One Hundred Years of The Mugu
Saturday 12 July, 14:30 – 15:15
BL Conference Centre, FREE

Book launch and discussion around Chuma Nwokolo’s How to Spell Naija and The Final Testament of a Minor God, marking the centenary of Nigeria’s amalgamation in 1914. Chaired by Dr Mpalive Msiska, Reader in English & Humanities at Birkbeck College. With a response from Chude Jideonwo, author of Are we the turning point generation?

Chuma Nwokolo’s major anthology, How to Spell Naija in 100 Short Stories, reveals the private circumstances of politicians, housewives, kidnapers and ram-sellers with characteristic humour and insight. In tandem, Nwokolo has released The Final Testament of a Minor God: an Anthology of 100 Poems, which provokes the reader to take a surprising look at the lived life, as trees, rivers, planets – and of course, minor gods – find their particular voices. The Final Testament features some previously published favourites like An Oga at the Top Says his Morning Prayers and represents the best of the poet’s output in the decade since Memories of Stone. On this panel, Nwokolo will look to Nigeria’s next centenary with insights from Chude Jideonwo, whose ground-breaking collection of essays boldly titled Are we the turning point generation? examines the failures of leadership, calling on Nigerians, particularly of the younger generation, to let go of apathy and force leaders to be accountable.