T0P 5 AFRICAN LEGENDARY WRITERS

1. Professor Chinua Achebe: A nigerian novelist and poet, widely recognized as the father of the African novel. The first living author to be represented in the Everyman's library collection. He has won common wealth poetry prize, Nigerian National Order Of Merit (Nigeria's highest honour for academic work). He was awarded the Man-Booker international prize in recognition of his lifetime literary achievement.
His first and the most influential novel, Things Fall Apart(1958) the most widely read book in modern african literature, was written partially in indignation over the disorted dehumanized representations of African in European fiction. The novel was about the changes brought about by western influences on African society. Achebe's writings vividly convey the culture and the speech of the Igbo people. He wrote
Things Fall Apart partly in response to British colonialism and it's human consequences. The book describes how the Igbo society began to fall apart after the arrival of European colonizers and missionaries in late 1800s.
His other books include No longer at Ease (1960) Arrow of God(1964) A Man Of The People(1966) and Anthills Of The Savannah(1987). He also wrote more novels during the Nigerian Civil War, the books include the volumes of poetry Beware Soul Brother(1971) and Christmas in Biafra(1973), the short story collection Girls at War(1972) and many other books. He is about to publish a new novel called " There Was a Country; A personal history of Biafra".

2. Professor Wole Soyinka: Nigerian playwright, poet, novelist, and lecturer, whose writings draw African tradition and mythology while employing western literary forms. In 1986 Soyinka became the first African writer and the first black writer to win the Nobel prize award in literature.
He wrote poems like From prison(1969 republished as A Shuttle in the Crypt, 1972) and the prose work The Man Died(1972) He often wrote about the need for individual freedom, his plays include A Dance Of The Forests(1960), kongi Harvest(1965) Death and King's Horseman(1975) A play of Giants(1984) and many other books.
His subsequent essay collection Open sore of a Continent shows his freedom of expression in his writings.



3. Nadine Gordimer: South African novelist and short story writer, who is particularly admired for her ability to create realistic character dialogue and to write passionately without lecturing the reader. Her writting has been fueled by feelings of frustrations with the social and political predicament of racially divided South Africa, and it reflects her anger at racism and political censorship. Gordimer won the Nobel prize award in literature in 1991.
Her novels include The Conservationist (1974) about a white man's exploitation of his black employees for personal gain was a joint winner in 1974 of the Booker Prize,(Britain most prestigous literary award). Her other books include Burger's Daughter(1979) July's people(1981) My Son's Story(1990)

4. Professor John Maxwell Coetzee: South African novelist, two times Booker Prize award winner and the first author to be awarded the prize twice. In 2003 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature, he also won the common wealth writers' prize. He became an Australian citizen in 2006.
His books include White writing(1988) Double the Point(1992) Given Offense(1995) and many other books.
5. Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006): Egyptian author the first Arab writer and the second African to win the Nobel Prize in literature in 1988. He published 50 novels and 350 short stories. His books include Awlad Haratina(children of Gebelawi 1981) al-liss wa al-kilab(1961) and many other books.
Actually there are many other African writers and upcoming writers.