BluntBoy:


Between Soyinka and Achebe, Achebe was the asslicker of the British.

Soyinka mocks the white in most of his works while Achebe portrayed the whites as superior to the blacks.

Even in his personal life, Soyinka refused to tolerate the white man's religion. None of his children bears foreign names. He is a traditional man to the core.

He won the Nobel prize purely on merit.

mr man according to PearlStreet you know nothing too. Don't drag my lazy ass here again, dem men done live their live to the full, me i'm still trying to make my own.

kolaxed98:
mtcheew!!

none of them reach wole soyinka thumb

Chinua Achebe is regarded as the father of African literature.

His books are the most translated books in Africa.

Soyinka will never have that kind of legacy.

Ezniteadin:
She is a bigoted Tribalist desperately seeking to divide through sentiments, She loves all four but was seen beggarly seeking a Pose with Wole Soyinka Last week. I have read all four and none of them write as excellent as Wole Soyinka. "Go read Ake", "The man died" The Trial of brother Jero", "You must break forth at dawn" Idanre and the other Poems, "A shuttle in the crypt" "Climate of Fear" "King Baabu" "Opera Wonyosi" Season of anatomy" and others and be amazed or thrown into the realms of his mystical minds and erudition, she always seeks to promote her tribe by these drifts, everyone knows that the Soyinka race ranks high in intellectual dexterity in literature, law and medicine and general science, despite her passive acquiescence.

These four of her choice are the only hero of her race, Chimammanda must grow up and stop these selfish selection and her constant rhetorical diatribe against the huge intelligence resident in Nigeria, I have always picked certain of her conjectures and you can see Tribalism emitting from her constitution. If you have read Ayi Kwei Armah, Nadine Gordimer,Ben Okri, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Dennis Brutus, Mongo Beti, Jomo Kenyatta,Thomas Mafolo and many others, to limit excellence to her tribe is shameful and an obvious bias

How did she limit excellence to her tribe, you inferiority complex bigot?
She listed the books that touched her, and also claimed igboland has produced great writers which is a fact.
How does the above statement limit excellence to her tribe?
If I claim my child is brilliant, does that mean others are not brilliant.

Chinua Achebe's book is the most translated book in Africa, and is in used in college and high school education in many parts.of the world.

Maybe, you are not wrong. Igboland is the custodian of excellence.

kolaxed98:
mtcheew!!

none of them reach wole soyinka thumb

She mentioned those that inspired and influenced her,is it not her's to say? Maybe she wasnt opportuned to read Wole Shiyinka. Please let us stop these endless division that does us no good.

texazzpete:


Point to one thing in my earlier statement that insinuates that I think Soyinka had an influence on her writing. Why do you people have such severe comprehension issues?!

The compression issues here is of your makings, stop whining and face the fact.
The above listed legendary writers influenced Chimamanda's writing style and you are the person that brought Igbo here not me.

Kellibae:
Amanda my role model.

Modified.. Afonjas are really insecure people.
So Amanda mentioned her influencers in writing and they are crying and wailling because she didn't mention YORUBA

what nonsense you're posting this early morning...

PearlStreet:


Bro, that's the sad truth.

That's how most Igbos see other Nigerians. Igbos and others.

Chinua Achebe carried this same bitterness in him and that's why he wrote the last piece of trash he wrote. In fact, GEJ was so pissed that he didn't give Chinua Achebe a state burial and Chinua was buried like a dog.

Do you know that till today, as eternally stupid as it sounds, most Igbos still blame Soyinka for not allowing Chinua Achebe win a Nobel.

One was arguing with me last year that Achebe didn't win a Nobel cos he supported Biafra. I had to remind him the Soyinka supported Biafra and in fact, was jailed for supporting Biafra. As at when Soyinka was jailed for Biafra, Chinua Achebe was travelling around the world, sleeping with college girls in America.

Chumamanda is just a chip off the old block: clannish, tribalistic, bitter and frustrated feminist.

I think the problem here is comprehension. She was at an Igbo cultural event. She was speaking on her writing influences that are Igbo. She was stating her opinion. You are a bigot.

JourneytoEL:
imagine waking up in the morning and hearing that innocent people are been killed nationwide just because of their tribe , your friends and family, then people come to you telling you to leave your house and run back to your hometown to avoid been killed, you plan to leave for the next day with your kinsman on that day but on reaching his home you see him dead and you and your family barely escaped to your hometown all just because of your tribe, this is just a bit of what he passed through, believe many of us would be bitter if we had such a horrific experience, please don't always judge people based on such actions because you have no idea what they have been through. Remember he rejected the national award that was bestowed on him and I am sure his spirit would not have rested peacefully if he was given a national burial by a country that betrayed him. Even Prof. Wole might reject a state burial because he did not believe the country he fought would end up been this corrupt. It is not pride but rather satisfying your conscience.

