Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has described Africa’s most well known novelist, Chinua Achebe, as a storyteller who earned global celebration, adding, however, that those describing Achebe as “the father of African literature” were ignorant.

In a wide-ranging interview with SaharaReporters, Soyinka paid tribute to the late novelist who died on March 21, 2013 at 82. Soyinka, who won the 1986 Nobel Prize for literature, also spoke on his personal relationship with Achebe and other Nigerian writers; his regrets about Achebe’s last book, There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra; and his attempt to talk the late Biafran leader, Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, out of fighting a war. Soyinka also answered questions about Heinemann’s African Writers Series and scolded “clannish” and “opportunistic hagiographers” fixated on the fact that Achebe never won the Nobel Prize.

Below is the full text of the interview.

Question: Do you recall where or how you first learned about the death of Professor Chinua Achebe? And what was your first reaction?

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Sounds like blood in the ocean for the ethnic sharks. They will swarm all over this. Sir Soyinka pls do not condescend to the level of tribal bigotry. Getting respected by only your people won't do your reputation any good as you may live very long to bear it. You are too big to be a chauvinist. Let Achebe rest in peace. Thank you sir