Literature: Top 5 Nigerian Writers

From Chinua Achebe to Wole Soyinka. Below are 5 Nigerian Authors whose their International success can certify to their knowledge and how deep they are into contemporary Nigerian literature:

1. Chinua Achebe

Chinua Achebe is one of the most internationally-acclaimed writers from Africa, and his death in 2013 saw an outpouring of tributes from across the globe. He is known for concocting proverbs as well as indigenous Igbo settings in his books. Perhaps, that is why Things Fall Apart is regarded as one of the finest African literature. It has been translated into over 30 languages.

2. Wole Soyinka

Prof. Wole Soyinka is a playwright, poet and writer. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, he was celebrated as the first African to receive the award. Soyinka’s writing often focuses on oppression and exploitation of the weak by the strong. Wole Soyinka has also played an important role in Nigerian politics, which has at times exposed him to great personal risk.

3. Chimamanda Adiche

The author of Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Son, The Thing Around Your Neck and Americana. Adichie is a champion when it comes to modern literature and a consistent voice that encourages women to wear their natural hair. She wrote on the Biafra War in her book Half of a Yellow Son.

4. Buchi Emecheta

Sh got married as early as age 16 and had 5 kids in 6 years, she was stuck in a sad and unhapp marriage. However, this did not deter this strong-willed woman who took up writing to find solace. This experience and background extensively shaped Emecheta’s writings. From Second class citizen to Joys of Motherhood, these books chronicle the difficulties that women go through. Joys of Motherhood is all about the maltreatment of women by the menfolk and how these women do whatever it takes to survive.

5. Ben Okri

Ben Okri is a renowned novelist and poet whose written works defy definition. He is often termed post-modern, yet his seamless interweaving of the spirit world into his stories belies this genre. His most famous work is The Famished Road (1991)