What event inspired Chinua to write the novel, Things Fall Apart, as noted in the memoir, There Was a Country?

Chinua Achebe was dismayed when a professor told him that a story he had submitted lacked form. When asked she could not really explain what she was referring to. Upon pressing the matter, Chinua concluded that although the professor was bright and had a stellar background, she was not capable of teaching across cultures. It planted a seed in Chinua’s mind that African writers needed to tell Africa’s story. Shorter term, the incident was the spark that led to Chinua writing his first novel, Things Fall Apart. Chinua was inspired and devoted every available minute to writing his manuscript.