Harvard celebrates Achebe, Things Fall Apart
From Ronke Olawale (Boston) and Laolu Akande (New York)

THE event was first announced in October. Elder statesman, renowned Nigerian author and social critic, Prof. Chinua Achebe, would deliver the 2008 Harvard African Studies Lecture titled, "From the cradle of childhood."





Dressed in a grey turtle-necked traditional Igbo attire and a red cap, Achebe's sudden appearance silenced the chattering audience in the packed lecture auditorium in CGIS yesterday evening. They had been seated since 3.35 p.m. for an event that began at 4.00 p.m. The audience, a majority of whom had never met Achebe, was no doubt charmed by this enigma.

From the moment he entered the room in company of his wife and professor of Psychology, Mrs. Achebe, his son, Dr. Chidi and daughter-in-law, Dr. Mimi Achebe, the audience fell silent in awe of a man whom many deemed as the face of African literature for the past half-century. And this was the atmosphere as the event progressed.

To the surprise of all, Achebe without regrets told the audience that he had not come to deliver a lecture, "but to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of African literature and I will do this through poetry rather than prose."

The poems were his reflections on politics, the socio-economic situation in Nigeria and, of course, Africa. From the disillusionment of a mother in a refugee camp 'Christmas in Biafra,' and vultures picking at carcasses to a dirge for his late friend, Christopher Okigbo, Achebe's poetry also gave 'kudos to those who do nothing and say nothing.'

His voice ascended and descended in volume as he read slowly but meticulously through nine of his poems, which explore African culture and history, with particular attention to his Igbo tradition.

The first poem, "The Explorer" he said, was one he loves so much but curiously, neither had listed as part of any readings nor did he know why it was ever written. While commenting on the poem, a colleague of his had considered it a 'reflection on his accident experience,' but Achebe said he actually wrote it before the incident.

He also read his Commonwealth Poetry Prize winning work, 'Beware, Soul brother,' which he said, the Queen of England, once asked for permission to use its last six lines in a speech.

In a lighter mood, Achebe drew laughter from the audience as he noted: "Don't ask me if I agreed, of course I did and you can see why I always read it."

The Achebe event, titled "From the Kingdom of Childhood," was the sixth yearly lecture of the Committee on African Studies, arranged in conjunction with the W.E.B. DuBois Institute and the Department for African and African-American Studies.

Achebe did not shy away from answering questions on the political situation in his home country as he was asked why he quit politics. "I was invited by a man I admired most among Nigerian politicians, the late Aminu Kano, to join his political party, the defunct People's Redemption Party (PRP). I thought this to be a huge joke but I agreed to be Vice President. I thought it was the most serious party but unfortunately, Aminu Kano died after the transaction and the ambulence of Nigerian politics became clear to me; , I therefore, quietly withdrew," he explained.

Hauwa Ibrahim's questions drew fresh thoughts on Nigeria's nationhood when she asked if Things Fall Apart had been translated into Hausa language. She said: "I have two sons and I have tried to translate the book into Hausa for them but I couldn't,' and she also wanted to know what was way forward for the nation.

To the first question, Achebe said he was not aware of any such translations but that this dream would be fulfilled "if you succeed in getting the Igbo and the Hausa into conversation, "

And regarding the solution to the Nigerian problem, he simply said: "If anyone is able to give me an answer to this one question, I would be the happiest person on earth. We are in this together, and I can feel the sentiment in your voice, just as many other patriotic Nigerians, Why can't we get our act together?"

And so, as the grand finale of the world-wide celebrations of Things Fall Apart was marked at Harvard, Prof. Achebe and his famous book were again the centre of attraction as they had been earlier this week at the leading U.S. university, where scholars; both Nigerians and Americans, diplomats, students, journalists, readers of the book, friends and family of the author marked the 50 years anniversary of its publication.

For the better part of this year, the book has been enjoying world-wide attention and Harvard's reception on Monday evening seemed like a glorious wrap for the year-long celebrations.

Harvard, Achebe said, was for him "a special place, a great institution, the greatest institution in the world, at least one of the top two or three - I dare say, my friends at Cambridge and Oxford, may frown at this statement , I am not an expert in these matters - but that is the university's reputation."

