Biography of elechi amadi

Writer

At a Glance…

Selected writings

Sources

Nigerian writer Elechi Amadi accomplished international literary acclaim during nobleness 1960s and 1970s for climax novels depicting rural village be in motion in West Africa and lying subsequent disintegration due to post-colonial political strife. His debut attention, written in English, was The Concubine, and its 1966 send out brought him critical plaudits. Stupendous essay by Emmanuel Obiechina detailed the Dictionary of Literary Biography noted, “In his novels Continent villagers come alive in decency immense variety of their patent and group activities, which shard deeply informed by a mutual sense of religion, ethics, general etiquette, and culture.”

Born on Could 12, 1934, Amadi grew vegetable garden in a village in nobility southeastern Nigerian rainforest. He ringed a midwife, Dorah Nwonne Ohale, in 1957, while still making physics and mathematics at honourableness University College of Ibadan, settled in Nigeria’s second-largest city. Pinpoint earning his degree in 1959, he worked as a surveyor for a year, and commit fraud became a science teacher. Flight 1963 to 1966 he served in the Nigerian Army, with the addition of upon his discharge took boss job as headmaster of dignity Asa Grammar School. The Concubine was published at about that time, and the book inelastic his reputation as a litt‚rateur, both in his country endure abroad. He was hailed chimp the successor to fellow Foundation of Ibadan alumnus Chinua Achebe, whose 1958 novel Things Folding Apart broke new ground be aware African writers. Research in Human Literatures critic Clara A. Uneasy. Joseph wrote: “Although not leak the same extent as show Achebe’s works, [Amadi’s] works equalize peppered with witty translations pass judgment on proverbs and numerous references cap age-old customs. His narratives signpost the importance of tradition (more than language) in the making of a political community.”

The Concubine is the tale of efficient young woman, Ihuoma, who belongs to Nigeria’s Igbo ethnic caste. Her plight involves her erstwhile life, when she was aforementioned to be the wife announcement the mythical Sea King supreme being. This gives her great importance in the present, but portends doom for any mortal fellow who seeks to marry brush aside. As the novel progresses, Ihuoma is wed and widowed threesome times, as a result dressingdown the wrath of the The briny King toward those who would usurp his bride. Though stick it out seems a traditional cautionary narrative on the surface, Obiechina alleged in the Dictionary of Storybook Biography essay that “the pressure of The Concubine rests puzzle the fact that it wreckage not folklore but realistic-style fable, in spite of its clear penetration by the super-natural.”

Amadi’s terminology career was disrupted by domestic war in Nigeria in 1967. That year, an armed disturbance and establishment of secessionist accuse by Nigeria’s Igbo group resulted in the breakaway nation prop up Biafra. Amadi was stranded and had to escape, rejoining the Nigerian Army in 1968 and serving with a Sea commandos unit. The war squadron on for three years unfinished Biafra’s surrender in 1970, contemporary it was a disastrous stage in modern Nigerian history. Biafra was unable to feed tog up people, and a million people within its dwindling borders were estimated to have perished shun starvation and malnutrition during prestige war.

Amadi’s next work seemed run be a metaphor for nobleness conflict. The Great Ponds comment set in the years previously World War I, but university teacher plot centers around a make do struggle

At a Glance…

Born on Can 12, 1934, in Aluu, Nigeria; son of Daniel Wonuchuku most recent Enwere (Weke) Amadi; married Dorah Nwonne Ohale (a midwife), 1957; children: seven daughters, one progeny. Education: University College of Metropolis, BSc, 1959. Military Service: African Federal Army, 1963-66, captain, rejoined 1968, served with Marine Commandos during the Civil War. Religion: Protestant.

Career: Government assistant, Calabar, Nigeria, 1953-55; surveyor in Enugu, Nigeria, 1959-60; science teacher in Oba and Ahoada, 1960-63; Asa Group School, headmaster, 1966-67; author, 1966-85; administrative office, Port Harcourt, administration divisional officer, Ahoada, 1968-69, several other offices held from 1969-90, including commissioner of lands enjoin housing, 1989-90; Rivers State Academy of Education, various positions, 1984-87, head, department of literature, 1991–.

Awards: International Writers Program grant, Univ. of Iowa, 1973; Rivers Tide Silver Jubilee Merit Award, 1992; Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality Merit Give for Literature, 1995.

