When the Baobab Trees Bow Before the Iroko: Chinua Achebe and His Literary Heirs in African Fiction

The case of Chigozie Obioma, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and NoViolet Bulawayo. The Akan of Ghana have a proverb that translates, “When a thing is not placed in its rightful place, it will fall down,” and “Respect must be accorded to whom respect is due.” They also say, “The one behind walks in the footsteps of the one in front.” These Akan proverbs capture the literary journey encountered in the works of Chigozie Obioma, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and NoViolet Bulawayo in The Fishermen, Purple Hibiscus, and We Need New Names, respectively. Their narratives reflect an undeniable acknowledgment of the literary path cleared by one man often hailed as the father of African literature: Chinua Achebe.