Wedding Photo of Chinua Achebe and Christiana (Christie) Chinwe Okoli, circa 1961.
The couple met at the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS), Enugu where Achebe served as Controller, NBS Eastern Region and Okoli was a student intern. He writes in his memoir, There Was a Country:
"I was told by my secretary that a delegation of university students wanted to speak with me about a matter of great importance. The students trooped into my office led by their leader, Christie Okoli. She was a beautiful young woman and very articulate, and when she spoke she caught my attention. I was spellbound. In grave tones she announced the complaint of the students: There was one student whose salary was higher than all the others, and they wanted 'equal pay for equal time'. I was kindly disposed toward them and made sure that all of the students received the same remuneration for the work that they did.
My interest in Christie grew rapidly into a desire to get to know her better. I discovered, for instance, that she was from the ancient town of Awka, the present-day capital of Anambra state. Awka held a soft spot in my heart because it was my mother’s hometown, and it was known throughout Igbo land and beyond for its skilled artisans and blacksmiths, who fashioned bronze, wood, and metal carvings of a bold and haunting beauty.
Two years into our friendship, Christie and I were engaged."
- Photo courtesy of the Amos Tutuola Archive, at University of Texas, Austin. Reproduced by Brittle Paper
The couple met at the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS), Enugu where Achebe served as Controller, NBS Eastern Region and Okoli was a student intern. He writes in his memoir, There Was a Country:
"I was told by my secretary that a delegation of university students wanted to speak with me about a matter of great importance. The students trooped into my office led by their leader, Christie Okoli. She was a beautiful young woman and very articulate, and when she spoke she caught my attention. I was spellbound. In grave tones she announced the complaint of the students: There was one student whose salary was higher than all the others, and they wanted 'equal pay for equal time'. I was kindly disposed toward them and made sure that all of the students received the same remuneration for the work that they did.
My interest in Christie grew rapidly into a desire to get to know her better. I discovered, for instance, that she was from the ancient town of Awka, the present-day capital of Anambra state. Awka held a soft spot in my heart because it was my mother’s hometown, and it was known throughout Igbo land and beyond for its skilled artisans and blacksmiths, who fashioned bronze, wood, and metal carvings of a bold and haunting beauty.
Two years into our friendship, Christie and I were engaged."
- Photo courtesy of the Amos Tutuola Archive, at University of Texas, Austin. Reproduced by Brittle Paper
Wedding Photo of Chinua Achebe and Christiana (Christie) Chinwe Okoli, circa 1961.
The couple met at the Nigerian Broadcasting Service (NBS), Enugu where Achebe served as Controller, NBS Eastern Region and Okoli was a student intern. He writes in his memoir, There Was a Country:
"I was told by my secretary that a delegation of university students wanted to speak with me about a matter of great importance. The students trooped into my office led by their leader, Christie Okoli. She was a beautiful young woman and very articulate, and when she spoke she caught my attention. I was spellbound. In grave tones she announced the complaint of the students: There was one student whose salary was higher than all the others, and they wanted 'equal pay for equal time'. I was kindly disposed toward them and made sure that all of the students received the same remuneration for the work that they did.
My interest in Christie grew rapidly into a desire to get to know her better. I discovered, for instance, that she was from the ancient town of Awka, the present-day capital of Anambra state. Awka held a soft spot in my heart because it was my mother’s hometown, and it was known throughout Igbo land and beyond for its skilled artisans and blacksmiths, who fashioned bronze, wood, and metal carvings of a bold and haunting beauty.
Two years into our friendship, Christie and I were engaged."
- Photo courtesy of the Amos Tutuola Archive, at University of Texas, Austin. Reproduced by Brittle Paper
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