Nigerian · 1930–2013
Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" remains the most widely read African novel ever written. Published in 1958, it told the story of an Igbo leader destroyed by colonialism in prose that answered European depictions of Africa with African voice. Achebe won the 2007 International Booker Prize for lifetime achievement. The Nigerian author spent decades as both novelist and critic, arguing that African literature must tell African stories from African perspectives. "Anthills of the Savannah" earned a 1987 Booker shortlisting. Achebe's influence extends beyond literature into how Africa is understood.