Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...

Florence Nwanzuruahu Nkiru Nwapa (13 January 1931 – 16 October 1993), was a Nigerian author who has been called the mother of modern

African Literature African literature is literature from Africa, either Oral literature, oral ("orature") or written in African languages, African and Afro-Asiatic languages, Afro-Asiatic languages. Examples of Precolonialism, pre-colonial African literature can be ...

. She was the forerunner to a generation of African women writers, and the first African woman novelist to be published in the English language in Britain. She achieved international recognition with her first novel '' Efuru,'' published in 1966 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 ...

. While never considering herself a

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

, she was best known for recreating life and traditions from an

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a t ...

woman's viewpoint. She was herself a

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boat ...

of the tribe, holding the otherwise exclusively male title ''ogbuefi'' amongst them.Leisure, Susa
"Nwapa, Flora"
Postcolonial Studies @ Emory, Emory University, Fall 1996. She published African literature and promoted women in African society.Literary Encyclopedia
/ref> She was one of the first African women publishers when she founded Tana Press in Nigeria in 1970. Nwapa engaged in governmental work in reconstruction after the

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 ...

; in particular, she worked with orphans and refugees who were displaced during the war.

Biography

Early years and education

Nwapa was born in

Oguta Oguta is a town on the east bank of Oguta Lake in Imo State of southeastern Nigeria. Oguta is called "Oguta-Ameshi" or "Ameshi"- by its aborigines. Indigenes - consists of two parts, the old part which holds the 27 villages of Oguta, and the ...

Local Government Area of

Imo State Imo () is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its name from the Imo R ...

,Hamilton, Janice, ''Nigeria in Pictures'', p. 71. in south-eastern part of Nigeria, the eldest of the six children of Christopher Ijeoma (an agent with the

United Africa Company The United Africa Company (UAC) was a British company which principally traded in West Africa during the 20th century. The United Africa Company was formed in 1929 as a result of the merger of Royal Niger Company, The Niger Company, which had b ...

) and Martha Nwapa, a teacher of drama. Flora Nwapa attended school in Oguta, Secondary School at Elelenwo in Obio Akpor LGA of

Rivers State Rivers is a states of Nigeria, state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed on 27 May 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Nigeria, Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include Imo State, Im ...

, south-south Nigeria and CMS Girls School, Lagos State, which later moved to Ibadan to merge with Kudeti Girls School and was renamed St Anne's School Ibadan. In 1953, when she was 22 years old, she attended university and in 1957, at the age of 26, earned a B.A. degree from

University College, Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public university located in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Initially founded as the University College Ibadan in 1948, it maintained its affiliation with the University of London. In 1962, it became an independe ...

Oyo State Oyo is a States of Nigeria, state in South West (Nigeria), southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the List of Nigerian cities by population, third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo ...

, southwest Nigeria. She then went to Scotland, where she earned a Diploma in Education from

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and offi ...

in 1958.

Family life

Flora Nwapa had three children: Ejine Nzeribe (from her previous relationship), Uzoma Gogo Nwakuche and Amede Nzeribe. She was married to Chief Gogo Nwakuche. Her uncle, A. C. Nwapa, was Nigeria's first Minister of Commerce and Industries, according to ''The House of Nwapa'', the documentary by

Onyeka Nwelue Onyeka Nwelue (; born 31 January 1988) is a is a Nigerian scholar, filmmaker, jazz musician, and publisher whose interdisciplinary work spans literature, cinema, and cultural studies. He has authored over 40 books, including The Strangers of Bra ...

Teaching and public service

After returning to Nigeria, Nwapa joined the Ministry of Education in

Calabar Calabar (also referred to as Callabar, Calabari, Calbari, Cali and Kalabar) is the capital city of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was originally named Akwa Akpa, in the Efik language, as the Efik people dominate this area. The city is adjac ...

as an Education Officer until 1959. She then took employment as a teacher at Queen's School in

Enugu Enugu () verbally pronounced as "Enụgwụ" by the Igbo indigenes is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by the states of Benue and Kogi, Ebonyi State to the east and southeast, Abia State to the so ...

