“African Literature in the World: Travel, Writing, and Other Love Stories”
A Joint Book Reading and Conversation Featuring Award-winning Writers Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and Emmanuel Iduma
Free and open to the public
The English Department is very pleased to host two award-winning African writers for a joint book reading and conversation on
Thursday, October 10, 2019, 4 pm
@Leatherdale Hall, University of Winnipeg
Professor Chigbo Arthur Anyaduba is hosting this event and so we asked him to tell us a little bit about it:
“As a recent hire in the department, it has been my pleasure and honour to be a part of the Winnipeg academic community. I consider it a great privilege to have the opportunity of sharing with students and faculty the enchanting worlds of African/black writings. In this endeavour, I have invited two young, influential and award-winning writers (Ayobami Adebayo and Emmanuel Iduma) to read from their works on Thursday, October 10, 2019 and to be in a conversation on the topic of “African Literature in the World: Travel, Writing, and Other Love Stories.” The invited writers will also hold a writing workshop for interested students on the same day.
The works of these writers (particularly on issues about love, travel, gender, sexuality, sickle cell anaemia, relationships, photography, etc.) do complement quite well with some of the topical concerns of the department and some of the work being done by colleagues and students in the department. The event would also present an opportunity for our students to meet and hear from young and accomplished writers who are building their reputations as international educators.”
Author’s Bios
Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ is the author of Stay with Me, a layered and astute exploration of love and family amid political upheaval. It recently won the 9mobile Prize for African Writing. It was shortlisted for the Kwani? Manuscript Project, the Baileys Prize for Women’s Fiction, and the Wellcome book Prize. It was also longlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and the International Dublin Literary Award. Stay with Me was named a Notable book of the Year by The New York Times and a Best Book of the Year by The Guardian, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and others. It has been translated into more than nineteen languages. (For more details: http://www.ayobamiadebayo.com/)
Emmanuel Iduma is the author of A Stranger’s Pose (2018), a book combining travel writing, memoir, and photography, which was longlisted for the 2019 Ondaatje Prize, and The Sound of Things to Come (2016), a novel. He was awarded an arts writing grant from the creative capital/Andy Warhol Foundation, for his essays on Nigerian artists, and was associate curator of the Nigerian Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale. He is faculty member at the School of Visual Arts, New York. (For more details: http://www.mriduma.com)
Other Highlights:
A FREE creative writing workshop with the authors Thursday, Oct. 10, 12-1:30 pm in 3C25
To sign up for the workshop, please send an email indicating interest to Dr. Catherine Hunter: c.hunter@uwinnipeg.ca. Limited slots available.
Further Inquiries:
Dr. Chigbo Arthur Anyaduba
Department of English
University of Winnipeg
c.anyaduba@uwinnipeg.ca
204-789-1476