Celebrating the life of literary giant Chinua Achebe with all his works

The Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic, Chinua Achebe, died on this day in 2013. His first novel Things Fall Apart (1958), is one of the most read books in modern African literature and is often considered his best. But while many have read Things Fall Apart, few know that his first masterpiece was a part of a trilogy, of which are No Longer at Ease (1960) and Arrow of God (1964). In fact, the master wordsmith published over 30 works, including  books of poetry, essays, and children’s literature.

Below is a comprehensive list of Achebe’s work. We cherish his gift of African literature to the world!

Novels

• Things Fall Apart (1958)
• No Longer at Ease (1960)
• Arrow of God (1964)
• A Man of the People (1966)
• Anthills of the Savannah (1987)

Short stories

• Marriage Is A Private Affair (1952)
• Dead Men’s Path (1953)
• The Sacrificial Egg and Other Stories (1953)
• Civil Peace (1971)
• Girls at War and Other Stories (including “Vengeful Creditor”) (1973)
• African Short Stories (editor, with C. L. Innes) (1985)
• The Heinemann Book of Contemporary African Short Stories (editor, with C. L. Innes) (1992)
• The Voter

Poetry

• Beware, Soul-Brother, and Other Poems (1971) (published in the US as Christmas at Biafra, and Other Poems, 1973)
• Don’t Let Him Die: An Anthology of Memorial Poems for Christopher Okigbo (editor, with Dubem Okafor) (1978)
• Another Africa (1998)
• Collected Poems Carcanet Press (2005)
• Refugee Mother And Child
• Vultures

Essays, criticism, non-fiction and political commentary

• The Novelist as Teacher (1965) – also in Hopes and Impediments
• An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” (1975) – also in Hopes and Impediments
• Morning Yet on Creation Day (1975)
• The Trouble With Nigeria (1984)
• Hopes and Impediments (1988)
• Home and Exile (2000)
• The Education of a British-Protected Child (6 October 2009)
• There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra (11 October 2012)

Children’s books

• Chike and the River (1966)
• How the Leopard Got His Claws (with John Iroaganachi) (1972)
• The Flute (1975)
• The Drum (1978)