Oct 15, 10:21 AM (ET) By The Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Nigerian author Chinua Achebe has been awarded the German Booksellers Peace Prize for his promotion of human understanding through literature. The $14,000 prize was presented to the 71-year-old author at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Sunday, recognizing four decades of writing that seeks a solution to conflict in his native west Africa through novels such as "Things Fall Apart,""No Longer at Ease" and "Home and Exile." Achebe was honored as "one of the strongest, and at the same time most subtle, voices of African literature in the 20th century," the Association of German Publishers and Booksellers said. The author, the first African recipient of the award, said "the very fact that it is called a peace prize appeals to me because it is what I have worked for." Achebe, who teaches at Bard College at Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., is considered one of the few African writers who has brought the essence of his home continent to life for foreign readers, with many of his novels concentrating on Nigeria before European colonization. Frankfurt Book Fair Web site: http://www.frankfurt-book-fair.com/en/portal.html
Is that really our Achebe. If it is he is severely exagerating(sp?) in his profile. According to his profile he was born in '72, which woiuld make him 30 not 71. He is also a player of Sega dreamcast and the skin flute (more info than i needed). If it is the same guy then congrats Achebe. CK
Congrats, Achebe! 71? Geez, I bet some of you guys feel like real assholes now for all of those Dr of Dunk cracks.
I remember Achebe telling me via phone he has residence in both NY and Utah, so this is him... Way to go again, Achebe!
Yea, I like Achebe and everything, but don't get him started about defending the landscape of Utah...I've seen other posters get into it with him, and it got ugly!
btw, click on the mentioned site...there you can see Achebe's portrait complete with his trademark glasses and infamous black beret.
Direct link to foto of Achebe http://www.frankfurt-book-fair.com/...chmesse_frankfurt/presse/pressefotos/tlp.html See 12 October 2002
HEB, you are famous. I read your book in the 9th grade and thought it was great. So what are you going to do with your prize money? http://dev2.buchmesse.de/imperia/md/images/deutschebc/fotos_2002/12102002/1210_achebe/1.jpg edit: I tried to post Mr. Achebe's picture, but that doesn't seem like a good idea, cause it is way to big.
Wow 2 days in a row I have found out that actual people on the BBS have some celebrity. Another Brother and now Achebe. And to think I thought all you guys were just average geeks with nothing better to do than waste your time here. I guess it must be just me . CK
Wow, I had no idea someone so famous would haunt this board. I would have been asking Achebe all sorts of inane questions if I had known he was the same guy who wrote Things Fall Apart.
