Ernest Emenyonu | |
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Born | Ernest Nneji Emenyonu Imo State, Nigeria |
Occupation(s) | African literature critic and professor |
Chief Sir Ernest Emenyonu is a Nigerian academic, who is an African literature critic and professor. He was formerly head of the department of English and Literary Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, in that order, through the 1980s and 1990s. He was also Provost of Alvan Ikoku College of Education, now Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri, in Imo state, Nigeria (1992–1995). [1]
Ernest Nneji Emenyonu is one of the preeminent scholars in the world on African Literature. [2] [3] He has published biographies on notable writers such as Chinua Achebe and Cyprian Ekwensi. [4] While at the University of Calabar, Emenyonu founded and chaired the Calabar annual International Conference on African Literature and the English Language (ICALEL). [5] This promoted interaction of African writers and critics with visiting international scholars.[ citation needed ]
Emenyonu is a research professor at University of Michigan. He held the position of Head of Department of Africana Studies. Presently, he is the Editor of the oldest journal in the world on African literature, African Literature Today . [6] [7] He has made notable contributions to the University of Michigan-Flint, such as bringing Nobel Prize-winner in Literature Wole Soyinka, to the campus, as well as women's rights activist Nawal El Saadawi. [8]
Emenyonu is a Knight of Saint Christopher, Anglican Communion. [5] He is also a Chief in his hometown of Imo State, Nigeria. He was given the title Ugwu Mba 1 of Mbieri, meaning in translation "pride of his people". [5] He is married to his longtime wife Patricia Emenyonu, with four children and three granddaughters.[ citation needed ]
Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as a central figure of modern African literature. His first novel and magnum opus, Things Fall Apart (1958), occupies a pivotal place in African literature and remains the most widely studied, translated, and read African novel. Along with Things Fall Apart, his No Longer at Ease (1960) and Arrow of God (1964) complete the "African Trilogy". Later novels include A Man of the People (1966) and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). In the West, Achebe is often referred to as the "father of African literature", although he vigorously rejected the characterization.
Owerri is the capital city of Imo State in Nigeria, set in the heart of Igboland. It is also the state's largest city, followed by Orlu, Okigwe and Ohaji/Egbema. Owerri consists of three Local Government Areas including Owerri Municipal, Owerri North and Owerri West, it has an estimated population of 1,401,873 as of 2016 and is approximately 100 square kilometres (40 sq mi) in area. Owerri is bordered by the Otamiri River to the east and the Nworie River to the south. The Owerri Slogan is Heartland. It is also called the Las Vegas of Africa, due to the night life of the city and the numerous hotels, casino and leisure parks all over the city.
Chief Cyprian Odiatu Duaka Ekwensi was a Nigerian author of novels, short stories, and children's books.
ICALEL is an acronym for the Calabar International Conference on African Literature and the English Language founded and chaired by African scholar and critic Ernest Emenyonu. At the centre of the conference are African writers and critics from all over the world. The first conference entitled “The Woman as a Writer in Africa” was held at the University of Calabar auditorium in May 1981 and Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo was keynote speaker. The themes of 1982, namely "Literature in African Languages" and "Writing Books for Children", featured Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and Bessie Head as keynote speakers. The many notable African writers who have featured at the conference over the years include Cyprian Ekwensi, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Chinweizu, Dennis Brutus, Buchi Emecheta, Flora Nwapa, Elechi Amadi, Ken Saro Wiwa, Chukwuemeka Ike, Nuruddin Farah, Syl Cheney-Coker, to mention a few.
Catherine Obianuju Acholonu was a Nigerian author, researcher and political activist. She served as the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Arts and Culture and was a founder-member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).
Florence Nwanzuruahu Nkiru Nwapa, was a Nigerian author who has been called the mother of modern African Literature. She was the forerunner to a generation of African women writers, and the first African woman novelist to be published in the English language in Britain. She achieved international recognition with her first novel Efuru, published in 1966 by Heinemann Educational Books. While never considering herself a feminist, she was best known for recreating life and traditions from an Igbo woman's viewpoint.
