The Cultural Politics of Dirt in Africa A seminar by Professor Steph Newell (University of Sussex) June 10, 11am – 12pm Seng Tee Lee Room, Senate House Library, London As part of the Scolma Lunchtime Seminar Series 2015, Professor Steph… Read More ›
Nigeria
Saraba issue 17: Survival – now out
A quick heads up that the latest issue of Saraba Magazine is now out, and available to download for free here: http://www.sarabamag.com/the-survival-issue This issue is themed around ‘Survival’, and as Saraba puts it: “A word from the 1590s, “survival” implies the… Read More ›
New African fiction, poetry and non-fiction for the coming months
As the seasons change and Spring begins to arrive here in the UK, it seems a good time look forward to some forthcoming African fiction, non-fiction and poetry releases due over the next few months. What are you looking forward… Read More ›
Accessing academic texts on Africa beyond the firewall: New African Histories (Ohio University Press)
Open Access, the campaign to make scholarship free to read for everyone, not just those who have paid to get past the firewalls, continues to gain ground. It’s still difficult to access academic texts for those without access to university libraries. Scribd is… Read More ›
The Valentine’s Day Anthology: a snapshot of the possibilities and challenges of African publishing
February 14th 2015 marked the publication of the Valentine’s Day Anthology, a collection of short romance stories by seven leading African authors, translated and recorded in different African languages and published by Ankara Press. AiW author Emma Shercliff reflects here… Read More ›
Compelling narratives: stretching ‘memoir’ in ‘African lives’
Geoff Wisner sets himself a sizeable task in ‘African Lives’, to introduce the life-writing of the continent: I don’t envy this anthologist. His introduction makes the case for the long history of autobiographical writing in Africa. Wisner argues it needs to be rescued, to be… Read More ›
Mary Evans and Emeka Ogboh: Mirrors & Echoes Exhibition (Closing This Week – 20/12)
Mirrors & Echoes, Mary Evans and Emeka Ogboh Tiwani Contemporary Gallery, London 14 November – 20 December 2014 Tiwani Contemporary is pleased to present Mirrors & Echoes – Mary Evans and Emeka Ogboh, a collaboration between these two artists. This is… Read More ›
What Are Publishers Looking For in Fiction?: Report from Ake Festival, November 2014
AiW Guest Emma Shercliff The theme of the second Ake Festival, which took place from 18-22 November 2014 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, was ‘Bridges and Pathways’. Festival Director Lola Shoneyin had emphasized that the focus this year would be ‘on building… Read More ›
Call for Papers: The 4th Annual International Igbo Conference (deadline 16 January 2015)
The 4th Annual International Igbo Conference Theme: Igbo Womanhood, Womanbeing and Personhood SOAS, University of London April 17-18, 2015 Igbo womanhood has been central in the conceptualisation of several African feminist theories. African Womanism is influenced by ‘the Igbo concept of… Read More ›
The Supreme Price: Thinking about ‘wives’ and the gender of political leadership
For me ‘The Supreme Price’ reflects a conflict many working with questions of gender and politics in history will recognise. How to measure the significance of women who attain power through men (husbands, fathers, sons)? How important is it to distinguish between women as figureheads… Read More ›
“All the talk in WWI seems to be about France…”*
Why were Africans consigned to the margins, sometimes altogether erased, when the drama of this war was narrated? (Okey Ndibe) Okey Ndibe‘s comment above reflected on the absence of acknowledgement for Africa and Africans in terms of a different global war,… Read More ›
Ake Arts and Book Festival, 18 – 22 November 2014
Ake Arts and Book Festival Abeokuta, Ogun State 18 – 22 November 2014 The second edition of Ake Arts and Book Festival will take place at June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto-Abeokuta from 18-22 November 2014. The theme is Bridges and Pathways… Read More ›
The circulation of politics, art and literature in Nigeria
As part of his tour of the UK to promote his novel, Foreign Gods, Inc., journalist, academic and writer Okey Ndibe paid a visit to the University of Sussex earlier this week. As well as being interviewed by locally-based African literature… Read More ›
African Languages at ASAUK 2014
As part of our ongoing series on the ASAUK 2014 conference, Rebecca Jones reports on panels on African languages in literature and in the disciplines. Papers that discussed African languages could be found throughout the ASAUK 2014 conference – including panels on Swahili… Read More ›
Africa Utopia – Hacking Africa?
With a remit to explore how African art and ideas can change the world for the better: how Africa can lead the way in thinking about culture, community, technology, fashion, sustainability and ethical wealth creation, Africa Utopia was a three-day… Read More ›
Printing across borders: African newspaper cultures (ASAUK2014)
Following AiW’s opening readings.. 'stories that have never been shared': Alex Ntung reads from his work @AlexMvuka #ASAUK2014 http://t.co/v5IcceytDu— Africa in Words (@AfricainWords) September 09, 2014 whirlwind literary tour, from Uganda to Kenya to Nigeria, Rwanda in the first… Read More ›
They Will Eat Me in Calabar: tales from the front lines of Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps
We eventually got to their house, where I was introduced to a middle-aged women. They all spoke in Efik, I did not understand them. So I became more afraid, thinking that they were planning to eat me. The woman asked… Read More ›
Portraiture & Photography in Africa
Peffer and Cameron’s new edited collection brings together disparate accounts of photography in Africa, revising and developing what is, as they point out, still a relatively new field, despite the work of (for example) Paul Jenkins and Paul Landau that… Read More ›
Precarious texts? a new autobiography project
If you talk to a researcher about their PhD, I have found that there comes a moment when they reveal the ‘hidden’ thesis, the one they didn’t quite write. In history, this is sometimes prevented by archival destruction (recent or ancient),… Read More ›
Igbo Heritage: Production, Diffusion and Legacy (3rd Annual Igbo Conference)
2nd-3rd May 2014, SOAS, Brunei Lecture Theatre and Suite The third annual Igbo Conference will provide a platform to examine various aspects of the Igbo heritage, including but not limited to: Igbo Heritage and the Arts, Food, Diet and Lifestyle,… Read More ›
africainwords.com 