In commemoration of his 87th birthday, U.S. technology firm and the world’s largest Internet search engine, Google, Thursday honoured Nigerian author, the late Chinua Achebe, with a Doodle.
A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google’s homepage that is intended to celebrate holidays, events, achievements and people.
The first Google Doodle was in honour of the Burning Man Festival of 1998, and was designed by Google’s founders – Larry Page and Sergey Brin – to notify users of their absence in case the servers crashed. From that point onwards, Doodles have been organised and published by a team of employees termed “Doodlersâ€.
In addition, Google published a brief eulogy on the late author that read: “One man took it upon himself to tell the world the story of Nigeria through the eyes of its own people. Chinua Achebe (born Albert Chinualumogu Achebe) was the studious son of an evangelical priest. A student of English literature, he started writing in the 1950s, choosing English as his medium but weaving the storytelling tradition of the Igbo people into his books,
“His characters were insiders — everyday people such as the village chief (in Things Fall Apart), the priest (in Arrow of God), or the school teacher (in A Man of the People). Through their stories, we witness a Nigeria at the crossroads of civilisation, culture, and generations.
“His pen brought to life the land and traditions of the Igbo: the hum of everyday village life; the anticipation and excitement of sacred masquerades; the stories of the elders and the honor of warriors; the joy of family and the grief of loss.
“Considered by many to be the father of modern African literature, Achebe was awarded the Man Booker Prize in 2007. Surrounded by iconic images of his most famous literary works, today’s Doodle celebrates his legacy on what would have been his 87th birthday.
“Daal nke ukwuu, Chinua Achebe!â€