E. Nolue Emenanjo was a Nigerian academic scholar, professor, writer and critic who is regarded as a central figure of Igbo literature. His book, A Grammar of Contemporary Igbo: Constituents, Features and Processes (2015), strongly added input to research of Igbo literature and culture. Along with his publications, his Igbo Language and Culture (1975) and Elements of Modern Igbo Grammar (1978). Later books include Auxiliaries in Igbo Syntax (1985) and Multilingualism, Minority Languages, and Language Policy in Nigeria (1990). In the 21st century, Emenanjo is often referred to as the "father of Igbo literature", alongside Tony Ubesie and others.
Alvan Azinna Ikoku was a Nigerian educationist, statesman, activist and politician.
Imo State is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its name from the Imo River which flows along the state's eastern border. The state capital is Owerri and the State's slogan is the "Eastern Heartland."
Adiele Eberechukwu Afigbo was a Nigerian historian known for the history and historiography of Africa, more particularly Igbo history and the history of Southeastern Nigeria. Themes emphasised include pre-colonial and colonial history, inter-group relations, the Aro and the slave trade, the art and science of history in Africa, and nation-building.
Sam Uzochukwu is a Nigerian academic and expert on Igbo oral poetry.
The Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri, formerly the Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, Owerri is located in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria. It was established in April, 1963 as the Advanced Teachers Training College by the defunct Eastern Nigeria Government on the grounds of the Old Shell Camp, Owerri. It has since expanded across the Orlu Road on the banks of the Nworie River. It awards the National Certificate in Education (NCE) and the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) and, in affiliation, with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) since 1984. The university is headed by Dr. (Mrs.) Stella Ngozi Lemchi, the Acting Vice-Chancellor (Administration) who was the erstwhile Provost of the college. She took over, in 2022, from Dr. Dan C. Anyanwu. Dr (Mrs.) Lemchi is the second female Provost of the college, after Professor Blessing C. Ijioma.
Rose Okoji Oko was a Nigerian politician and senator. She was a Member of the Federal House of Representatives from the People's Democratic Party (PDP), representing Yala/Ogoja Federal Constituency in Nigeria's 7th National Assembly. She was elected into office as the first female representative from her constituency in June 2011 and sat as Deputy Chairman House Committee on Education. She was the Senator representing the people of Cross River North Senatorial District. She was elected into office as the first female representative from her Senatorial District in June 2015.
Frank Nneji is the Founder and Chief executive officer of Associated Bus Company (ABC) Transport Plc, the first transport company to become a Public limited company (PLC) and also popularized Coach (bus) service on the West Africa coast.
Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo was a Nigerian author, publisher, and pro-democracy activist, who was chancellor of EMU, and former vice-chairman of the National Democratic Coalition. As Chancellor of the Eastern Mandate Union (EMU), Nwankwo championed a return to democratic governance during a military interlude in governance under General Sani Abacha. He was detained on June 3, 1998, and was released upon the sudden death of Abacha in the same month. In 2003, he unsuccessfully ran for president under the banner of the independent People's Mandate Party, a group created out of EMU. Nwankwo was the author of more than 20 books.
Pauline Ada Uwakweh is a Nigerian writer and academic. Writing as Pauline Onwubiko, she published Running for Cover (1988), a children's novel giving a child's-eye view of the Nigerian civil war. She is a Professor of Literature in the English Department at North Carolina A&T State University. Her specialism is African writing and literature from the African diaspora, particularly women's writing.
Igbo literature encompasses both oral and written works of fiction and nonfiction created by the Igbo people in the Igbo language. This literary tradition reflects the cultural heritage, history, and linguistic diversity of the Igbo community. The roots of Igbo literature trace back to ancient oral traditions that included chants, folk songs, narrative poetry, and storytelling. These oral narratives were frequently recited during rituals, childbirth ceremonies, and gatherings. Proverbs and riddles were also used to convey wisdom and entertain children.
Chief Frederick Chidozie Ogbalu (1927—1990) known predominantly as F. C. Ogbalu, was a Nigerian linguist and educator. He is predominantly known for standardizing Igbo language and is often called the "father" of Igbo language and culture. In 1949, he founded the Society for Promoting Igbo Language and Culture. Ogbalu served as the society's president for many years.
Nwosu Pita Nwana was a Nigerian novelist and carpenter. He is chiefly known as the writer of the first Igbo novel Omenuko. Nwana's Omenuko is regarded as the bedrock for fiction in Igbo literature.
Ezenwa-Ohaeto (1958–2005) was a Nigerian poet, short story writer and academic. He was one of the first Nigerians to publish poems written in pidgin English. He died in Cambridge in 2005.