410 Quotes by Chinua Achebe

Writing is like wrestling; you are wrestling with ideas and with the story. There is a lot of energy required. At the same time, it is exciting. So it is both difficult and easy. What you must accept is that your life is not going to be the same while you are writing. I have said in the kind of exaggerated manner of writers and prophets that writing, for me, is like receiving a term of imprisonment-you know that's what you're in for, for whatever time it takes.

A chief does not hurry.

To the question of writing at all we have sometimes been counselled to forget it, or rather the writing of books. What is required, we are told, is plays and films. Books are out of date! The book is dead, long live television! One question which is not even raised let alone considered is: Who will write the drama and film scripts when the generation that can read and write has been used up?

The singer should sing well even if it is merely to himself, rather than dance badly for the whole world.

This is not pessimism but rather casting a cold eye on things. It is only one man's story, and I think that things will go better, but difficulties exist and nothing is served by hiding them under a poetic veil or under a lyricism of the past. I am against slogans.

A kinsman in trouble had to be saved, not blamed; anger against a brother was felt in the flesh, not in the bone.

We do not seek to hurt any man, but if any man seeks to hurt us may he break his neck.

It is difficult to express the reality of Ibo society in classical English.

The emperor would prefer the poet to keep away from politics, the emperor's domain, so that he can manage things the way he likes.