, where she taught English and Geography from 1959 to 1962. She continued to work in both education and the civil service in several positions, including as Assistant Registrar,

University of Lagos The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is a Public university, public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria, which was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the education in Nigeria#First generation universities, first generation universities in ...

(1962–67). After the

Nigerian civil 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 Secession, secessionist state which had declared its independen ...

of 1967–70, she accepted cabinet office as Minister of Health and Social Welfare in East Central State (1970–71), and subsequently as Minister of Lands, Survey and Urban Development (1971–74). She was a visiting lecturer at

Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education The Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, formerly known as the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, is located in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. It was established in April 1963 as the Advanced Teachers' Training C ...

Owerri Owerri ( , ) is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Nigeria, Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas of Nigeria, Loc ...

, Nigeria. In 1989, she was appointed a visiting professor of creative writing at

University of Maiduguri The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) is a Federal higher institution located in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State in Northeast Nigeria. The university was created by the federal government of Nigeria in 1975, with the intention of its ...

Writing and publishing

Nwapa's first book, '' Efuru'', was published in 1966 when she was 30 years old, and is considered a pioneering work as an English-Language novel by an African woman writer. She sent the transcript to the famous Nigerian author

Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (; born Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as a central figure of modern African literature. His first novel ''Things Fall Apart'' ( ...

in 1962, who replied with a very positive letter and even included money for the postage to mail the manuscript to the English publisher, Heinemann. Nwapa followed ''Efuru'' with the novels such as '' Idu'' (1970), ''Never Again'' (1975), ''One is Enough'' (1981), and ''Women are Different'' (1986). She published two collections of stories''This is Lagos'' (1971) and ''Wives at War'' (1980)and the volume of poems, ''Cassava Song and Rice Song'' (1986). She is also the author of several books for children. In the year 1974, she founded Tana Press, and in 1977 the Flora Nwapa Company, publishing her own adult and children's literature as well as works by other writers. She gave as one of her objectives: "to inform and educate women all over the world, especially Feminists (both with capital F and small f) about the role of women in Nigeria, their economic independence, their relationship with their husbands and children, their traditional beliefs and their status in the community as a whole". Busby, Margaret, "Flora Nwapa", '' Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent'' (1992), Vintage: 1993, p. 399. Tana has been described as "the first press run by a woman and targeted at a large female audience. A project far beyond its time at a period when no one saw African women as constituting a community of readers or a book-buying demographic." At the beginning of Nwapa's literary career, as a result of the way feminism was viewed and the way it was portrayed, she had no interest in feminism because she felt it was prejudiced against men, but she eventually came to terms with it. However, her struggle with feminism is representative of the present conversations about the movement in Africa and the world at large. Her work appeared in publications ranging from the magazines ''

Présence Africaine ''Présence Africaine'' (French for ''African Presence'') is a pan-African quarterly cultural, political, and literary magazine, published in Paris, France, and founded by Alioune Diop in 1947. In 1949, ''Présence Africaine'' expanded to include ...

'' and ''

Black Orpheus ''Black Orpheus'' ( Portuguese: ''Orfeu Negro'' ) is a 1959 romantic tragedy film directed by French filmmaker Marcel Camus and starring Marpessa Dawn and Breno Mello. It is based on the play '' Orfeu da Conceição'' by Vinicius de Moraes, ...

'' in the 1960s and '70s to the 1992 anthology ''

Daughters of Africa ''Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present'' is a compilation of orature and literature by more than 200 women from Africa and the African diaspora ...

'', edited by

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 ...

Later years

Nwapa's career as an educator continued throughout her life and encompassed teaching at colleges and universities internationally, including at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

Trinity College Trinity College may refer to: Australia * Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales * Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...

