MBARI SERIES: PROF. EMEKA ANIAGOLU, PROF. RAZINAT MOHAMMED, OTHERS TO HEADLINE JUNE EDITION
By Wole Adedoyin
The prestigious Mbari Series continues to be at the forefront of intellectual discourse and the upcoming June edition promises to be a captivating event. Renowned scholars and distinguished personalities will converge at the Femi Osofisan Secretariat, Chinua Achebe Int’l Conference Centre, Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, Mpape, Abuja, Nigeria, on Saturday, 24th June, 2023, for a thought-provoking discussion on the theme "A Nation in Dire Need of Innovation: Literature as the Answer."
Headlining the event will be the esteemed Prof. Emeka Aniagolu, Prof. Aniagolu is the author of twenty works of fiction and non-fiction. He was a Professor in the Black World Studies of Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, where he taught African and African-American History and Politics. Emeka Aniagolu’s first novel, Black Mustard Seed, is critically acclaimed by major scholars in the field of African Literature (including the greatest African novelist, Chinua Achebe). It was nominated for the Commonwealth Writers Prize in August of 2002.
Joining him is the illustrious Prof. Razinat Mohammed, Razinat Talatu Mohammed, Professor of Feminist Literary Criticism, Theoretical Approaches and Creative Writing at the University of Abuja. She is the award winning author of A love Like a Woman’s and other Stories (2006). Her first novel, Habiba (2013), was a finalist for the ANA prize for prose 2014; she is also, the author of The Travails of a first Wife (Origami, 2015), My Daughter, My Blood and other Stories( 2021), A New Lie and Other Poems (2021), a reference text, Intra-gender Relations between Women: A Study of Nawal El-Saadawi and Buchi Emecheta’s Novel (Lambert Academic Publication, 2012) and Female Representation in Nigerian Literature www.africanwriter.com among others. She is currently, Head of Department English and Literary Studies, University of Abuja, Nigeria..
Other panel of discussants for this edition comprises a diverse group of accomplished individuals, including Dr. Lois Otse Adams, Dr. C.P. Ojukwu, Andrew Bula and Chimnemezu Nwaeze.
The event will be expertly moderated by Prof. Udenta O. Udenta, a distinguished scholar and public intellectual who has dedicated his career to fostering critical engagement with literature and culture. Assisting him as moderators will be Mr. Taiwo Akerele, immediate past Chairman of ANA Abuja and Abdur Rahman Aderinoye (ARA), former Chairman of ANA Kwara.
The Mbari Series: June Edition will provide a platform for an in-depth exploration of the role of literature in addressing the pressing challenges faced by our nation. The event will commence at 11 am and promises to be a stimulating intellectual experience for both attendees and participants.
For those unable to attend in person, the event will be accessible via Zoom. To join the virtual discussion, please use the following details:
Meeting ID: 81346180889 Passcode: 830765
Media personnel and members of the public are invited to attend this remarkable gathering of esteemed scholars, thinkers, and creatives. Don't miss the opportunity to engage in a vibrant discussion on the power of literature as a catalyst for innovation and change.