International Women's Month
A memorial event on 9 March for Buchi Emecheta at the CLR James Library
in Dalston was the first of many that will be held in her name during
the next 12 months.
L to R: Ade Solanke (playwright), Sylvester Onwordi
(Buchi Emecheta's eldest son), Roseanne (Muatta Books),
Ngozi (storyteller and drummer)
Organised by Andrea and Roseanne, the intimate gathering of friends, family and locals, those who knew of her work and adored her and others who just wanted to know more. The group included a young woman who worked at the library and who came from Ibusa, the same village as Buchi. Andrea announced that this would be the first of many gatherings for Mama Buchi, that there would be a series of events to 'Big Up Buchi' in order to encourage the resurgence to read her work, particularly for young people inside and outside school. To find out more about the ongoing workshops, book readings and gatherings that are being planning, contact Andrea on:
aenisuoh@hotmail.com
MARCH
Lagos
Saturday 25 March, 1pm
Sylvester Onwordi and Margaret Busby, Buchi Emecheta's publisher will give individual tributes and then there will be a panel discussion with female Nigerian writers including, Chika Unigwe, Sefi Atta, Molara Wood and Sarah Ladipo Manyika. Plus audience contributions on Buchi Emecheta's life and work.
Venue : Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
APRIL
London
21-22 April
'Legacies of Biafra' conference .
A tribute to Buchi Emecheta will be led by Professor Akachi Ezeigbo
Conference convened by Dr. Louisa Egbunike
Venue: SOAS
MAY
New York
Rasheda Ismaili
Please contact Rasheda Ismaili if you would like to participate or support the event that she is organising for Buchi Emecheta and Peter Abrahams.
rashidaismaili@aol.com
London
Greenwich Festival
Sat 27th May, 3pm
'Novel Thinking'
Join our tribute to the late pioneering British African author Buchi Emecheta, featuring her son, Sylvester Onwordi, her publisher Margaret Busby, and prominent British-Nigerian writers, plus readings of selected extracts from her work. Chaired by Ade Solanke.(Writer/Producer, Spora Stories)
Part of the Greenwich Book Festival 2017.
Queen Anne Court, Council Room, University of Greenwich, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich SE10 9LS
JUNE
USA
African Literature Assoc. at
Yale University, New Haven
Roundtable
14-17 June
Thursday 15th June 3:45-5pm
A Tribute Event "Remembering Buchi Emecheta at ALA 2017" at the Conference in Yale in June has been granted by the ALA Executive and the Conference Organising Committee.
Tributes from highly esteemed African women academics will be paying respects and libation for Buchi Emecheta through stories, poems and readings
Chair: Ayebia Clarke
Panel
Time: tbc
Celebrating Buchi Emecheta's Place and Contribution in African Literature.
With papers presented by Dr.
G. Oty Agbajoh-Laoye,
Dr. Helen Chukwuma, and Dr. Mark di Giacomo,
Sylvester Onwordi and
Dr Modhumita Roy
Chair:Kadija Sesay, FRSA
Nigeria
15-17 June, 2017
LAGOS: From the Pepperfarm to the Megacity (and Beyond) An Interdisciplinary Conference on 'Space, Society, and the Imagination of an African Crossroads',
'The Lagos of Buchi Emecheta'.
A Panel chaired by Dr. Louisa Egbunike
Venue: Faculty of Arts, University of Lagos, Lagos,
South Africa
16-18 June 2017
"The Pan-African Pantheon"
A paper: 'Buchi Emecheta' to be presented
by Dr. Louisa Egbunike
Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation Conference
Venue: University of Johannesburg
London
Africa Writes
30 June
I
busa Village Women ceremony for their sister Buchi Emecheta.
Organised with the family for a London memorial and celebration of her
November
USA
November 16 - 18, 2017
African Studies Association Annual Conference (ASA),
Buchi Emecheta: A Celebration of her Life and Work'
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
Chair:Louisa Egbunike
Jan 2018
THE GAMBIA
SABLE LITFest
Mboka Festival of Arts Culture and Sport
The Gambia
6-20 Jan
Buchi Emecheta was to have been our special guest of honour at the first SABLE Litfest in The Gambia in 2007 but she was too unwell to travel. We honour Buchi at a celebration of her life with readings, memories, poetry, music and film.
Louisa Uchum Egbunike is a lecturer in English at Manchester Metropolitan University. She completed her PhD at SOAS, University of London, where she has also lectured in Contemporary African Literature. Louisa is one of the founders and conveners of the Annual International Igbo Conference at SOAS.
(other publications in the pipeline)
