Notes on the Interview with Chinua Achebe

Jeffrey Brown is the interviewer, engaging in a discussion with Chinua Achebe.
The interview takes place fifty years after the publication of Achebe's influential novel, Things Fall Apart.

For an extended period, Africa's narratives were predominantly narrated by European writers.
This trend began to shift in the 1950s coinciding with African nations achieving independence.
African writers started penning their own stories, marking a critical cultural shift.

Things Fall Apart was published in 1958 and is recognized as a classic in world literature.
It has been translated into approximately 50 languages, with global sales reaching 11,000,000 copies.

The story is set in a village that reflects the culture of the Igbo people in present-day Nigeria.
The timeline includes the initial interactions between the Igbo people and European Christian missionaries, marking a significant cultural collision.

Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart at the young age of 28, which was his first novel.
He has authored numerous other works, focusing mainly on postcolonial Africa, alongside nonfiction and poetry.
In the previous year, he won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for Fiction.
Achebe has experienced personal challenges, being partly paralyzed due to a car accident in Nigeria in 1990.
He has predominantly resided and taught at Bard College in New York since the accident.

Achebe discusses his motivation to write, emphasizing that he recognized a personal need to convey his own story and that of his culture.
He felt a compelling urge to fill a 'gap' on the bookshelf, representing the absence of African narratives in literature.

The story is set during a pivotal moment of cultural transition, contrasting one civilization with another.
Achebe deliberately presents a realistic portrayal of village life, avoiding idealization to convey truthfulness in his narrative.
- He expresses a commitment to authenticity in storytelling, reflecting both the grandeur and weaknesses of the Igbo culture.

Achebe notes that the confrontation between cultures, primarily initiated by religion, is a central theme in his work.
He shares that his parents were converts to Christianity and actively participated in missionary work, which shaped his exposure to the foreign religion.
Despite initial acceptance of Christianity as beneficial, Achebe later recognized an oversight in acknowledging and understanding Igbo religious beliefs, which were dismissed by colonial narratives.

Achebe reflects on the surprising global reception of Things Fall Apart, which resonated with diverse audiences around the world.
Readers from different regions, such as a women's college class in Korea, expressed identification with the book's themes, equating their experiences of colonization with those portrayed in the novel.

Achebe suggests that while Things Fall Apart is rooted in specific cultural narratives, it also touches on universal human experiences that transcend geographical boundaries.
This universality allows for a connection with the diverse histories of various peoples, including those who have faced colonialism.

Achebe discusses the development of an authentic African literary voice and acknowledges that this evolution is in its early stages.
He believes that there is an increasing willingness among African writers to share their narratives post-publication of Things Fall Apart, indicating a liberation of voice and expression.
He emphasizes the importance of all African peoples retelling their stories and pursuing their own versions of history.

Chinua Achebe reflects on the progress made over fifty years since his groundbreaking novel, hopeful about the future of African storytelling and literature.