Prof. Emeka Aniagolu
Chairman, Chinua Achebe Literary Prize Committee
Prof. Emeka Aniagolu is from Enugu State, Nigeria. He is the second son of the great late jurist, Honorable Justice A.N. Aniagolu (JSC). Prof. Aniagolu is married with two daughters—one a lawyer and the other a medical doctor. Prof. Aniagolu attended the renowned high school in Nigeria, Government College Umuahia. He did his undergraduate work in Political Science at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, and his graduate work in Political Science, African and African American Studies at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. He was a Professor in the Black World Studies of Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, where he taught African and African-American History and Politics. Emeka Aniagolu’s first novel, Black Mustard Seed, is critically acclaimed by major scholars in the field of African Literature (including the greatest African novelist, Chinua Achebe). It was nominated for the Commonwealth Writers Prize in August of 2002. His second novel, African Glimpses: Three Short Stories, also received critical reviews and acclaim. He is currently a Visiting Professor at Veritas University, Bwari, Abuja as well as their International Innovation Consultant.
Prof. Aniagolu is the author of twenty works of fiction and non-fiction. His seminal works include, but are not limited to the following:
- Anyali [A novel on the Albino experience in Nigerian society], (2021)
- The Hood & the Swastika: A Comparative Study of the Ku Klux Klan & the
Nazi Regime (2017) - A Tale of Two Giants: Chinua Achebe & Wole Soyinka (2016)
- Co-Whites: How & Why White Women “Betrayed” the Struggle for Civil
Rights in the United States (2011) - [A two-volume work on world history], Standing on the Shoulders of
Giants: A Multicultural History of Western & World Civilization (Vols. I &
II) (2008); - Beyond the Wealth of Nations: Essays on a Search for Understanding,
Community & Productivity (2006).
Professor Aniagolu is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including The Ohio State University Teaching Excellence Award (1992); the Living Faith Award in the State of Ohio (2005); the Martin Luther King (MLK) Commission Educational Excellence Award in the State of Ohio (2013); and the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization America (NIDOA), Outstanding Community Service Award (2014).
One of the Books by Prof. Emeka Aniagolu
A TALE OF TWO GIANTS
Emeka Aniagolu’s A Tale of Two Giants: Chinua Achebe & Wole Soyinka, is a tour de force. But unlike most works on those two celebrated writers, it does not dwell solely on their creative works; nor does it shy away from controversial social, political and historical issues that involve the two literary giants. It interrogates their perspectives on Nigerian political crises of the mid-to-late 1950s, through the military coups of January 15 and July 29, 1966; the Nigerian Civil War and its immediate aftermath; the Nobel Prize; the ‘Fatherhood of African Literature’ and so much more. While it is true a private writer is not a professional journalist and can take a biased point of view, so long as he or she is upfront about their stance; a scholar or one who aspires to have their work accepted as such, has a similar responsibility as the professional journalist: to be scrupulous, as thorough as possible and as factual as is empirically doable. Emeka Aniagolu’s A Tale of Two Giants contours facts and figures, logic and rationale, like a terraced hillside crop-field. It is written with a forensic eye for detail, great lucidity of thought and language; as well as courage and fortitude. This work is sure to take its place amongst the great tomes of our time.
“Professor Aniagolu has scored another success with this book. It offers a critical review of the works of two intellectual giants in Africa, and indeed, the world. What Professor Aniagolu does is to analytically weave together the history, culture, politics and nation-building in Nigeria, as presented through the intellectual lens of Soyinka and Achebe. It is a masterpiece and a work of immense importance for scholars all over the world. It is a must read for those interested in understanding the rich literary and cultural heritage of Nigerians and the enduring works of two great African intellectuals.”
-Randy Quaye, PhD, Director Black World Studies Ohio Wesleyan University. Delaware. Ohio, USA.
“A Tale of Two Giants is a historical masterpiece. It is richly informative, academically fulfilling if not breathtaking and flowing as it is pleasurable to read. It is a must read for all students of Nigeria and Africa as a whole.”
-Ignatius C.I. Okafor, PhD, Professor Emeritus. Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria & Jarvis Christian College, Hawkins, Texas, USA.
“This book sets out the grounds on which to decide which of Chinua Achebe and wole Soyinka–No Nigerian titans of global anglophone writing–is more objectively impactful. Professor Aniagolu’s conclusions are forcefully verdictive. The comparatist intelligence that subtends the capacious analysis brings to mind the great Ali Mazrui. Readers will not be satisfied until they answer for themselves whether the parameters are sufficient or whether the arguments are persuasive. Every library–individual or instructional–of World Literature will have to own this book of giants.”
-Adéléke Adéekó, PhD, Humanities Distingushed Professor, English Department & African American & African Studies Department, Ohio State University; Vice President, African Literature Association (ALA) and Coordinator, Abiola Irele Centre of Theory & Criticism, Kwara State University, Nigeria.