Popular Nigerian author Capt. Elechi Amadi has dead. He died
at 82. Elechi Amadi, who wrote popular novels like The
concubine,Isiburu,Sunset in Biafra,Peppersoup and others died on
wednesday afternoon, after a brief illness.
Elechi Amadi(born 12th may 1934) is a Nigerian author and
novelist who wrote narrative novels mainly on the Igbo village setting
and cultural beliefs, especially the period before contact with
western civilisation. Elechi Amadi was born in 1934 in Aluu community
in Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State. He attended Government
College Umuahia(1948-1952), Survey college, Oyo(1953-1954) and
University of Ibadan(1955-1959). He obtained a degree in Physics and
Mathematics from the University of Ibadan.
Elechi served in the Nigerian Army during the civil war and
remained there even after the war, attaining the position of Captain.
This was after he had worked as a teacher and land surveyor. After
leaving the army, he held several positions in Rivers State. He served
as the permanent secretary of the state between 1973-1983;
Commissioner for Education(1987-1988) and Commissioner for Lands and
Housing(1989-1990).
Capt.Elechi also worked as a writer-in-residence and as a
lecturer in Rivers State University where he also held the position of
Head of Literature department.
Honours and Awards:
In 1992, Elechi Amadi won the Rivers State silver Jubilee merit Award.
In 2003 he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree as doctor of
Science(D.Sc) from the Rivers State University of Science and
Technology(Popularly called UST). In 2003 he he became a fellow of the
Nigerian Academy of Education. In the same 2003 he also became a
member of the Order of the Federal Republic(MFR).
In May 2004 a conference was organised by the Association of
Nigerian Authors, Rivers State branch to mark his 70th birthday.
In 2009, 5th January, Elechi was kidnapped at his hometown in Port
Harcourt, he was released a day later on the sixth of January.
Amadi's first 'accomplished' work was the "Concubine" a novel
which made very successful attempts to picture pre-colonial life in
the riverine areas of the Niger Delta. It was regarded by many as a
"perfected work of pure fiction". Till his death the novel remained
the crown of all his works. In 2007, "The Concubine" was made into a
film, featuring popular nollywood actor-Andy Amenechi and directed by
Elechi Amadi himself.
The setting of of Amachi's second novel-The Great Ponds, shifted
to a wider area of the Eastern part Nigeria during the pre-colonial
era. It narrated the story of two villages fighting for a pond.
Amadi's autobiography-Sunset in Biafra narrates his experiences as a
Nigerian soldier during the civil war.
Other works by the writer include:
*Isiburu(a play, on Igbo cultural setting) 1973
*Peppersoup and the road(a play)1977
*Dancer of Johannesburg(a play)1778
*The Slave(Novel) 1978
*Ethics in Nigerian culture.(Philosophy)1983
*Enstrangement(Novel)1986
*The woman of Calabar(Play)2002
*Speaking and Singing(a book on essays and poems).2003
*Collected poems(edited)2004
***PS References for this post: Wikipedia, elechiamdi.org,"the
concubine" preface and forward, Britannica, Americana.
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at 82. Elechi Amadi, who wrote popular novels like The
concubine,Isiburu,Sunset in Biafra,Peppersoup and others died on
wednesday afternoon, after a brief illness.
Elechi Amadi(born 12th may 1934) is a Nigerian author and
novelist who wrote narrative novels mainly on the Igbo village setting
and cultural beliefs, especially the period before contact with
western civilisation. Elechi Amadi was born in 1934 in Aluu community
in Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State. He attended Government
College Umuahia(1948-1952), Survey college, Oyo(1953-1954) and
University of Ibadan(1955-1959). He obtained a degree in Physics and
Mathematics from the University of Ibadan.
Elechi served in the Nigerian Army during the civil war and
remained there even after the war, attaining the position of Captain.
This was after he had worked as a teacher and land surveyor. After
leaving the army, he held several positions in Rivers State. He served
as the permanent secretary of the state between 1973-1983;
Commissioner for Education(1987-1988) and Commissioner for Lands and
Housing(1989-1990).
Capt.Elechi also worked as a writer-in-residence and as a
lecturer in Rivers State University where he also held the position of
Head of Literature department.
Honours and Awards:
In 1992, Elechi Amadi won the Rivers State silver Jubilee merit Award.
In 2003 he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree as doctor of
Science(D.Sc) from the Rivers State University of Science and
Technology(Popularly called UST). In 2003 he he became a fellow of the
Nigerian Academy of Education. In the same 2003 he also became a
member of the Order of the Federal Republic(MFR).
In May 2004 a conference was organised by the Association of
Nigerian Authors, Rivers State branch to mark his 70th birthday.
In 2009, 5th January, Elechi was kidnapped at his hometown in Port
Harcourt, he was released a day later on the sixth of January.
Amadi's first 'accomplished' work was the "Concubine" a novel
which made very successful attempts to picture pre-colonial life in
the riverine areas of the Niger Delta. It was regarded by many as a
"perfected work of pure fiction". Till his death the novel remained
the crown of all his works. In 2007, "The Concubine" was made into a
film, featuring popular nollywood actor-Andy Amenechi and directed by
Elechi Amadi himself.
The setting of of Amachi's second novel-The Great Ponds, shifted
to a wider area of the Eastern part Nigeria during the pre-colonial
era. It narrated the story of two villages fighting for a pond.
Amadi's autobiography-Sunset in Biafra narrates his experiences as a
Nigerian soldier during the civil war.
Other works by the writer include:
*Isiburu(a play, on Igbo cultural setting) 1973
*Peppersoup and the road(a play)1977
*Dancer of Johannesburg(a play)1778
*The Slave(Novel) 1978
*Ethics in Nigerian culture.(Philosophy)1983
*Enstrangement(Novel)1986
*The woman of Calabar(Play)2002
*Speaking and Singing(a book on essays and poems).2003
*Collected poems(edited)2004
***PS References for this post: Wikipedia, elechiamdi.org,"the
concubine" preface and forward, Britannica, Americana.
Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/topntrending
Like this post, and share too!
Next up: General Electric to invest in Nigeria's 2bn railway sector.
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