You sincerely M.A.D for pointing fingers. The igbos are not moving forward because they've failed to accept that only failures point blaming fingers. Yoruba sophistication won't allow for that because we are after progress and we need more people to come and invest in our land to boost our progress. We've made anemies our best friend that they can't do without us. As for those shouting tribalist upandawn u are all M.A.D because we are all tribalist in this country. And I respect Achebe and Soyinka but support my own.

wwwmaster:

The compression issues here is of your makings, stop whining and face the fact.
The above listed legendary writers influenced Chimamanda's writing style and you are the person that brought Igbo here not me.

Chimamanda brought Igbo into the discussion. She specifically listed Igbo writers that influenced her.

You truly suffer from comprehension issues. Kai.

phekima:
Logical, her writings are beautifully nuanced with Igbo traditions. Forget Wole Soyinka; when it comes to telling a beautiful story, Prof doesn't really come close to any of 'em.

From the dawn of time, the Igbos have always been great storytellers, while the Yorubas on the other hand, extremely excellent poets.

The type of intelligent patronising nonsense I love to read on NL...

texazzpete:


Chimamanda brought Igbo into the discussion. She specifically listed Igbo writers that influenced her.

You truly suffer from comprehension issues. Kai.

Lol
You are still crying for this straightforward comment.
Chimamanda listed the names of great writers that influenced her and you came crying with Wole whom I don't know how many people that have even read any of his works.

Funny enough you keep shouting comprehension, someone that ealier denied mentioning Wole.

germaphobe:
mr man according to PearlStreet you know nothing too. Don't drag my lazy ass here again, dem men done live their live to the full, me i'm still trying to make my own.

What is this one gibbering about?

You people should always have the decency to shut up when you have goofed.

You didn't remember that you had your life to make when you were peddling beer parlor gossips about why Achebe didn't get a Nobel prize abi? It was when I schooled your ignorant ass that you suddenly remembered. What a clown

chiboy1116:
I guess u don't even know the meaning of a novel , a novel is also a prose and that's Achebe's specialty . Poetry and drama goes to Soyinka .

Where did I write that a novel is not prose?

You were ignorant and I corrected you.

Prose is not all about storytelling. Prose includes articles, essays, memoirs, etcetera. And if we were to judge their overall outputs, Soyinka is a far better prose writer than Achebe. However, Achebe was the better storyteller.

Hu

tollyboy5:

You sincerely M.A.D for pointing fingers. The igbos are not moving forward because they've failed to accept that only failures point blaming fingers. Yoruba sophistication won't allow for that because we are after progress and we need more people to come and invest in our land to boost our progress. We've made anemies our best friend that they can't do without us. As for those shouting tribalist upandawn u are all M.A.D because we are all tribalist in this country. And I respect Achebe and Soyinka but support my own.

Igbos not moving forward?
NL has really created an avenue for every tom and dick to showcase their super stupidity!

Ezniteadin:
She is a bigoted Tribalist desperately seeking to divide through sentiments, She loves all four but was seen beggarly seeking a Pose with Wole Soyinka Last week. I have read all four and none of them write as excellent as Wole Soyinka. "Go read Ake", "The man died" The Trial of brother Jero", "You must break forth at dawn" Idanre and the other Poems, "A shuttle in the crypt" "Climate of Fear" "King Baabu" "Opera Wonyosi" Season of anatomy" and others and be amazed or thrown into the realms of his mystical minds and erudition, she always seeks to promote her tribe by these drifts, everyone knows that the Soyinka race ranks high in intellectual dexterity in literature, law and medicine and general science, despite her passive acquiescence.

These four of her choice are the only hero of her race, Chimammanda must grow up and stop these selfish selection and her constant rhetorical diatribe against the huge intelligence resident in Nigeria, I have always picked certain of her conjectures and you can see Tribalism emitting from her constitution. If you have read Ayi Kwei Armah, Nadine Gordimer,Ben Okri, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Dennis Brutus, Mongo Beti, Jomo Kenyatta,Thomas Mafolo and many others, to limit excellence to her tribe is shameful and an obvious bias

You guys are so much bittered. Kpele.

Soyinka writes plays and Amanda writes prose. How do you expect a Playwrite to influence a storyteller?

Collins10:
Chinua Achebe was buried like a dog? Please keep quiet if you have nothing to say.

Your grandfather wasn't famous, but was he buried like a dog? I don't think so.
I think your family probably pooled resources together and buried him respectfully in your own gentle way.