, the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

, the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

and the

University of Ilorin University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) is a federal government-owned public research university in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The university's main campus sits on an expansive area of land, about 5,000 hectares in the ancient city of Ilorin; making ...

. She said in an interview with ''Contemporary Authors'', "I have been writing for nearly thirty years. My interest has been on both the rural and the urban woman in her quest for survival in a fast-changing world dominated by men." Flora Nwapa died of pneumonia on 16 October 1993 at a hospital in Enugu, Nigeria, at the age of 62. Her final novel, ''The Lake Goddess'', was posthumously published.

Selected bibliography

;Novels *'' Efuru'', Heinemann Educational Books, 1966; Waveland Press, 2013, *'' Idu'', Heinemann

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 ...

, No. 56, ; 1970 *''Never Again'', Enugu: Tana Press, 1975; Nwamife, 1976; Africa World Press, 1992, *''One Is Enough'', Enugu: Flora Nwapa Co., 1981; Tana Press, 1984; Africa World Press, 1992, *''Women are Different'', Enugu: Tana Press, 1986; Africa World Press, 1992, *''The Lake Goddess'', Lawrenceville, NJ: Africa World Press, 1995 ;Short stories/poems *''This Is Lagos and Other Stories'', Enugu: Nwamife, 1971; Africa World Press, 1992, *''Wives at War and Other Stories'', Enugu: Nwamife, 1980; Flora Nwapa Co./Tana Press, 1984; Africa World Press, 1992, *''Cassava Song and Rice Song'', Enugu: Tana Press, 1986 ;Children's books *''Emeka, Driver's Guard'', London: University of London Press, 1972; Enugu: Flora Nwapa Company, 1987 *''Mammywater'', 1979; Enugu: Flora Nwapa Company, 1984 *''The Adventures of Deke'', Enugu: Flora Nwapa Co., 1980 *''The Miracle Kittens'', Enugu: Flora Nwapa Company, 1980 *''Journey to Space'', Enugu: Flora Nwapa Company, 1980

Legacy

Flora Nwapa is the subject of a documentary entitled ''The House of Nwapa'', made by

, that premiered in August 2016. On 13 January 2017, Nwapa's birthday was marked with a

Google Doodle Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running annual Bu ...

. Nwapa's son, Uzoma Gogo Nwakuche, founded the Flora Nwapa Foundation, a California non-profit corporation, in 1994 following the death of his mother in 1993. The Flora Nwapa Foundation celebrated Efuru@50 in 2016.Olatunbosun, Yinka
"Nigeria: Drums for Flora Nwapa's Efuru At 50"
''This Day'', 4 September 2016.

References

External links

"Flora Nwapa (1931–1993)"
Authors' Calendar.
"Efuru Turns 50: 6 Writers Visit Select Pages from Flora Nwapa's Debut Novel"
''The Republic'', 23 February 2017.
"Forfatterinne i dag: Flora Nwapa"
A 1987 Norwegian TV documentary providing insight into Flora Nwapa's family life. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nwapa, Flora 1931 births 1993 deaths 20th-century American women writers 20th-century Nigerian educators 20th-century Nigerian novelists 20th-century Nigerian women writers 20th-century short story writers 20th-century women educators Academic staff of the University of Ilorin Academic staff of the University of Lagos Alumni of the University of Edinburgh American children's writers American women academics American women children's writers Book publishers (people) Book publishing company founders Deaths from pneumonia in Nigeria English-language writers from Nigeria History of women in Nigeria Igbo academics Igbo educators Igbo novelists Igbo women writers International Writing Program alumni New York University faculty Nigerian expatriate academics in the United States Nigerian publishers (people) Nigerian schoolteachers Nigerian women academics Nigerian women novelists People from Imo State St Anne's School, Ibadan alumni University of Ibadan alumni University of Michigan faculty University of Minnesota faculty Women book publishers (people)