A cherished and long relationship: Heinemann and Chinua Achebe from Things Fall Apart to Anthills of the Savannah

ABSTRACT

The study of Chinua Achebe’s career and works remains incomplete without full attention being paid to the intricate publishing history of his works. This article addresses this conspicuous omission in the historiography of African literature. Using Achebe’s publishing records and correspondence, it examines the publishing process of Anthills of the Savannah (1987) in terms of relationships, negotiation, publicity and prizes. The shortlisting of the novel for the Booker Prize was a symbolic event, the full implications of which became clearer with time. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the publication of the novel, the article discusses the circumstances and conditions that led to its remarkable success. More specifically, it highlights the significant, though often overlooked, role of publishers in directing the literary experience of Achebe.

KEYWORDS:

• Chinua Achebe
• Anthills of the Savannah
• Heinemann
• print culture
• African literature
• African Writers Series

Acknowledgements

The research for this paper was undertaken with the help of a grant from the Open University. My thanks to Michael Bott and Verity Andrews of the University of Reading Publishing Archives and Jean Rose of the Random House Group Archive and Library for their assistance and help in locating archival material. Special thanks also go to Luke Ingram from the Wylie Agency for facilitating Chinua Achebe’s permission to consult his publishing archive at different institutions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Formally employed by the Biafran Ministry of Information, Achebe chaired a committee of intellectuals charged with writing the Biafran constitution, and other committees tasked with advocating the Biafran cause in African, European and North American universities and cultural institutions.

2. Achebe initially changed his title to Sandhills of the Savannah, deleting “Anthills” and replacing it with “Sandhills” on the title page and in the blurb and introductory pages. However, he seemed to rethink his choice and later restored his original title.

3. The photograph was later left out. It was thought that its addition would be too expensive, particularly after Achebe had submitted numerous corrections. Sue Freestone wrote to Achebe on July 9, 1987: “I said that we would be using your photograph on the jacket. I come to realise that we will not be putting your photo on the jacket but we will keep it on file for publicity purposes” (Achebe, Random House Archive and Library).

4. Achebe was invited to appear on The South Bank Show in January 1990. He presented his topic, “African Literature as Restoration of Celebration”.

5. Readers of Achebe’s biography by Ohaeto (1997) will be aware of the large number of trips Achebe undertook during this period, and the many invitations and awards he accepted.

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Notes on contributors

Nourdin Bejjit

Nourdin Bejjit is assistant professor at the Faculty of Letters, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Morocco, where he teaches courses on media studies, British culture and history, and Third World literatures. He gained his PhD (2009) in colonial and postcolonial history of the book from the Open University, and previously gained his MA in national and international literatures in English from the Institute of English Studies, University of London (2004). His research interests include book history, postcolonial literature and travel writing.