Chinua Achebe and the Igbo-African World: Between Fiction, Fact, and Historical Representation

(Hardback)

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Chinua Achebe and the Igbo-African World: Between Fiction, Fact, and Historical Representation explores Chinua Achebes literary works and how they communicated the Igbo-African world to readers. Engaging in the politics of representation, Achebe sought to demystify deterministic views of race and cultural ethnocentrism. While his books and commentaries have been very influential in shaping a unique and multifaceted view of the African world, some scholars have challenged Achebes representations of historical reality. Through in-depth analyses of his writing, contributors examine the interpretations Achebe imposed on African culture and history in his texts. The chapters cover Achebes engagement with critical issues like historical representation, gender relations, and indigenous political institutions in a changing society. Throughout, contributors present new ways for understanding Achebe's literary works and show how his work draws from African historical reality and identity while challenging Western epistemological hegemony.

Reviews

Deep, incisive, analytical, and skillfully selected. This is the book on Achebe's oeuvre that we have all been waiting for.

Author Bio

Chima J. Korieh is professor of African History at Marquette University.

Ijeoma C. Nwajiaku teaches English and African literature in the Languages Department of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Nigeria.