Let’s Celebrate Achebe & Soyinka

NJOKU MACDONALD OBINNA 

It makes no meaning comparing who is better than the other. They both projected African literature to the world in their different fields of literature.

 

Soyinka is an undisputed literary icon in the world, same goes for Achebe.

 

Soyinka’s literary strength lies in poetic abstractions while Achebe’s literary strength lies in simplifying complexities.

 

Soyinka is first a poet-playwright, while Achebe is firstly a novelist cum poet.
They both have been recognized internationally in these subgenres.

 

The Nobel Prize for literature is an outstandingly prestigious prize, while honorifics like “father of modern African literature” are based on global impact of one’s work about Africa.
No prize or honorific determines who is above who in literature.

 

Soyinka conveyed African literature through Eurocentric appeals while Achebe conveyed African literature through Afr0centrism.
Soyinka’s work has this persuasive ch.arm while Achebe’s works was unapologetically assertive.

 

Let’s Celebrate them