Renowned literary critic and scholar, Professor Charles Nnolim, is dead. He died in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the age of 86. His passage came barely a month after the demise of Kenya’s foremost novelist and literary giant, Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Unarguably, Nnolim was one of the best and most engaging critics of African literature. He was known for his radical, incisive and at times controversial views on issues.
In his Nigerian National Merit Award winners’ lecture titled; “Morning Yet on Criticism Day: The Criticism of African Literature in the Twentieth Century,” Nnolim succinctly observed: “The function of the critic is both judicial and social. It is also interventionist. His function is to estimate and pass judgment on the value and quality of the work of art before him, he is a mediator between the specialist and the layman, between the work of art and its readership or the audience.” He also stated that “the critic’s social function is, therefore, to be of some use to the reader in helping the reader understand the work in question. It is the duty of the critic also to arouse enthusiasm for the work by getting the reader buy and read the work. A sound critic must, above all, be objective and detached.” No doubt, this guided his many critical interventions.
Nnolim, who hailed from Umuchu in Aguata Local government Area of Anambra State, was a renowned literary critic and scholar whose reputation resonated across Africa and beyond. As a foremost literary critic, he bestrode Africa’s literary atmosphere with candour, relish and immediacy that earned him widespread acclaim. As a seasoned teacher, researcher and scholar at the University of Port-Harcourt, Nnolim trained and mentored many scholars and researchers who today, blaze the trail of literary scholarship both within and outside Nigeria.
In his death, Africa has lost an eminent scholar, fearless critic and an excellent man of letters. Indeed, the literary community has been thrown into deep mourning following his demise. Although he was not much of a creative writer, his analytical abilities and literary diagnosis of literature in different genres testify to his brilliance as a committed critic and eloquent man of letters. His critical essays provide a concise guide to established literary cannons pioneered by leading writers of the world. Nigeria and Africa lost a literary gem following the passage of Nnolim.
Charles Nnolim attended Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Owerri, Imo State. He later travelled to the United States and attended the Catholic University where he obtained a PhD in English and Literary Studies. After his PhD, he returned to Nigeria and joined the University of Port-Harcourt as a lecturer. As a leading literary scholar and teacher of repute, he wrote Approaches to the African Novel: Essays in Analysis, Issues in African Literature, Pessimism as Dialectic: The Form of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and Literary Criticism and National Development.
Besides, he had written many scholarly articles in reputable journals both locally and internationally. He was a regular contributor to African Literature Today. Some of his journal articles illuminate literary developments in Africa and beyond. His research interests cut across Cultural Criticism, Feminism, Post-colonial criticism and others, paying special attention to form, structure, technique and style of works he analysed. His research and teaching career spanned over three decades in American and Nigerian universities. His seminal contributions to African literary theory and criticism with particular reference to fiction (the novel) have been widely acclaimed.
As an academic, Nnolim taught with passion and grace that seem to be lacking among current literary academics in Africa. No doubt, Nnolim carved a niche in the criticism of African literature through his incisive and poignant scholarly and literary interventions. Considering Nnolim’s outstanding contributions to the development of African literary criticism, and, by extension, African literature, the federal government should immortalise him. We urge other literary critics and teachers to emulate the shining example of Nnolim. He was a great teacher, researcher and iconic literary critic.
The younger generation should emulate his dedication and unwavering commitment to education, especially literary studies. His selfless service is exemplary in an age when many people in the academia are excessively engrossed in materialism. He was a towering figure in literary criticism and scholarship. We commiserate with his family, friends, the literary community, the people and government of Anambra State and the federal government over the irreparable loss.
