating in 1953.

Career:

Worked as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (1954-1956).

Published his first novel, Things Fall Apart, in 1958, which became a critical and commercial success.

Went on to write several more novels, including No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), and A Man of the People (1966).

Taught at various universities, including the University of Nigeria, Brown University, and Bard College.

Served as the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and Professor of Africana Studies at Brown University (2009-2013).

Awards and Legacy:

Awarded the Nigerian National Merit Award (1979) and the Commonwealth Poetry Prize (1972).

Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (1981).

Received the Man Booker International Prize (2007) and the National Medal of Arts (2010).

Considered one of the most influential African writers of the 20th century, Achebe's works have been translated into over 50 languages.