Masterson, John (2011) Coming together for Things Fall Apart: 1958-2008. Reflections on reading Achebe today. English Studies in Africa, 54 (1). pp. 29-43. ISSN 0013-8398

PDF - Published Version Restricted to SRO admin only Download (267kB)

Abstract

This article considers the impact of a conference held in London in 2008 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. It focuses on the interdisciplinary nature of the symposium and the diversity of its participants’ responses to Achebe's work in order to explore how and why this seminal novel continues to make for prescient reading given our current geopolitical context. The article situates Things Fall Apart in relation to some of the most important developments within postcolonial studies more broadly, arguing that, in many ways, the text both anticipates and writes back to some of its major concerns. It makes use of interventions by Edward Said to suggest that Achebe's work lends itself to the kind of politically engaged and engaging critique that resonates beyond the confines of the academy. As such, it also considers how many of the issues raised during the conference can be seen in conjunction with thencontemporaneous debates surrounding Barack Obama's quest to become U.S. President. Whilst a discursive marriage between Achebe, Said and Obama may look incongruous, the article argues that there are a series of provocative overlaps between their respective visions, particularly when it comes to thinking about the interventionist role of the artist and/as ‘public intellectual.’ From the outset, the article maintains that Things Fall Apart invites the kind of varied and original responses that were showcased throughout the commemorative conference by writers, critics and artists alike. My own interest in the interpretative possibilities afforded by the Achebe, Said, Obama model gives a sense of how and why I feel his work continues to make for compelling reading today.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of English > English
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PL Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania > PL8000 African languages and literature P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN0441 Literary history P Language and Literature > PR English literature > PR9080 English literature outside of Great Britain. Including present and former British colonies and dependencies except the United States > PR9340 Africa > PR9387 Nigeria
Depositing User:	John Masterson
Date Deposited:	03 Sep 2015 06:47
Last Modified:	02 Jul 2019 22:45
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/56473

View download statistics for this item

📧 Request an update