Nigeria: A Night Out With Okigbo
- By Paul Dunbar
- Published 08/16/2007
- Poetry
- Unrated
Paul Dunbar
Seeking out poetry and literature articles on the Internet. Attributing this service to the spirit of a great African American writer
View all articles by Paul DunbarNigeria: A Night Out With Okigbo
By Patrick Tagbo Oguejiofor
Lagos
IT has now been established beyond all reasonable doubts by critics all over the world that Christopher Okigbo (1923-67) is Africa's greatest poet writing in the English language and one of the most influential poets of the twentieth century. First, Labyrinths, his major collection of poems was rated as one of the best 100 books of the last one hundred years. Secondly, 3 major works establish this claim beyond any doubt. First among these critical works is that of the late Professor Sunday Anozie, Christopher Okigbo: Creative Rhetoric, 1972, Dubem Okafor's Dance of Death: Nigeria's History and Christopher Okigbo's Poetry. Then there is the collection of scholarly studies of his work, Critical Perspectives on the Poetry of Christopher Okigbo, ed. Donatus Nwoga.
Moreover, it has further been established that Okigbo did not only influence poets of his own generation, but has equally influenced all major poets after him. In a recent work, Aestheticism and Modernism: Debating Twentieth Century, eds. Richard Danson et al (2005), a chapter was entirely devoted to Okigbo. This 'effectively canonized him as one of the major pillars of twentieth-century modernists.
While his daughter, the artist Obiageli has successfully set up the Christopher Okigbo Foundation in Brussels, Belgium, back home in his native Nigeria, the Christopher Okigbo Society, a literary group has emerged to pursue his humanist vision along with encouraging budding poets. Against this background, an anthology of poems paying tribute to him on the 40th anniversary of his death entitled Crossroads is being expected to hit the bookshelves soon.
To crown it all, four American universities in the Greater Boston Area has forged a most unique collaboration to honour the legacy of the great poet in the forthcoming First Christopher Okigbo International Conference themed: Postcolonial African Literature and the Ideals of the Open Society: Teaching and Learning from the Poetry of Christopher Okigbo billed to take place between 20-23 September, 2007.
The International multidisciplinary conference will explore Okigbo's legacy through literary criticism, films, poetry reading, exhibitions, music and presentation of new works by Okigbo and works on him including Crossroads, Eds. The keynote speakers include the famous novelist, Chinua Achebe, Ali Mazrui, Ben Obumselu, Molara Ogundipe, Jahan Ramzani, Wole Soyinka and Okigbo's wife and Daughter Judith and Sefi Okigbo.
It was to promote and create greater awareness (so as to encourage greater participation) that made Professor Chukwuma Azuonye, the Convener of the conference to come visiting Nigeria. It could be recalled that it was Chukwuma Azuonye the Christopher Okigbo foundation to nominate Christopher Okigbo's unpublished papers for inclusion in the UNESCO memory of World Register. Christopher Okigbo's major prose works, Pointed Arches along with several of his poems were lost to the Nigerian Biafran war (1967-70). But some of these papers survived the war and were kept in the custody of the Okigbo famous economist brother, Pius Okigbo of blessed memory. The papers were not properly kept following the death of Pius and were partly destroyed by ants before they were taken to Belgium to be kept in the custody of the Christopher Okigbo Foundation.
By courtesy of Annabel Obiageli (Ibrahimat) Okigbo, Okigbo's daughter and founder and President of the Christopher Okigbo society, Professor Chukwuma Azuonye, the well known Okigbo scholar has edited and is bringing out a book on it. The book is expected to be published soon by Africana World Press. Azuonye is a Sheila Biddle Ford Foundation Fellow at the Harvard University. The book includes the previously unpublished poems of Okigbo and the Ibo poems which he transcribed, edited and translated with notes. This book is among the books that will be presented at the Boston conference.
The Abuja Chapter of the Association of Nigerian authors (ANA) on June 28, 2007 at the Library of Shehu Musa Yar'ardua Centre. The special reading was in honour of the visiting Okigbo Scholar and his late son poet, Nnamdi Obioha Nwabueze Azuonye who died some few years back in a car crash in Boston (USA) at the age of 19. Nnamdi Azuonye was another poet who was influenced by Okigbo's work. The meeting was tagged: 'Special Okigbo Reading'.
