Foreign Gods, inc by Okey Ndibe
Sunday 13 July, 13:00 – 13:45
BL Conference Centre, FREE
Book launch of Okey Ndibe’s critically acclaimed novel, Foreign Gods, inc. Chaired by Richard Dowden, director of The Royal African Society.
Foreign Gods, Inc. tells the story of Ike, a New York-based Nigerian cab driver who sets out to steal the statue of an ancient war deity from his home village to sell it to a New York gallery. Ike’s plan is fuelled by desperation. Despite a degree in economics from a major American college, his strong accent has barred him from the corporate world. Forced to eke out a living as a cab driver, he is unable to manage the emotional and material needs of a temperamental African-American bride and a widowed mother. When he travels back to Nigeria to steal the statue, he has to deal with old friends, family, and a mounting conflict between those in the village who worship the deity, and those who practice Christianity. Foreign Gods is a brilliant work of fiction that illuminates our globally interconnected world like no other.