Milestones for Achebe, Ngugi, and Ayi kwei Armah

Milestones for Achebe, Ngugi, and Ayi Kwei Armah

By Pule Lechesa

African black literature has been celebrated for decades now. Our best writers can easily hold their own in the international arena. Authors like Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Chinua Achebe, Ben Okri, Ayi kwei Armah, Dambudzo Marechera, Bessie Head are all highly regarded world-wide. Hence milestones as regards their literary work or lives continue to be celebrated.

This year (2008) we have had quite a number of milestones, with a trio of them (the writers) probably outstanding. For many, even after so many decades since publication, Chinua Achebe’s Things fall apart remains the all-time best of African creative writing. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the ground-breaking work.

As for Ngugi wa Thiong’o, the world celebrated as he marked 70 years of age early this year. The man is famous for his brilliant fiction and his polemical, illuminating essays. We mention Ngugi and our mind goes to works like Weep not child, A grain of wheat, Petals of blood, Matigari, Wizard of the crow etc.

Another African great, Ayi kwei Armah celebrates the 40th anniversary of the publication of his unforgettable work of fiction, The beautyful ones are not yet born. Remember that when the book first came out it was acclaimed as being among “in the first rank of novels published anywhere.” Observers further point out that what looked like Armah’s pessimism as regards Africa forty years ago, has come true anyway!

Next year, (2009) promises to be another year where African literary milestones would be celebrated. To give just one example – in 2009, Es’kia (Ezekiel) Mphahlele would turn 90. This is one of the all-time greats of African literature. Also in 2009 the world will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of Down Second Avenue, Mphahlele’s timeless classic.
(Pule Lechesa, poet and essayist, is the author of books like Four Free State Authors, The Evolution of FS Black Literature, and Omoseye Bolaji…on awards, authors, literature)