Soludo, Obi To Attend 9th Achebe Memorial Lecture, Literary Festival
The 9th Prof. Chinua Achebe Memorial Lecture and Literary Festival will hold at the Kenneth Dike Library, Awka, the Anambra capital on Saturday, Nov. 16.
It promises to be a gathering of writers, intellectuals, literary activists, book lovers, and enthusiasts.
The event is organised Society of Young Nigerian Writers (Anambra State Chapter), under the leadership of Izunna Okafor as Coordinator.
Okafor who disclosed this in Awka on Wednesday said Chinua Achebe Literary Festival and Memorial Lecture, initiated in 2016 was currently in its 9th edition.
He said said the Memorial Lecture and Literary Festival was in honour of Nigerian literary icon, Late Prof. Chinua Achebe, in celebration of his life, works and legacies.
He added it was held Nov. 16 which coincides with Achebe’s birthday adding that the theme for this year was “Remembering Achebe… In a Time Like This”.
Okafor said some of the guests expected at the event were Mr Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra, with Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo as Special Guest of Honour and Mr Oseloka Obaze, a former Secretary to the Anambra Government, would chair the event.
Igwe Chidubem Iweka; the Traditional Ruler of Obosi, Igwe Alex Onyido of Ogidi, and Igwe Ben Emeka of Umueri would be the Royal Fathers of the Day.
“Winners of the 2024 Chinua Achebe Essay Writing Competition (for secondary schools) will be announced, drama, spoken word poetry, and special reading, award presentation, will be made.
“We will unveil and present the 9th Chinua Achebe Poetry/Essay Anthology, titled “Echoes from the Anthills”which is the association’s latest international anthology of poems and essays, published in honour and memory of Achebe ahead of the event.
The annual international anthology iis one of writers’ way of immortalising Achebe, it contains poems, essays, and reviews written and submitted by writers from different countries of the world,” he said.
Okafor, said this year’s edition will also mark Achebe’s 94th posthumous birthday and 11 years of Achebe’s death,
Achebe was born on Nov.16, 1930, in Ogidi Anambra, he was a foremost Nigerian writer, critic, and author of Things Fall Apart.
He died on March 21, 2013, at the age of 82.