Do you know what it means to be 'buried like a dog'?

Chinua Achebe wasn't given a State Burial. He was not buried with ablomp like someone of his celebrity status should have, but he definitely was not buried like a dog.

Some of you throw words around carelessly!

I was at the burial.

His body was received at the Abuja Airport by over 11 cultural troupes from different African countries.

After the reception, he was flown direct to Enugu Airport were SE Governors Forum and Ohaneze Ndi Igbo received his body and handed over to the King of Ogidi. This was after the academic procession by UNN.

At the burial, Jonathan was President, President of Ghana was present, 3 other countries sent representatives and Peter Obi was the MC.

His family donated 163 Million Naira to St. Philips Anglican the burial service was held in. That church was built by Achebe's father as were told by Achebe's son during his speech.

GEJ and President of Ghana promised to rebuilt the primary school Achebe attended as a joint Nigeria-Ghana collaboration.

Shagari wasn't given a state burial, Ekwueme wasn't given a state burial, Awolowo wasn't given a State burial.

Only Ojukwu was. Achebe was buried with honour. What again are yorubas asking for?

tollyboy5:

You sincerely M.A.D for pointing fingers. The igbos are not moving forward because they've failed to accept that only failures point blaming fingers. Yoruba sophistication won't allow for that because we are after progress and we need more people to come and invest in our land to boost our progress. We've made anemies our best friend that they can't do without us. As for those shouting tribalist upandawn u are all M.A.D because we are all tribalist in this country. And I respect Achebe and Soyinka but support my own.

Yoruba sophistication with Mc Oluomo as their enforcer in chief. I haf dai.

Agbero sophistication.

PearlStreet:


Bro, that's the sad truth.

That's how most Igbos see other Nigerians. Igbos and others.

Chinua Achebe carried this same bitterness in him and that's why he wrote the last piece of trash he wrote. In fact, GEJ was so pissed that he didn't give Chinua Achebe a state burial and Chinua was buried like a dog.

Do you know that till today, as eternally stupid as it sounds, most Igbos still blame Soyinka for not allowing Chinua Achebe win a Nobel.

One was arguing with me last year that Achebe didn't win a Nobel cos he supported Biafra. I had to remind him the Soyinka supported Biafra and in fact, was jailed for supporting Biafra. As at when Soyinka was jailed for Biafra, Chinua Achebe was travelling around the world, sleeping with college girls in America.

Chumamanda is just a chip off the old block: clannish, tribalistic, bitter and frustrated feminist.

You'll rot in your hatred.

BluntBoy:




Where did I write that a novel is not prose?

You were ignorant and I corrected you.

Prose is not all about storytelling. Prose includes articles, essays, memoirs, etcetera. And if we were to judge their overall outputs, Soyinka is a far better prose writer than Achebe. However, Achebe was the better storyteller.

ignorance is a disease ..how many drama has Achebe written?...you should ask yourself that .

1Dray:


Soyinka writes garbage.

he writes things your brain is not capable of comprehending

chiefolododo:
he writes things your brain is not capable of comprehending

You think everyone is a dumb Olodo like you. He writes garbage, if you don't like this naked fact go advise him to go back to learn how to write or you can dive into the lagoon.

1Dray:



You think everyone is a dumb Olodo like you. He writes garbage, if you don't like this naked fact go advise him to go back to learn how to write or you can dive into the lagoon.

your father should be flogged for giving birth to you

chiefolododo:
your father should be flogged for giving birth to you

Your mother should be jailed for giving birth to a stupid fellow like you. Stupid fellow, continue whiling away your time on Nairaland, don't go and find something and do for yourself.

the kind things one reads on Nairaland eh :Dthe kind things one reads on Nairaland eh

1Dray:



You think everyone is a dumb Olodo like you. He writes garbage, if you don't like this naked fact go advise him to go back to learn how to write or you can dive into the lagoon.

You de mind them
Me: Name great Yoruba writers you know
Yoruba: Wole na
Me: And?
Yoruba: Soyinka ni
Me: I see , and who again ?
Yoruba: Professor Wole Soyinka baba ni
Me : f u c k #smh

eDeity:
Hu

Igbos not moving forward?
NL has really created an avenue for every tom and dick to showcase their super stupidity!

Okay igbos are progressing. Y'all should stop dis bullshit . unnecessary argument

chiboy1116:
ignorance is a disease ..how many drama has Achebe written?...you should ask yourself that .

I thought we were talking about prose?

What has drama got to do with it?

eDeity:


You de mind them
Me: Name great Yoruba writers you know
Yoruba: Wole na
Me: And?
Yoruba: Soyinka ni
Me: I see , and who again ?
Yoruba: Professor Wole Soyinka baba ni
Me : f u c k #smh

Only an ignorant Yoruba would answer in that manner.

