Scheduled to debut at the 2026 ASA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, the lecture continues Achebe’s legacy of amplifying African perspectives in global academic and cultural discourse.
By Abioye Damilare Samson
The African Studies Association (ASA) has announced the establishment of the ASA Christie and Chinua Achebe Fund, a new initiative honouring the legendary Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe and his wife, Dr Christie Achebe, an esteemed educator and counsellor. The fund will support a biennial lecture series and an annual literary prize for unpublished manuscripts.
The Chinua Achebe Distinguished Lecture will spotlight humanistic scholarship and creative industries, including architecture, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, visual arts, and literature. Scheduled to debut at the 2026 ASA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, the lecture continues Achebe’s legacy of amplifying African perspectives in global academic and cultural discourse.
Meanwhile, the Chinua Achebe Manuscript Prize will recognise outstanding unpublished Africana literary works. Winners will have their manuscripts considered for publication through Penguin Press’s Chinua Achebe Imprint, offering a rare opportunity for emerging African authors to reach a global audience.
The founding gift for the fund was provided by Drs. Christie, Chinelo, Ikechukwu, Chidi, and Nwando Achebe, continuing a family legacy deeply rooted in education and storytelling. The initiative celebrates both Chinua Achebe (1930–2013), revered as the father of modern African literature, and Dr. Christie Chinwe Achebe, who became the first woman President of the Nigerian Counselling Association in 1988.
Achebe’s groundbreaking 1958 novel, Things Fall Apart, has been translated into 57 languages and read by millions worldwide. His extensive body of work, spanning novels, essays, poetry, and children’s literature, reshaped global perceptions of Africa. As the ASA reflects, “Through its lyrical power and moral clarity, Achebe re-centred Africa within the global imagination, asserting the dignity and humanity of African life”.
Applications for the Chinua Achebe Manuscript Prize will open in late 2026, with the first award cycle beginning in 2027. The ASA Christie and Chinua Achebe Fund ensures that Achebe’s vision of empowering African voices and storytellers continues to inspire future generations.