Chinua Achebe, Author of "Things Fall Apart," Will Deliver Chubb Lecture at Yale

Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, whose novel “Things Fall Apart” is the most widely read book in African literature, will speak at Yale on April 14, as a guest of the Chubb Fellowship.

Free and open to the public, his talk will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the dining hall of Timothy Dwight College, 345 Temple St.

Achebe has written over 20 books, from novels to collections of short stories, essays and poetry. “Things Fall Apart” (1958) has sold over 10 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 50 languages. His other books include “Arrow of God” (1964); “Beware, Soul Brother and Other Poems” (1971), winner of the Commonwealth Poetry Prize; “Anthills of the Savannah” (1987), which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; “Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays” (1988); and “Home and Exile” (2000).

In 2007, Achebe won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for Fiction, awarded biennially to an author who has contributed significantly to world literature.

Born in Nigeria in 1930, Achebe was raised as a Christian in the village of Ogidi, an important center of Anglican missionary work. He is a graduate of University College, Ibadan.

Achebe’s early career in radio ended in 1966 with the advent of the Biafran War. As a member of Biafra’s Ministry of Information, Achebe represented the short-lived nation on various missions. He was appointed a research fellow at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and began lecturing widely abroad. For over 15 years he was the Charles P. Stevenson Professor of Languages and Literature at Bard College. He is now the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor and professor of African Studies at Brown University.

His numerous awards include honorary fellowship in the American Academy of Arts and Letters and honorary doctorates from more than 30 colleges and universities. He also received Nigeria’s highest award for intellectual achievement, the Nigerian National Merit Award.

The Chubb Fellowship is devoted to encouraging and aiding Yale students interested in the operations of government, culture and public service. Established in 1936 through the generosity of Hendon Chubb (Yale 1895), the program is based in Timothy Dwight College. Chubb Fellows spend their time at Yale in informal contact with students and deliver a public lecture. Former Chubb Fellows include Presidents George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter; authors Octavio Paz and Toni Morrison; musician Eddie Palmieri; and journalist Walter Cronkite.