‘Imaginative literature’, Chinua Achebe wrote at the end of his essay The Truth of Fiction, ‘does not enslave; it liberates the mind of man. Its truth is not like the canons of orthodoxy or the irrationality of prejudice and superstition. It begins as an adventure in self-discovery and ends in wisdom and humane conscience.’ Achebe, who died on Friday, has often been called the greatest African novelist. He was, of course, a great novelist, full stop; one of the towering figures of […]

Categories: Culture & Books • Tags: african literature, chinua achebe