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<p>This article argues that Chinua Achebe’s later fiction moves beyond the paradigm of “writing back” to imperial discourse to enact a lateral practice of “writing across” Global South narratives of political disillusionment. Adopting a comparative approach informed by dialogism (Bakhtin) and Global South frameworks (Prashad, Mbembe), the study examines how <i>A Man of the People</i> (<CitationRef CitationID="CR4">1966</CitationRef>) and <i>Anthills of the Savannah</i> (<CitationRef CitationID="CR6">1987</CitationRef>) resonate with works by Salman Rushdie, Gabriel García Márquez, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, and Mario Vargas Llosa. Rather than claiming direct textual influence, the analysis highlights shared thematic and formal strategies cyclical temporality, satirical exposure of authoritarianism, feminist resistance, and Igbo orality that foster decolonial solidarity across Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. Achebe’s distinctive contribution lies in his fusion of comedic irony and indigenous epistemology, offering vernacular tools for epistemic sovereignty. The paper contends that this “writing across” transforms postcolonial literature into a hemispheric archive of resistance and positions Achebe as a vital node in world literary discourse. Limitations include the interpretive nature of comparative resonances and a focus on Anglophone canonical texts.</p>

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Writing Back, Writing Across: Achebe’s Intertextual Engagement with Global South Narratives of Political Disillusionment

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月11日

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  • Ayenew Gaudu,
  • Dawit Dibekulu

摘要

This article argues that Chinua Achebe’s later fiction moves beyond the paradigm of “writing back” to imperial discourse to enact a lateral practice of “writing across” Global South narratives of political disillusionment. Adopting a comparative approach informed by dialogism (Bakhtin) and Global South frameworks (Prashad, Mbembe), the study examines how A Man of the People (1966) and Anthills of the Savannah (1987) resonate with works by Salman Rushdie, Gabriel García Márquez, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, and Mario Vargas Llosa. Rather than claiming direct textual influence, the analysis highlights shared thematic and formal strategies cyclical temporality, satirical exposure of authoritarianism, feminist resistance, and Igbo orality that foster decolonial solidarity across Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. Achebe’s distinctive contribution lies in his fusion of comedic irony and indigenous epistemology, offering vernacular tools for epistemic sovereignty. The paper contends that this “writing across” transforms postcolonial literature into a hemispheric archive of resistance and positions Achebe as a vital node in world literary discourse. Limitations include the interpretive nature of comparative resonances and a focus on Anglophone canonical texts.