Google today celebrates the 87th birth anniversary of Late Chinua Achebe, a writer many consider to be father of modern African literature.

Born Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe; 16 November 1930, was a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic.

His first novel Things Fall Apart (1958), often considered his best, is the most widely read book in modern African literature.

The novel depicts the complex customs of the Igbo people, one of multiple ethnic groups in Nigeria with a distinct culture and language.

A well respected African writer that lent a voice to a generation of Africans who refused to be defined solely through the lenses of European thoughts.

Part of that work involved telling distinctly African stories from the perspective of African characters, helping to forge a literature that — like newly created countries — was independent from Europe, which brought him accolades, including the Man Booker International Prize in 2007.

Achebe died at the age of 82 in March of 2013.