Home Latest Insights | News Chinua Achebe’s interview by Wole Soyinka (1964) [Video]

Chinua Achebe’s interview by Wole Soyinka (1964) [Video]

Chinua Achebe’s interview by Wole Soyinka (1964) [Video]

His book – Things Fall Apart – was a recruiting tool to get kids to transition from primary to secondary school. Day by Day Book 6, a book for primary 6 pupils, had a story about Nwoye, Ekwefi, Ezinma and Okonkwo. Mr. Chigbu, our teacher, began the story, culled from Things Fall Apart, and every kid wanted more. Then, the story ended, and the next day, the teacher came with the principal, ”If you want to know the complete story, you have to sign up for a common entrance exam for secondary school”. Magically, everyone wanted to stay in school to know the concluding story in Things Fall Apart. Chinua Achebe had a huge influence.

In this interview (dated 1964), Wole Soyinka interviews Chinua Achebe. The eloquence, and the excellence in this interview, of these two legends should remind everyone of us the trajectory Nigeria was going before the punctuation!

 


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12 THOUGHTS ON Chinua Achebe’s interview by Wole Soyinka (1964) [Video]

  1. This is classic. Never read the books. Today I will get these books read and return to this video. Thanks for sharing Prof. I love history. Please share more.

  2. I wish our generation will spring up like this men with wisdom fighting towards equality, justice, quality leadership..
    God bless Africa!!

  3. As far back as 1964, Wole Soyinka had declared that politicians are the same everywhere, when it comes being nervous to criticisms or attacking writers even on subject matters they do not understand!

    Just look at the natural way those guys were chatting, no attempt to speak like who you are not, yet their eloquence and clarity of thought were admirable. They had that authenticity that is seriously lacking in a lot of educated people today, even their outfits, the museum setup; everything conveyed something African.

    Today they will invite you to a shiny and intimidating studios, so rather than being yourself, you become lost, even spending time admiring the sophisticated studio settings; while your thought process has been derailed already…

    This happened before the Civil War, and subsequently there was a country!

  4. It’s encouraging to know that these 2 literary giants had such a discourse.
    I longed to see or read about their collaboration ever since I did a bit of understudy of their works and lives but found none till today.

    Hearty thanks for sharing Prof.

  5. These men were born with wisdom, not just by western Education as many today would like to think.
    Like everything about this video

  6. This is beautiful. The conversation has purification effect. Looking at the quality of human beings and their sound mind in those days, you begin to appreciate how far we have fallen towards mediocrity. This is a gift, and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to listen to them.

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