kannymoore:
before Chinua Achebe, Cyprian ekwensi, Wole Soyinka, Flora Nampa and the rest of them, arrived on the literary scene in the 60's, I believe that honor should be given to the forerunner of them all....AMOS TUTUOLA : whose classical novel of magic realism " The Palmwine Drinkard", opened the floodgates of African ( not just Nigerian) writers works to be published in in the West.
he may not be the greatest of them all, but he surely does deserve to be amongst the top 10.
my humble opinion.

kannymoore:
before Chinua Achebe, Cyprian ekwensi, Wole Soyinka, Flora Nampa and the rest of them, arrived on the literary scene in the 60's, I believe that honor should be given to the forerunner of them all....AMOS TUTUOLA : whose classical novel of magic realism " The Palmwine Drinkard", opened the floodgates of African ( not just Nigerian) writers works to be published in in the West.
he may not be the greatest of them all, but he surely does deserve to be amongst The top 10.
my humble opinion.

Zico5:
So the op could only point to two yoruba among the greatest literary writers in Nigeria. Even picking chinua achebe above wole soyinka, the Nobel prize winner speaks volume of the intention of the op. We yoruba don't boast, we just allow our work to speak. It shall be well.

Adaobi12:
This shows the level of moral decay among nigerian youths.
Their books helped Nigerian students, as an entertainment, educative piece.Guess you didn't do literature in school.
if it were to be list of nigerian musicians and their frivolous lifestyle, you won't make this comment. God help us.

Op you missed Jp clark, isdore okpewho.

Amberon:
I remember meeting Wole Soyinka's "supposed" friend at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in 2011. This man started giving us Wole 's history and his too while speaking grammar that I had never heard before in my life.

He explained how Wole first wrote down the book "The Man Died" on "tissue papers" because he was too broke to buy an actual note book.

Been wondering if it was true.

itodoho:
Isidore okpewho, gabriel okara, j. P clark rank among the greatest.

folksync:


Isidore Okpewho is a literary wizard!!!!! I love that man!!!!!

stubbornman:

Men nobody is making comparisons here ,they're all Nigerians but on a contrary Chinua Achebe is just too good
and for the records Yoruba guys can boast ehn....Ahhhhhh!!!

Adaobi12:
The guy sure has a great literary skills.

Nairalanders pls am searching for sites where i can download African novels. full versions not preview copies. pls anyone with an idea?

folksync:


But never as good as Soyinka!!!!! It is not about the tribe. And I aren't making mouth!!!!!

stubbornman:

please never you say "never as good" they maybe on same range...and if you pay attention you'll realise that comparing these two doesn't even make brain
they are great writers!!
anybody can make a list...but this my dear is a fair list

playtheblues:
Can you even write an essay about yourself?

AyamConfidence:
I've read books from almost all those writers before phone and Nairaland came into my life and took away my reading culture... I need to go back to the former times...I've read books by Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie, Flora Nwapa, Ola Rotimi, Cyprian Ekwensi, and Buchi Emecheta .......those books made me more knowledgeable.... God bless those great people....I will build a library for my kids which must contain great works from these writers


(does anybody beat my record?? I don't think so)

folksync:


This is not a fair list!!!!! It is an insult to African literature to place Achebe over writers like Soyinka and Ekwensi just because he published one hyped novel!!!!!

Mind you, I am not discrediting Achebe's achievements!!!!! Sorry, Soyinka should top that list, followed by the late Cyprian Ekwensi!!!!! If you think it is that easy to win a Nobel prize, why haven't we had a Nigerian winner since after Soyinka South Africans have had a second after Nadine Gordimer!!!!! The last time Achebe published anything mighty was in the 60s with Arrow of God!!!!!

Also, what is Adichie doing on the list!!!!! Does she even come close to JP Clark who was left out of the list And what is Akachi also doing there A wonderful professor and a great writer, but not deserving a place on that list that should have included masters like Okpewho, Chukwuemeka Ike and many others!!!!!

