---
title: The Passing of a Literary Father
description: The Passing of a Literary Father
image: https://info.opfistula.org/hs-fs/file-3902809176-jpg/blog-files/images.jpg
---

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# The Passing of a Literary Father

Posted by [Glendora](https://info.opfistula.org/blog/author/glendora) on Mar 22, 2013 1:42:59 PM

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“Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”

This was the favorite proverb of Nigeria’s most celebrated storyteller, Chinua Achebe, who died yesterday at the age of 82.

![](https://info.opfistula.org/hs-fs/file-3902809176-jpg/blog-files/images.jpg?width=299&height=168&name=images.jpg)

Achebe’s novels and essays paved the way for Africans to be the tellers of their own stories. Before his game-changing debut, *Things Fall Apart*, the story of Africa had only been presented to Westerners – and to many Africans – by white men. Achebe became a teacher to the world, through his writing and by his literal classroom time as a professor at Brown University and elsewhere.

Often a thorn in the side of his own government, the example of his tenacity is alive and well today in the hands of a new generation of writers (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Teju Cole) and media (AllAfrica.com, journalist Mae Azango).

Chinua Achebe was a true leader and unparalleled raconteur. He will be missed, but his words and ideas will continue to guide us.

You can read more about his life [here](http://africanarguments.org/2013/03/22/achebe-the-passing-of-a-great-man-a-great-writer-and-a-passionate-human-being-by-richard-dowden/) and [here](http://www.economist.com/news/obituary/21574453-chinua-achebe-africas-greatest-storyteller-died-march-21st-aged-82-chinua-achebe) and [here](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/03/22/175046327/chinua-achebe-and-the-bravery-of-lions).

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