In this rare 1964 interview recorded at the National Museum, Lagos, three of Africa’s most brilliant literary minds: Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Lewis Nkosi come together in an unforgettable conversation.
Achebe discusses his groundbreaking novels Things Fall Apart (1958) and No Longer at Ease (1960), reflecting on themes of Igbo society, the disruptions of colonial rule, and the burden of the African writer in reclaiming narrative agency.
Moderated by Nkosi and enriched by Soyinka’s probing questions, the dialogue captures the energy of a literary generation determined to reshape the world’s understanding of Africa, on African terms.
Things Fall Apart is widely regarded as the first African novel to achieve worldwide acclaim, opening the door for African literature on the global stage.
This interview remains a timeless encounter between three intellectual giants at the dawn of modern African literature.
THE CHINUA ACHEBE, SOYINKA DISCUSSION