Orikinla:


[size=28pt]Your fada is more Ode than you.
When Chimamanda wins the Man Booker Prize, then you can open your dirty mouth.
You can never even come close to me in the literary world, cinema and even blogging.
Amazon.com: Michael Chima Ekenyerengozi: Books, Biography, Blog ...
www.amazon.com/Michael-Chima-Ekenyerengozi/e/B00JCNHUIG
8 Results - Nollywood Mirror by Ekenyerengozi, Michael Chima (2013) Paperback. $141.35. Paperback. NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Second Edition (NOLLYWOOD ...

Michael Chima Ekenyerengozi | Shadow and Act - Indiewire
blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/author/michael-chima-ekenyerengozi
Jun 9, 2015 - Michael Chima Ekenyerengozi. Articles by Michael Chima Ekenyerengozi(1 - 10 of 22). Shadow and Act. 2 comments. like. 0. tweet. Nollywood

[/size]

stubbornman:

I understand you man ..I guess you have not read "there was a country by Achebe" as well as all the controversies surrounding the book as regards to its message its a recent write up by Achebe...bro Soyinka's achievement is beneficiary to all Nigerians as well as the Achebe's too....the people you listed over Adichie are powerful writers but like I said this is the Op's opinion...you can proffer a counter thread for us to see too...you're well informed...kudos

DropShot:
There are only two as far as I'm concerned:

1. The winner of a Nobel Peace Prize in Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka.

2. The rest.

Running out quickly to dodge missiles.

Politicalidiot:


You will build.? I already have a personal collection of over 200novels and story books. I have ar least 1 novel from each writer there. But this online thing has really killed my reading culture. See books like Harry Potter (hope u know how fat it is) I read in 3 days. Now 2 weeks and am not done. All thanks to the Internet and blog posts. lol. The question now is, how do we revive our reading culture.

folksync:

Thanks, bro!!!!! I will try and get Achebe's "There Was A Country"

crotonite:
Mostly igbos, maka y?

Zico5:

My God see response. But if it is chinua achebe that got the prize, u will praise him to the highest heaven. So Nobel prize is just an award, I don't blame u but ur reasoning. Go and google those influential people that have taken the award and their antecedents. U need knowledge.

eitsei:
I think the title would have been better called top igbo writers in Nigeria

Akshow:
Op Pls Google zainab alkali and Abubakar gimba. And again, there is only one nobel prize winner of literature, he is the number one. His works cuts across all literary genre, unlike chinua achebe that only writes prose fiction.

Afromalaika:

I shouldn't have dignified a response to a bleak mind but I guess u needed to be informed and thus my response.
Have you ever heard of D.O. Fagunwa, Mamman Vatsa, Akilu Aliu, Dan Fulani, Abimbola Adelakun, Zainab Alkali,Uwem Akpan, Tolu Ajayi, Gabriel Okara. Etc.
I know some of the's names are strange to you probably because you don't carry out proper research before writing.
In view of this, You are strongly advised to change the misleading title from 10 Greatest writers in Nigerian History to 10 GREATEST WRITERS I PREFERED.
By so doing, nobody will crucify you.

fabre4:



Nobel prize is just an award every writer mustn't be presented with the award to be recognized as the best take a look at times most influential people in the world , richest people in the world, greats in every field of life how many of them have the award even uncle Shakespeare never got it that is to tell u that the award is limited to time and chance

olushowunm:
Why do igbos like to re-write history? First Wole Soyinka should not be on that list as second. Instead you change the title and write it. "GREATEST BIAFRAN WRITERS IN HISTORY"

DropShot:

Yes, I can.

Next?

DropShot:

You could have 9 persons not even measuring up to 1 person. Show me their Nobel Peace Prize, then I take you serious.

DropShot:
There are only two as far as I'm concerned:

1. The winner of a Nobel Peace Prize in Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka.

2. The rest.

Running out quickly to dodge missiles.

asha90:
4 out of 10 are Anambrans..we lead the pack as always.

1. Chinua Achebe- (Ogidi)

2. Cyprian Ekwensi- (Nkwelle-Ezunaka)

3. Chimamanda Adichie- (Abba)

4. Akachi Adimorah- (Uga)



Anambra, truly the light of the entire black race.