It was World Book Day on Monday – 23rd of April – and book lovers around the world celebrated their favorite books, authors and how they have impacted their thinking.
Ernest Herringway says, ‘There is no friend as loyal as a book’. In commemoration of the globally celebrated day, we review some ‘timeless’ quotes from some of our favorite Nigerian authors.
- Things Fall Apart: Chinua Achebe – Published in 1958, Achebe’s Things Fall Apart follows events of pre-colonial life in South Eastern Nigeria and the arrival of Europeans in the 19th century. It has been translated into more than 50 languages and is said to be a milestone in African literature.
2. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives: Lola Shoneyin – Shoneyin’s novel shows the intricacies and interplay of life in a polygamous family and centers on the secrets, rivalries and friendships shared by the different wives. Set in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria, its story is told in a dramatic, sincere and funny manner.
3. The Gods Are Not To Blame: Ola Rotimi – this 1968 play and 1971 is an African adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex and is set in an undetermined period in the Yoruba kingdom.
4. Americanah: Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche – Americanah is a 2013 novel by Chimamanda Adiche which won the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award narrates the story of a young Nigerian lady, Ifemelu, who moves to America for her university studies.
5. Who Fears Death: Nnedi Okorafor – set in a post-acalyptic future of Sudan, Who Fears Death is a Science Fantasy novel that tells the story of an Ewu girl, Onyesonwu, who upon getting to maturity goes on a journey to defeat her father. The novel won the 2011 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.
Have anymore quotes that have stayed with you since you read a favourite book? Be sure to share with us.
Happy World Book Day in arrears!
