Nigeria
Nigerian novelist recieves peace prize

afrol News, 17 October - Professor Chinua Achebe, the leading Nigerian author has been awarded the prestigious Peace Prize in literature by The German Book Trade Association. He received the prestigious award for redressing African culture in the eyes of the world.

On his acceptance of the German Peace Prize, Prof Achebe declared one of his main objectives in his literature was to correct the culturally biased view of African people and culture conveyed by early Western authors. This is reported by the Nigeria Information Centre in Berlin.

Prof Achebe further stated that "my presentation of African villages and post-colonial cities, the portrayal of the conflict between African cultural values and western ideals, as well as my use of Igbo language were borne out of my conviction to create fictional characters from the people I knew to be rich in culture, and masters of their own language." 

He further said his writings were "therefore designed to accord respect to the two languages I have, while using them to portray the richness and civilization of the people."

Prof Achebe was commended by the Lord Mayor of Frankfurt, Dr Petra Roth, for presenting Africa to both the outside world and Africans alike, "in his various depictions of the people in his literary works." 

The Nigerian author has documented pre-colonial Africa for posterity, and has had a considerable impact on understanding the often complex problems in the continent today, given his works on the colonial impact on African cultures as well as the resultant conflicts in post-colonial African nation-building, Professor Theodor Brechen, President of the German Academic Exchange Programme, stated on the occasion.

Mr Achebe's literary style is distinguished by satire and his use of spoken language. He combines standard English with Pidgin, Igbo vocabulary, proverbs, images and speech patterns.

He was born in Ogidi, Nigeria as the son of a teacher in a missionary school. He celebrated his 70th birthday in November 2000 at the Bard University, where he had taught literature. In the intermediate period has assumed many prominent offices both at Nigerian and US universities. 

The active Nigerian during his long career also has held official posts for the Biafran government during the civil war, been the co-founder of several magazines, and has an astonishingly literary production merit.

His Christian name was Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, which he rejected in favour of Chinua during his early years as a student. In 1990 Achebe was paralysed from the waist down in a serious car accident.

By Knut Henrik Gjone

Sources: Based on Nigerian govt, press reports and afrol archives

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