Chinua Achebe Biography

Albert Chinualumogo also known as Chinua Achebe was born on November 16 1930 in the Igbo tribe, his parents Isaiah Okafor Achebe and Janet Iloegbunam Achebe. Mr. Isaiah Achebe was an instructor in Christian catechism for the Church Missionary Society, while British colonies had conquered Africa.

At the beginning of his education years Achebe went to the Church Missionary Society's school where he learnt for two years his own culture: the Igbos and later on learnt English but since at home he was told stories from his mother and sister and read books in English he formed himself as to appreciate his own culture.

Later on he was chosen to attend the Government College in Umuahia finishing preparatory school then following on to study medicine at the new University College at Ibadan; afterwards he changed his studies to liberal arts, including history, religion, and English.

When he got a bachelorettes degree in 1953, he went to London attending a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Staff School where Achebe and his colleagues sought for national unity through these programs.

At the same time he had finished his manuscript of “Things Fall Apart” translated into more than forty languages sold almost eight million copies all over the world later on publishing it by the year 1958 becoming a bestseller. However by the year 1966 to 1972 a commotion was unleashed in Ngeria, by the same time a new government pursued Achebe because of his strong critics towards the regimen he then fled to Nsukka were he became senior research fellow at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka after the declaration of independence Nigeria of Biafra, Achebe left and traveled to Europe and America.

 He was also teacher at University of Massachusetts from 1972 to 1976 and again in 1987 till 1988; Chinua has received many numerous honors including Honorary Fellowship of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, other twenty honorary doctorates from universities in England, Scotland, the United States, Canada, and Nigeria.

Today he lives with his wife Annandale and four children in New York teaching at Bard College.
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References:

Anchor Books. (1994). Chinua Achebe. Available: http://reading.cornell.edu/reading_project_05/about.html. Last accessed January 21, 2013.

Anonymous. (2010). Chinua Achebe Biography. Available: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/things-fall-apart/chinua-achebe-biography.html. Last accessed January 21,2013. Chinua Achebe [Internet]. 2012. http://www.famousauthors.org/chi-achebe, January 22 Carroll David,Ezenwa-Ohaeto,Innes, C. L.. (1990). Chinua Achebe Biography. Available: http://www.notablebiographies.com/A-An/Achebe-Chinua.html. Last accessed January 21, 2013.