''Destination Biafra'' is a 1982 novel by Nigerian writer

Buchi Emecheta Buchi Emecheta (born Florence Onyebuchi Emecheta; 21 July 1944 – 25 January 2017) was a Nigerian writer who was the author of novels, plays, autobiography, and children's books. She first received notable critical attention for her 1974 novel ...

, first published in London by

Allison & Busby Allison & Busby (A & B) is a publishing house based in London established by Clive Allison and Margaret Busby in 1967. The company has built up a reputation as a leading independent publisher. Background Launching as a publishing company in Ma ...

. It is considered to be Emecheta's personal account of the

Biafra War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Biafran War, Nigeria-Biafra War, or Biafra War, was fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence from N ...

. ''Destination Biafra'' was republished in paperback on 1 March 1994 by

Heinemann Educational Books William Heinemann Ltd., with the imprint Heinemann, was a London-based publisher founded in 1890 by William Heinemann. Their first published book, 1890's ''The Bondman'', was a huge success in the United Kingdom and launched the company. He was j ...

as part of the

African Writers Series The African Writers Series (AWS) is a collection of books written by African novelists, poets and politicians. Published by Heinemann (publisher), Heinemann, 359 books appeared in the series between 1962 and 2003. The series has provided an int ...

Plot

Debbie Ogedemgbe, the corrupt Nigerian government minister's daughter, defies her parents by joining the army. Her contradictory sentiments about her role as a traditional Nigerian woman and her desire to participate actively in Biafra's war reflect the struggle going on around her.

Legacy

Reassessing the novel in 2023, Ijedike Jeboma concluded: "Since the publication of Destination Biafra, many Nigerian writers have made contributions to

Biafran war The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Biafran War, Nigeria-Biafra War, or Biafra War, was fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence from N ...

literature. In recent years, a large proportion of these writers have done so with limited personal experience of the Biafran war, from their residences outside Nigeria. From

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (born Grace Ngozi Adichie; 15 September 1977) is a Nigerians, Nigerian writer of novels, short stories, poem, and children's books; she is also a book reviewer and literary critic. Her most famous works include ''Purple ...

Uwem Akpan Uwem Akpan is a Nigerian writer. He is known as the author of '' Say You're One of Them'' (2008), a collection of five stories (each set in a different African country) published by Little, Brown & Company. His debut book achieved international ...

, the mining of collective inherited memories has become central to the re-telling of the Biafra story.... Still, Emecheta’s Destination Biafra stands front and centre as a guiding light; an incredibly ambitious project from which many ideas should be explored and adapted."

References

External links

Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's then youngest publisher as well as the first black female book p ...

"Where to start with: Buchi Emecheta"
''The Guardian'', 20 March 2024. Allison and Busby books 1982 Nigerian novels Nigerian English-language novels Novels set in Nigeria Novels by Buchi Emecheta {{Nigeria-novel-stub

Plot

Legacy

References

Further reading

External links