Adimora-Ezeigbo set to headline James Currey Literary Festival at Oxford

Adimora-Ezeigbo set to headline James Currey Literary Festival at Oxford

A frontline author and professor of African Literature, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, is among the literary czars expected to headline the inaugural James Currey Literary Festival coming up in September at the University of Oxford.

Others are Bloomsbury publisher, Alexandra Pringle; Britain’s first ‘black’ female book publisher, Margaret Busby; and the eminent British publisher of African book, James Currey. Currey was the curator of the prestigious African Writers Series which saw to the publication of most of the books written by the first generation of African writers like Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiang’I, Chinua Achebe, Mungo Betty, etc.

The festival honours the enormous but little-known contributions to the development of African literature made by Currey. it is organised by the Oxford-based James Currey Society.

Pringle will be on one of the festival’s flagship panels, alongside Busby and Ezeigbo, discussing publishing African literature and how it has evolved and should further develop.

Veteran Nigerian novelist, former politician, and former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Dr. Wale Okediran, will talk about his new work, while novelists, Ikenna Okeh, Stephen Embleton, Ever Obi, and writers Kadija Sesay, Timi Ovuru, Javier Gutiérrez Lozano, Okwiri Oduor, Suraj Yengde, Keith Richards, Shola Adenekan, Sonny Iroche, Lydia Idakula, Dianne Regisford, Uche Anyanwagu, Nky Iweka, Obinna Odenigbo, and Ayodele Arigbabu will join in conversations cutting across a range of published works and topics.

South African writer, Niq Mhlongo, will feature in conversations alongside Nigerian crime fiction writer, Leye Adenle.

Joining the line-up are Ikhide Ikheloa, Efe Paul-Azino, Miles Larmer, Jahman Anikulapo, Aderemi Adegbite, Debbie Edwards, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, Akin Alabi and literary agent, Emma Shercliff.

Also featuring at the festival will be the announcement of the winner of the 2022 James Currey Prize for African Literature, established by Onyeka Nwelue, a Nigerian writer, filmmaker, founder of the James Currey Society and Academic Visitor at the African Studies Centre, University of Oxford.

Nwelue, who is the director of the festival, announced that the festival, it will take place from 1-3 September, 2022 at Sir Victor Blank Lecture Theatre, Weston Library, University of Oxford.