At a time when Nigerian writers were busy at home celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic novel, Things Fall Apart (TFA) by Chinua Achebe, their kinsmen in far away America gathered for the 34th edition of the yearly International African Conference hosted by Western Illinois University, Macomb. The conference which held between April 22 and 28 also rallied world’s finest scholars, poets, authors and reviewers of African literature as well as notable film makers and traditional performers.

Although Macomb the host town is small in size, it however played host to the biggest conference on Africa and Africa in the Diaspora featuring over 400 participants. It held under the theme: Africa and African Diaspora Women Writers while one of the sub-themes equally focused on the 50th anniversary celebration of TFA-Achebe’s first novel which has been translated into 50 languages across the globe and sold about 11 million copies.

Essentially, the conference celebrated the creativity, versatility and vibrancy of the women of Africa and African Diaspora. It also featured Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah-Chair of the African American Studies of the university as chief convener while other key events during the conference include workshops, panel discussions, fiction and poetry readings, African cinema and art, African children literature, performances, workshops, round tables and book signing.

The colourful opening ceremony was graced by Al GoldFarb; President of Westren Illinois University(WIU), Jack Thomas; Provost and Vice-President(Academic Affairs) as well as college deans and Macomb Mayor, Mick Wisslead. Guests were received warmly with a reception at the university’s historic Sherman Hall Auditorium.

Since the conference celebrated women writers alongside Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, it was also noted that the classic novel has now become a fixture on college and high school reading lists for Americans. And to join in the global celebration were over 25 distinguished guest writers and artists including Chimamanda Adichie, Sefi Atta, Prof. Paul Bandla, Prof. Alek Baylee Toumi, Jamaica Kincaid, Prof. Abiola Irele, Prof. Olu Obafemi, Papa Susso, Tunde Kelani, Newton I. Aduaka and the conference convener Abdul-Raheed Na’Allah.

On Wednesday, April 23, the conference board meeting held with discussions on Things Fall Apart chaired by Prof. Ernest Emenyonu of the University of Michigan. There was also a film session featuring adaptation of TFA entitled The Journey So Far: What Next, followed by Ada Azolo’s Where Things Began to Fall Apart: W.B Yeats and Chimamanda Adichie: Their Writing. Other topics include Where the Rain Began to Beat Us by T. Inyariba and D. Imbua; Florence Orandize of UNN, Nsukka and Irene Salami of UNIJOS.

The second session featured an aspect of the substantive theme of the conference on women. It is titled The Female Body, Gender and Sexuality. It was delivered by Alexandra of Simon Fraser University while session three focused on Africa and African Diaspora in Dialogue: Kinship, Homeland and Diaspoar Identity by Linsdey Campbell of Indiana University, Bloomington. The Fourth Session featured Philip Ojo of Agnes Scott College with the title, Exile, Emigration or Immigration?

The official opening ceremony was done by the president of the university, a top scholar and theatre scholar, Prof. Al Goldfarb, with a welcome address. He was supported by the Provost of the University, The Dean and Representatives of Rich Meyers. At the ceremony were performances and art exhibitions by the Nigerian painter Ibiyinka Alao and the Nigerian drummer, Adebisi Akande. There was also a performance by Alhaji Pappa Sosso.

The concurrent sessions centred among others on Technology Presentation: Digitally Connected Globe: Africa Literature, Culture and Performance by M. Lilleht of the University of Wisconsin. A panel was set-up on the works on late Nigerian poet, Ezenwa Ohaeto, his vision and mission, led by Nwachukwu Agbada of Abia State University. The first of four writers’ panel was chaired by Elliot Clark of the University of Toronto with other distinguished writers like Abena Busia, Gabeda Baderoom, Chika Unigwe, Niyi Osundare, Isiodore Okpewho, Olu Obafemi, Kofi Anyidoho and Akachi Ezeigbo.
The roundtable on Achebe was anchored by Ernest Emenyonu and supported by Bernth Lindfors, Abiola Irele, Tanure Ojaide, Anthonia Kalu and Isidore Okpewho. Another highlight section of the day was the Sembene Ousmane’s First Memorial Lecture which, was delivered by Obiora Nnaemeka of the Indiana University, Bloomington.

Co-sponsors of the conference include Western Illinois University’s Office of the President: Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; Center for International Studies; College of Arts and Sciences; African American Studies, English and journalism and foreign languages and literature Departments; Monmouth College; Spoon River College; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Center for African Studies and Northwestern University’s Program of African Studies.
• Reports by Prof. Olu Obafemi with contributions from AbdulRasheed Na’Allah and WIU website.