google.com, pub-3998556743903564, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 Soludo, Obi, Obaze, Others Expected At 2024 Achebe Literary Festival And Memorial Lecture

Soludo, Obi, Obaze, Others Expected At 2024 Achebe Literary Festival And Memorial Lecture

 By Izunna Okafor

Awka, the capital city of Anambra State, is set to host a star-studded gathering on Saturday as it welcomes notable public figures, writers, intellectuals, literary enthusiasts, and book lovers to the 2024 Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture.

The event, organized by the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (Anambra State Chapter), is a tribute to the legacy of the iconic Nigerian author, Prof. Chinua Achebe.

Izunna Okafor, the State Coordinator of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers (Anambra State Chapter), shared this update on Wednesday in Awka, detailing the association's preparations for the event.

According to him, the Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture, initiated in 2016 and now in its 9th edition, is an annual event organized in honor of the Nigerian literary icon, the late Prof. Chinua Achebe, celebrating his life, works, and legacy. He added that this year's event will, as usual, take place on Achebe's birthday, November 16, 2024, at the Anambra State Central E-Library (also known as the Prof. Kenneth Dike State Central E-Library) in Awka, starting promptly at 9 AM, with many dignitaries and participants expected in attendance.

The theme for this year is “Remembering Achebe... In a Time Like This.” Okafor revealed that the 2024 Achebe Memorial Lecture will be delivered by former Governor of Anambra State and 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi. The current Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, will be the Special Guest of Honour.

This year's event will be chaired by author and former United Nations official, Mr. Oseloka Obaze, who also served as a former Secretary to the State Government in Anambra. Okafor mentioned that the Royal Fathers of the Day will include H.R.H. Igwe Chidubem Iweka, the award-winning writer and Traditional Ruler of Obosi; H.R.H. Igwe Pharm. Alex Uzo Onyido, the Traditional Ruler of Ogidi, Achebe's hometown; and Igwe Sir Ben Emeka, the Traditional Ruler of Umueri, who is a strong advocate for education. Many other dignitaries are also expected at the event.

“The event will feature the 2024 Achebe Lecture, drama, spoken word poetry, the announcement of winners of the 2024 Chinua Achebe Essay Writing Competition for secondary schools, special readings, award presentations, and other literary activities,” Okafor stated. He also mentioned that the occasion will include the unveiling and presentation of the 9th Chinua Achebe Poetry/Essay Anthology, titled “Echoes from the Anthills.” This anthology is the association's latest international collection of poems and essays, published in honor of Achebe.

The annual anthology, he explained, is a way to immortalize Achebe’s legacy. It features poems, essays, and reviews contributed by writers from various countries. Reports indicate that the Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture has attracted numerous distinguished personalities to Anambra State and remains one of the most prominent and sustained literary festivals in Africa, continuing to grow since its inception nine years ago.

Okafor, an award-winning author and journalist, further revealed that this year's open-to-all event will mark Achebe's 94th posthumous birthday and the eleventh anniversary of his death. The festival is expected to attract a host of literary icons from both within and outside Nigeria, who will converge in Awka to honor the legendary Achebe.

Born on November 16, 1930, Prof. Chinua Achebe hailed from Ogidi in Anambra State and was a pioneering Nigerian writer, critic, and author of Things Fall Apart. He passed away on March 21, 2013, at the age of 82. Since 2016, the Chinua Achebe Literary Festival has been held annually on Achebe's birthday, continuing to celebrate his remarkable contributions to literature.

 

 

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