The special occasion witnessed the presence of big names in the literary firmament. These includes: Mrs. Christopher Okigbo (Ambassador Sefi Atta), Dr. Ihechukwu Madubuike, a one time Federal Minister of Health and one of the troika that penned the famous but controversial Towards the Decolonization of African Literature. Other big names are Dr. Ojinma Umelo, literary critic and Associate Professor at the Nassarawa State University, Keffi, Poet Chiedu Ezeanah, and Dr. (Mrs.) Catherine Acholonu, politician, writer and critic. Dr. Wale Okediran the ANA Executive President and other Exco member were however absent because they were engaged in another important literary meeting at Mina in Niger State.
The special gathering witnessed the presentation of papers on Okigbo, Christopher Okigbo: The Road Not Taken and Christopher Okigbo: Ulaga and other Poems. The two papers were based on excerpts from the forthcoming Complete Work of Christopher Okigbo and dealt on Okigbo's Igbo poems and unpublished papers. The papers were presented by Professor Chukwuma Azuonye who had the opportunity of meeting the great poet as a war correspondent at the Nsukka battle front. He held the audience spellbound when he narrated his encounter with Okigbo at the war front with Okigbo insisting that as war correspondent, they should witness the action itself.
Question and answer session followed at the end of the paper presentations with Layer and poet, Ahmed Maiwada opening the session. Ojinma Umelo commended Azuonye for his works on the Okigbo unpublished papers adding that this will revolutionalise the 'thinking' of those studying Okigbo. He urged the publishers of Okigbo's complete works to ensure a wider circulation that will make Okigbo's works available in Nigeria for use in schools and colleges.
So impressed was Dr. Acholonu with the special gathering that she prayed to see more of it. He accused the great poet of always wanting to hide his meanings adding that Okigbo always want to task his readers and that accusation of obscurantism against Okigbo was not out of place after all. Sani, a popular ANA member pledged to translate Okigbo's work into his native Igala language. But Azuonye reminded him of the well known saying that poetry translated is poetry lost. He advised Sani to do a work based on Okigbo's poems while not discouraging him to do the translation.
Dr. Madubuike thanked the organizers of the meeting for such a wonderful evening. He said the Okigbo myth will continue for a long time adding that Okigbo's poetry did not lend itself to easy assessment. He defended their stand on criticism against Okigbo's difficult poetry. Azuonye responded that they took the stand they did because they do not have sufficient information as at the time they wrote their now famous book.
The meeting which begun at 5 pm and was chaired by the ANA Abuja Chairman ended at about half past seven. For those literary enthusiasts who were present at the special occasion, it was like the proverbial sweet soup that was never enough to finish the foofoo.
Patrick Tagbo Oguejiofor, author and poet is the Chairman of the Christopher Okigbo Society.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200707260301.html
Lagos
IT has now been established beyond all reasonable doubts by critics all over the world that Christopher Okigbo (1923-67) is Africa's greatest poet writing in the English language and one of the most influential poets of the twentieth century. First, Labyrinths, his major collection of poems was rated as one of the best 100 books of the last one hundred years. Secondly, 3 major works establish this claim beyond any doubt. First among these critical works is that of the late Professor Sunday Anozie, Christopher Okigbo: Creative Rhetoric, 1972, Dubem Okafor's Dance of Death: Nigeria's History and Christopher Okigbo's Poetry. Then there is the collection of scholarly studies of his work, Critical Perspectives on the Poetry of Christopher Okigbo, ed. Donatus Nwoga. Moreover, it has further been established that Okigbo did not only influence poets of his own generation, but has equally influenced all major poets after him. In a recent work, Aestheticism and Modernism: Debating Twentieth Century, eds. Richard Danson et al (2005), a chapter was entirely devoted to Okigbo. This 'effectively canonized him as one of the major pillars of twentieth-century modernists.
While his daughter, the artist Obiageli has successfully set up the Christopher Okigbo Foundation in Brussels, Belgium, back home in his native Nigeria, the Christopher Okigbo Society, a literary group has emerged to pursue his humanist vision along with encouraging budding poets. Against this background, an anthology of poems paying tribute to him on the 40th anniversary of his death entitled Crossroads is being expected to hit the bookshelves soon.
To crown it all, four American universities in the Greater Boston Area has forged a most unique collaboration to honour the legacy of the great poet in the forthcoming First Christopher Okigbo International Conference themed: Postcolonial African Literature and the Ideals of the Open Society: Teaching and Learning from the Poetry of Christopher Okigbo billed to take place between 20-23 September, 2007.
The International multidisciplinary conference will explore Okigbo's legacy through literary criticism, films, poetry reading, exhibitions, music and presentation of new works by Okigbo and works on him including Crossroads, Eds. The keynote speakers include the famous novelist, Chinua Achebe, Ali Mazrui, Ben Obumselu, Molara Ogundipe, Jahan Ramzani, Wole Soyinka and Okigbo's wife and Daughter Judith and Sefi Okigbo.
