By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
The family of the late global literary icon, Chinua Achebe, has decided to adapt three of his epic novels for television.
The novels – Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God and No Longer At Ease — which make up what is call the The African Trilogy, are considered some of the most impactful novels of the 20th century.
A statement by Dr. Chidi Chike Achebe, Chairman and CEO of African Integrated Development Enterprise (AIDE), which was sent to TheNiche on Monday said: “The Achebe family — his spouse, Christie Achebe, and children, Chinelo Achebe Ejueyitchie, Chidi Achebe and Nwando Achebe—has decided it is time to bring Things Fall Apart to the world in a different medium — television.”
Explaining the rationale for the adaptation, Achebe’s wife, said, “We believe this moment makes the message of my husband’s work urgent, especially for Millennials and Generation Z who are challenging systemic racism and driving the Black Lives Matter movement. Chinua Achebe’s recognition and centering of these issues from an African perspective make his stories more vital than ever.”
Below is the full statement
In 1958, Chinua Achebe’s first novel, Things Fall Apart, established African literature on the world stage. More than 60 years later, it remains the most widely read African novel.
It has sold more than 20 million copies in English alone and has been translated into more than 60 languages. Time Magazine named it “One of the 100 greatest novels of all time,” and Encyclopedia Britannica, one of the “12 novels considered the greatest books ever written.”
In 2020, as the world confronts systemic racism and battles the COVID-19 pandemic, Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and his two other novels—Arrow of God, and No Longer At Ease—that make up The African Trilogy, remain relevant, profound and crucial.
The Achebe family — his spouse, Christie Achebe, and children, Chinelo Achebe Ejueyitchie, Chidi Achebe and Nwando Achebe — has decided it is time to bring Things Fall Apart to the world in a different medium —television.
“We believe this moment makes the message of my husband’s work urgent, especially for Millennials and Generation Z who are challenging systemic racism and driving the Black Lives Matter movement. Chinua Achebe’s recognition and centering of these issues from an African perspective make his stories more vital than ever,” says Christie Achebe.
A television series combines the visual appeal of film with the ability to tell stories over extended programming. This makes it possible to faithfully present The African Trilogy’s epic, multi-generational sweep on screen to global audiences for the first time. The series will portray decades of wrenching societal change—from the end of the 19th century in Things Fall Apart, through the emerging 20th century in Arrow of God, and the mid-20th century pre-independence period in No Longer at Ease.
The Achebe family will work with consultants Dayo Ogunyemi of 234 Media and Joe Seldner of Seldner Media to develop Things Fall Apart, Arrow of God, and No Longer At Ease.
For further information, contact: The Achebe Family, achebe@achebemasterworks.com and Joe Seldner, joeseldner@gmail.com.
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Praise for Chinua Achebe and
Things Fall Apart:
*Nadine Gordimer: “A mind able to penetrate the mystery of being human.”
*Nelson Mandela: “A writer in whose company the prison walls fell down.”
*Toni Morrison: “African literature is incomplete and unthinkable without the works of Chinua Achebe. For passion, intellect and crystalline prose, he is unsurpassed.”
*Barack Obama: “A true classic of world literature . . . a masterpiece that has inspired generations of writers in Nigeria, across Africa, and around the world.”
*John Updike: “Things Fall Apart is a great book, and everything Achebe writes bespeaks a great, brave, kind human spirit.”