1Dray:



You think everyone is a dumb Olodo like you. He writes garbage, if you don't like this naked fact go advise him to go back to learn how to write or you can dive into the lagoon.

He writes garbage

Your level of ignorance is staggering

RTSC:

Chinua Achebe is regarded as the father of African literature.

His books are the most translated books in Africa.

Soyinka will never have that kind of legacy.

First of all, Chinua Achebe is regarded by many as "Father of modern African literature". This does not mean that he was the father of modern African literature. This appellation is due to the fact that Achebe helped many African writers get published through the African Writers Series that he edited.

Second, Achebe's books are not the most translated books in Africa. As a matter of fact, Achebe's fame lies strongly in one of his books-- Things Fall Apart, and not in all his books. Things Fall Apart is the most translated book by an African writer.

Third, you wrote that Soyinka can never have that kind of legacy. I just laugh at your ignorance. That your book is well-translated does not mean you are better than writers with lesser numbers of translations. The Adventures of Pinocchio is the second most widely translated book in the world after the Holy Bible but does that mean the writer was greater than William Shakespeare? Does that mean the writer of The Adventures of Pinocchio was greater than writers like Leo Tolstoy, Homer, George Orwell, Charles Dickens, etceteras? Of course, not.

The only book that is very likely to remain well-translated is the Bible. In the future, a Soyinka book may beat Achebe's Things Fall Apart in numbers of translations but Achebe can never win the Nobel Prize.

So, as you can see, what you think is Achebe's legacy can be erased in years but the fact that Soyinka's Nobel prize in Literature was the first by an African will remain forever in history.

HappyPagan:

The type of intelligent patronising nonsense I love to read on NL...

Not nonsense, my dear. Historically Practical. If you're well conversant with the literary space, you wouldn't be fussing so much.
You don't see much Yoruba novelists or fiction writers becoming popular for their fiction, but poets, yes yes. And poetry excellence is gently tilted towards the yorubas.
Here:
Novelists: Ben Okri, Chinua Achebe, Chimamanda Adichie, Cyprian Ekwensi, Elechi Amadi (inserting Soyinka into this list just looks odd.
Poets: Wole Soyinka, Niyi Osundare, Jimi Solanke, Adebayo Faleti, Christopher Okigbo (only igbo poet that can comfortably sit in this list)

Another interesting fact? The Brunel International Poetry prize is the highest of its kind in Africa. The 3 previous winners to have come from Nigeria and won the prize have all been Yorubas. The only Igbo co-won with another Yoruba poet.
Brunel Poetry Prize: Gbenga Adesina, Romeo Oriogun, Gbenga Adeoba (final throng).

There you have the basis.

BluntBoy:


First of all, Chinua Achebe is regarded by many as "Father of modern African literature". This does not mean that he was the father of modern African literature. This appellation is due to the fact that Achebe helped many African writers get published through the African Writers Series that he edited.

Second, Achebe's books are not the most translated books in Africa. As a matter of fact, Achebe's fame lies strongly in one of his books-- Things Fall Apart, and not in all his books. Things Fall Apart is the most translated book by an African writer.

Third, you wrote that Soyinka can never have that kind of legacy. I just laugh at your ignorance. That your book is well-translated does not mean you are better than writers with lesser numbers of translations. The Adventures of Pinocchio is the second most widely translated book in the world after the Holy Bible but does that mean the writer was greater than William Shakespeare? Does that mean the writer of The Adventures of Pinocchio was greater than writers like Leo Tolstoy, Homer, George Orwell, Charles Dickens, etceteras? Of course, not.

The only book that is very likely to remain well-translated is the Bible. In the future, a Soyinka book may beat Achebe's Things Fall Apart in numbers of translations but Achebe can never win the Nobel Prize.

So, as you can see, what you think is Achebe's legacy can be erased in years but the fact that Soyinka's Nobel prize in Literature was the first by an African will remain forever in history.

Achebe is regarded by many as the father of African literature.
It was not just to sound good. It was a recognition of unparalleled artistic skill.
It is that same originality that has ensured his work will remain as the most translated, most read, most discussed African work of literature on earth.

The Nobel is not the be all and end all. They have their specific requirements that may disqualify other great works.
It does not in any way confer absolute and unbeatable royalty on any prospective winner.

The taste of the pudding is in the eating. The most read, most translated, most studied African literature has conferred on itself a prestige that the Nobel cannot buy.

Tolstoy as well as Soyinka were good. But that is just it.
They were good. Nothing revolutionary.