It was to promote and create greater awareness (so as to encourage greater participation) that made Professor Chukwuma Azuonye, the Convener of the conference to come visiting Nigeria. It could be recalled that it was Chukwuma Azuonye the Christopher Okigbo foundation to nominate Christopher Okigbo's unpublished papers for inclusion in the UNESCO memory of World Register. Christopher Okigbo's major prose works, Pointed Arches along with several of his poems were lost to the Nigerian Biafran war (1967-70). But some of these papers survived the war and were kept in the custody of the Okigbo famous economist brother, Pius Okigbo of blessed memory. The papers were not properly kept following the death of Pius and were partly destroyed by ants before they were taken to Belgium to be kept in the custody of the Christopher Okigbo Foundation.
By courtesy of Annabel Obiageli (Ibrahimat) Okigbo, Okigbo's daughter and founder and President of the Christopher Okigbo society, Professor Chukwuma Azuonye, the well known Okigbo scholar has edited and is bringing out a book on it. The book is expected to be published soon by Africana World Press. Azuonye is a Sheila Biddle Ford Foundation Fellow at the Harvard University. The book includes the previously unpublished poems of Okigbo and the Ibo poems which he transcribed, edited and translated with notes. This book is among the books that will be presented at the Boston conference.
The Abuja Chapter of the Association of Nigerian authors (ANA) on June 28, 2007 at the Library of Shehu Musa Yar'ardua Centre. The special reading was in honour of the visiting Okigbo Scholar and his late son poet, Nnamdi Obioha Nwabueze Azuonye who died some few years back in a car crash in Boston (USA) at the age of 19. Nnamdi Azuonye was another poet who was influenced by Okigbo's work. The meeting was tagged: 'Special Okigbo Reading'.
The special occasion witnessed the presence of big names in the literary firmament. These includes: Mrs. Christopher Okigbo (Ambassador Sefi Atta), Dr. Ihechukwu Madubuike, a one time Federal Minister of Health and one of the troika that penned the famous but controversial Towards the Decolonization of African Literature. Other big names are Dr. Ojinma Umelo, literary critic and Associate Professor at the Nassarawa State University, Keffi, Poet Chiedu Ezeanah, and Dr. (Mrs.) Catherine Acholonu, politician, writer and critic. Dr. Wale Okediran the ANA Executive President and other Exco member were however absent because they were engaged in another important literary meeting at Mina in Niger State.
The special gathering witnessed the presentation of papers on Okigbo, Christopher Okigbo: The Road Not Taken and Christopher Okigbo: Ulaga and other Poems. The two papers were based on excerpts from the forthcoming Complete Work of Christopher Okigbo and dealt on Okigbo's Igbo poems and unpublished papers. The papers were presented by Professor Chukwuma Azuonye who had the opportunity of meeting the great poet as a war correspondent at the Nsukka battle front. He held the audience spellbound when he narrated his encounter with Okigbo at the war front with Okigbo insisting that as war correspondent, they should witness the action itself.
Question and answer session followed at the end of the paper presentations with Layer and poet, Ahmed Maiwada opening the session. Ojinma Umelo commended Azuonye for his works on the Okigbo unpublished papers adding that this will revolutionalise the 'thinking' of those studying Okigbo. He urged the publishers of Okigbo's complete works to ensure a wider circulation that will make Okigbo's works available in Nigeria for use in schools and colleges.
So impressed was Dr. Acholonu with the special gathering that she prayed to see more of it. He accused the great poet of always wanting to hide his meanings adding that Okigbo always want to task his readers and that accusation of obscurantism against Okigbo was not out of place after all. Sani, a popular ANA member pledged to translate Okigbo's work into his native Igala language. But Azuonye reminded him of the well known saying that poetry translated is poetry lost. He advised Sani to do a work based on Okigbo's poems while not discouraging him to do the translation.
Dr. Madubuike thanked the organizers of the meeting for such a wonderful evening. He said the Okigbo myth will continue for a long time adding that Okigbo's poetry did not lend itself to easy assessment. He defended their stand on criticism against Okigbo's difficult poetry. Azuonye responded that they took the stand they did because they do not have sufficient information as at the time they wrote their now famous book.
The meeting which begun at 5 pm and was chaired by the ANA Abuja Chairman ended at about half past seven. For those literary enthusiasts who were present at the special occasion, it was like the proverbial sweet soup that was never enough to finish the foofoo.
Patrick Tagbo Oguejiofor, author and poet is the Chairman of the Christopher Okigbo Society.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200707260301.html
