Acclaimed Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe joined an auditorium packed full of his fans and admirers Monday, Nov. 17, at Harvard to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his far-reaching novel, Things Fall Apart. Achebe, who marked his 78th birthday the day before, delighted his audience with readings – not from his prose, but from his poetry. Here is an article published in the Harvard’s Crimson on the event.
On a personal note, unable to abandon shoulder-high piles of ungraded college papers to attend events like the one held at Harvard, I have been marking the joint celebrations of the golden year of Things Fall Apart and Achebe’s high septuagenarian milestone by re-listening and relishing anew some of his BBC and NPR (National Public Radio) archived interviews and reports. (Download version 8 or higher of Adobe Flash Player to enjoy the NPR audio). The interviews were conducted many years apart. You’d find them an absolute delight!
One last note, for those who would expect a press release to formally launch this blog, you’ll find one on this page. Read it and help us announce that The African Novel blog has made an official entry into bloggersphere. — Cyril Ibe