Addresses:Home—Mbodo Road, Aluu, Box 331, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Office—Box 331, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

for control of a part refer to the Niger River delta. Bend over villages battle one another removal communal fishing rights at primacy Wagaba pond. The main count are the warrior Olumba free yourself of the Chiolu village, and Wago, a famed leopard-killer from contiguous Aliakoro. “In the tradition tip heroic contests,” wrote Obiechina, “the possession of the pond becomes a challenge and a aqueduct through which the warriors disagreement each side celebrate their daring, martial sagacity, and magical prowess.”

Amadi spent the next several time of his life as great provincial government official in Back Harcourt, the city in Nigeria’s Rivers State province that was once a part of Biafra. He turned to playwriting hoax his spare time, producing Isiburu, a drama about a fighter which enjoyed a run fall back the National Arts Theatre encumber the Nigerian capital of Metropolis in 1973. Peppersoup delved gap the topic of interracial affection, while another play from 1977, The Road to Ibadan, took place during the civil bickering in Biafra. A 1978 labour for the stage, Dancer be the owner of Johannesburg, was an espionage imagination set in South Africa innermost ended, presciently, with the activity of that country’s apartheid system.

Amadi also wrote a diary avail yourself of his civil-war experiences, Sunset rope in Biafra, published in 1973 saturate Heinemann, the esteemed London declaration house. He wrote no another novels until 1979, when The Slave appeared. Its story, homecoming set in a rural Westside African village, concerns the chance of Olumati, who is interpretation last in his family category. His parents were ostracized eat crow ago and had to run off their home village, and control since been forced to favor as slaves to a divinity at a cult shrine solution another village. Olumati is hair shirt to take over this fire. He tries to restore authority family’s standing, but forces cabal against this plan. “Whatever community obstacles lie in the tiptoe of Olumati’s efforts to revive his family’s place and trustworthy are not as formidable introduction the state of deep trepidation and insufficiency within himself,” wrote Obiechina in the Dictionary find Literary Biography profile. “In description end his failure becomes certain because he has suffered subjective damage from which he cannot recover.”

Estrangement was both the remaining of Amadi’s novels and primacy first to be set vibrate Port Harcourt. The 1985 outmoded recounts the tale of marvellous woman named Alekiri and rank traumas she experiences during representation Biafran civil war. Her wedlock ends, she becomes romantically confusing with an army officer, good turn struggles to regain her credit after the hostilities end. “Every one of the major script bears the scar of excellence war. … but the have of the war also finds them gathering together the leftovers of their shattered lives,” Obiechina wrote.

Over the years, Amadi engaged a number of government posts in the Rivers State create, including commissioner of education increase in intensity commissioner of lands and dwellings. He has also had boss long involvement with the Rivers State College of Education, don was named head of secure department of literature in 1991. That same year, he rationale his literary career in nifty brief essay for Contemporary Novelists.“I like to think of human being as a painter or father using words in the chat of pictures and musical symbols,” he reflected. “I consider loyalty in fiction a prostitution elect literature. The novelist should limn life as he sees gladden without consciously attempting to prevail on the reader to take trim particular viewpoint. Propaganda should nominate left to journalists.”

Selected writings

The Concubine (novel), Humanities, 1966.

The Great Ponds (novel), Humanities, 1969.

Okpukpe (prayerbook interject Ikwerre), C.S.S. Printers, 1969.

(With Obiajunwo Wali and Greensille Enyinda) Okwukwo Eri (hymnbook in Ikwerre), C.S.S. Printers, 1969.

Isiburu (play; produced lead to Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Aiyetoro, promote at the National Arts Dramaturgy, Lagos), Heinemann, 1973.

Sunset in Biafra (Civil War diary), Heinemann, 1973.

Peppersoup [and] The Road to Ibadan (plays), Onibonoje, 1977.

Dancer of Johannesburg (play), Onibonoje, 1977.

The Slave (novel), Heinemann, 1979.

Ethics in Nigerian Culture (philosophy), Heinemann, 1982.

Estrangement (novel), Heinemann, 1985.

Sources

Books

Contemporary Novelists, 7th edition, Extremist. James Press, 2001.

Dictionary of Donnish Biography, Volume 117: Twentieth-Century Sea and Black African Writers, intrude by Bernth Lindfors and Reinhard Sander, Gale, 1992, pp. 49-53.

Ngambika: Studies of Women in Somebody Literature, edited by Carole Boyce Davies and Anne Adams Writer, Africa World Press, 1986, pp. 119-29.

Periodicals

Research in African Literatures, Revolve 2001, p. 57.

On-line

“Elechi (Emmanuel) Amadi,”Contemporary Authors Online, reproduced in Biography Resource Center, (July 30, 2003).

—Carol Brennan