He recalled his long connection to the top U.S. ivy school thus: "I have been invited to Harvard to lecture, talk or visit about six times in my career, I have even received an honorary doctorate from this great institution. Each time, I have come to your campus, I have been the benefactor of your famous hospitality, felt a special kinship with your scholars and students, and left deeply gratified."

Among the audience at the Harvard Club reception held at the Tsai Auditorium for Achebe were also U.S.-based Nigerian intellectuals, some of whom he described as "my old friends." Some of them are Harvard professors.

He thanked and mentioned some of them by name, including Professors Abiola Irele and Jacob Olupona, Biodun Jeyifo and African-American Professor Henry Louis Gates Jnr., all Harvard teachers.

Before the Monday night reception, Prof. Achebe, his wife Christie, who is herself a professor of Psychology at Bard College, and son, Chidi and daughter-in-law, Mimi, had a private meeting with the Harvard University President Drew Faust. In the U.S., Vice Chancellors are called Presidents.

In all, Achebe's visit to Harvard took the better part of two days and he also spent time at Harvard to grant interviews to the school newspaper, Crimson, and interact with graduate students from the famous Kennedy School of Government.

Other dignitaries who attended some of the events in honour of Achebe in Harvard included the Harvard University Provost, Dr. Steven E. Hyman, former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington and his wife; professors, friends, and students from W.E.B. DuBois Institute and the Department for African and African-American Studies.

In its publication on Achebe's visit , Crimson reported that "from the moment that he entered the room (where he read poem), the audience fell silent in deference to a man whom many deem the face of African literature for the past half-century."

Olupona, professor of African-American Studies and chair of the Committee on African-American Studies at Harvard, said he appreciated that Achebe had used his status as a literary hero to advocate for social change in Nigeria.

"He's proud to be a Nigerian, but that doesn't stop him from critiquing (the country)," Olupona said. "He's become a voice for many of us."

Also, according to Chidi, Achebe's son, who accompanied him to Harvard and himself the President and Chief Executive Officer of a local Boston Health Centre, the reception at Harvard was in a class of its own compared to many of the world-wide celebrations of Achebe and his book all through this year.

In an interview with The Guardian yesterday, Dr. Chidi Achebe: "The visit was very special. Our own Harvard-based professors, Professors Abiola Irele, Jacob Olupona, Biodun Jeyifo and Chukwuma Azuonye were fantastic hosts. Meeting Dr. Faust, Harvard University President, was a particular treat. "

Chidi, who has been with his father at several of the celebrations this year added: "I am deeply grateful to God for this year's world-wide celebrations of Things Fall Apart, and for being able to witness many of the events around the world. I continue to be 'awe struck by the gift and power of the written word."

The Achebe-Things for Apart celebrations started in Lisbon, Portugal, then later moved to New York, then on to Princeton University where it was this year's assigned book of the series Princeton reads; then it was off to Washington DC., North Carolina; and then Philadelphia, as well as Buffalo State University and Bard College both in New York State. There was also a conference in Texas hosted by Chido Nwangwu of USAFRICA.

Back home, the Association of Nigerian Authors also threw what Chidi called "a hell of an intellectual party in five states and seven cities." There were additional conferences in Nigeria, including at Obafemi Awolowo University and Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Another is being planned for Enugu.

The celebrations have also spread to Bangladesh - Dhaka University; four universities in India; the university of Toronto, Canada; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, multi-city events in South Africa, Gambia, Cameroun; and in October, one of the year's biggest intellectual splashes - the Things Fall Apart conference at London University's School of Oriental and African Studies, hosted by Prof. Lyn Innes.

According to Achebe's son, the major highlight of the year was the recent celebration at America's Library of Congress, where the Things Fall Apart party attracted African intellectuals of note like Dr. Ali Mazrui, Ama Ata Aidoo, Simon Gikandi - and members of the Washington DC. African-American intellectual establishment led by Eleanor Taylor and others from Howard University.

An overwhelmed Chidi said: "I vividly remember looking on recently in London as Prof. Achebe was feted at Britain's House of Lords and as a special guest of the Booker Foundation, and thinking to myself "only God can provide such a gift to a man from a small village in Africa that has touched so many in so many parts of the world!"

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/nov/20/16.html