•Nigerian writers of all time
Nigeria is blessed with talented writers recognised globally for contributing to African literature and other humanitarian works. Each author in this article has been influenced or inspired by their backgrounds or life experiences. The Nigerian writers of all time discussed below consist of those still active and those who are no more. Their works are very much alive; still relevant till today, reports Nigerian Tribune.
1. Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe was a critic, writer, poet and an influential figure in modern African literature. He was born 16 November 1930. Igbo culture and Christianity shaped Achebe’s ideology —- which he really demonstrated in his writings.
During his days as a student at the University of Ibadan, Achebe was very critical of how the Western literature depicted Africa. He prioritised promoting Africa, the Igbo people and socio-political issues eroding Nigeria and the continent.
He is regarded as the “father of African literature” and “father of the African novel in English.” His novels such as “Things Fall Apart” and “Arrow of God” are globally studied and translated into various languages. Achebe is one of the prominent and great Nigerian writers of all times. He died in 2013.
2. Wole Soyinka
Wole Soyinka is an award-winning playwright, poet, essayist and novelist. He was born July 13, 1934, in Abeokuta, Southwest Nigeria. He attended University of Ibadan and University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.
Soyinka was very vocal during the military era in Nigeria, even today. In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for his contribution to drama, poetry, and African culture. Some of his prominent works are “The Lion and the Jewel” and “The Swamp Dwellers.” Wole Soyinka is a well-celebrated Nigerian writer.
3. D.O. Fagunwa
Daniel Orowole Fagunwa popularly known as D.O Fagunwa was a famous (and still) novelist that used Yoruba language to portray traditional and Christian beliefs, idioms and folktales. He was born in 1903 in Ondo State. He attended St. Luke Oke-Igbo and St. Andrews College where he was trained as a teacher.
His novel, “Ogboju Ode ninu Igbo Irunmole” is considered as the first Yoruba novel and also first to be written in an African language. Others are Adiitu Olodumare, Ireke Onibudo, Igbo Olodumare and so on.
He was honoured with the Margaret Wrong Prize in 1955 and Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1959. Fagunwa was a very exceptional writer; one of the greatest writers Nigeria ever had. Fagunwa died in 1963 after drowning in a river.
4. Femi Osofisan
Femi Osofisan was born 16 June 1946 in Erunwon village, Ogun state. He had his primary school in Ife, secondary at Government College Ibadan. Then he proceeded to the University of Ilorin and University of Sorbonne Paris for Postgraduate studies.
Osofisan is passionate about social issues in society and has written numerous plays and prose, such as Women of Owu, Maami, Who’s Afraid of Solarin? Pirates of Hurt, and so on. His works explicate traditions, social division, and women’s ordeals. Apart from being a writer, Osofisan is also a Professor of Theatre Arts.
5. Amos Tutuola
Amos Tutuola was born 20 June 1920, in Wasinmi, Abeokuta Ogun state. Tutuola had a formal education but was short. He grew up with Christian parents and cocoa farmers who lived in Wasinmi. Despite Tutuola’s educational background, his novels were written in English.
As a famous writer, Amos worked with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation Ibadan, as a storekeeper. He was also an associate of the International Writing Programme at the University of Iowa. Some of his notable works are; The Palmwine Drinkard, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, Dead Palmwine Tapster, among others. His writings have been translated to different languages. He died in 1997.
6. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an award-winning author who was born on September 15, 1977, in Anambra state but raised in Enugu state. She attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and then moved to the United States, where she studied at various Universities, such as Yale, Johs Hopkins, Drexel, and Eastern Connecticut.
While growing up, Adichie was influenced by the tragic passing of her grandparents during the Nigerian civil war. She reflected on it in her early writings. In 1997, she published a collection of poems followed by a play called “For Love of Biafra” in 1998. Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus was released in 2003, then Half of a Yellow (2006), Americanah (2013) and so on. Adichie is a strong figure in feminist literature.
7. Buchi Emecheta
Buchi Emecheta was born on 21 July 1944 in Lagos. She attended a missionary school and then Methodist Girls Grammar School. Emecheta became an orphan at an early age. Afterwards, she got married, but her experience there was not pleasant.
Writing was the only way she could express her feelings, so she embraced it fully. Her novels, The Bride Price, Second Class Citizen, and In the Ditch, are based on her experiences. Emecheta worked with different literary organisations and community groups. She died in 2017.
8. Cyprian Ekwensi
Cyprian Ekwensi was a foremost Nigerian writer. He was born 26 September 1921 to David Anadumaka, a hunter and storyteller. He is a native of Anambra State. Ekwensi studied at Government College in Ibadan, Achimota College in Ghana and the School of Forestry Ibadan. He studied Pharmacy at Yaba Technical Institute, Lagos and Chelsea School of Pharmacy, London.
Some of Ekwensi’s notable works are Jagua Nana, Burning Grass, When Love Whispers, The Drummer Boy and so on. He also wrote scripts for television and radio productions. He died in 2007.
9. Niyi Osundare
Niyi Osundare is a Nigerian playwright, poet and literary critic. He was born 12 March 1947 in Ikere Ekiti. He attended St. Luke Primary School and Amoye in Ikere Ekiti for his secondary school. He studied English at the University of Ibadan and proceeded to University of Leeds for M.A and York University for PhD.
Osundare became a Professor of English Language at the University of Ibadan and later at New Orleans in 1997. Osundare’s poetry is influenced by Yoruba culture and others such as Asian, Latin American, European and African-American.
Some of his notable works are: Songs of the MarketPlace, Waiting Laughters, and The Eye of the Earth, to mention a few. He believes in freedom of speech and uses music and idioms to express his poetry. Osundare is very passionate about human rights, especially in Africa.
10. Lola Shoneyin
Lola Shoneyin was born 26 February 1974 in Oyo state. While she was in the United Kingdom as a child, she attended Cargilfield School, Edinburgh, The Collegiate School, Winterbourne, Bristol and Fettes Junior School in Edinburgh. She completed her secondary school education at Abadina College. She later earned a degree from Ogun State University.
Shoneyin is a versatile author; she writes poetry, short stories and novels. Her debut novel is “The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives” earned her to be on the list of Orange Prize in the United Kingdom. She is a recipient of many awards such as Ken Saro-Wiwa Award for Prose and PEN Award in America. Shoneyin is adventurous and outspoken.
