Renowned Nigerian author, poet, and novelist Chinua Achebe, the author of the seminal novel Things Fall Apart, died Friday at age 82. One of the leading voices in African literature, Achebe received countless awards for his 20 books, including the prestigious 2007 Man Booker International Prize for fiction. He fought vigorously for equality in his country, openly criticizing the government’s corruption in Africa. In 1979 he was the first to receive the Nigerian National Merit Award.
