A man to whom you do a favor will not understand if you say nothing, make no noise, just walk away. You may cause more trouble by refusing a bribe than by accepting it.

I'm very primitive; I write with a pen.

There was a saying in Umuofia that as a man danced so the drums were beaten for him.

There is something about important stories that is not just the message, but also the way that message is conveyed, the arrangement of the words, the felicity of the language. So it's really a balance between your commitment, whether it's political or economic or whatever, and your craft as an artist.

The language of young men is pull down and destroy; but an old man speaks of conciliation.

I prefer to go on trying all kinds of things, not to be told, This is the way it is done.

Children are young, but they're not naive. And they're honest. They're not going to keep wide awake if the story is boring. When they get excited you can see it in their eyes.