By Editor
THE maiden edition of Elechi Amadi International Literary and Cultural Lecture Series will hold on Monday, May 30, 2022 at PG Hall, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt. Time is 2.00pm. The lecture is being organised by The Nigerian Literary Society (NLS), with theme ‘The Impact of Criticism on a Literary Work.’
The lecture series is the brainchild of Mr. David Chukwueke, curator of NLS, who said, “The core for this maiden international Lecture series is to still keep in mind the beautiful contribution the late literary icon Captain Elechi Amadi made to the literary world. In addition, it is a timely intervention to understand the ‘Impact of Criticism on a Literary Work’. The complete criticism of a literary work should not only be encouraged, rather it should be of impact and not to be ‘destructive’ so budding writers are discouraged from doing other works of arts. Constructive criticism should be the objective in avoidance of sinking a prospective literary work.
“Students and scholars of language, literature and communication will find this international event beneficial because it will be an ample time to digest the impact and importance of being constructive in criticizing a literary work. And to take us through this literary process is an emeritus professor of Comparative Literature, Chidi Maduka. The keynote address will be delivered by Professor Onyemaechi Udumukwu, also of the University of Port Harcourt. For the panel session, former Chairman of Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA), Mr. Uzo Nwamara will lead other discussants such as Dr. Peace Amala, Dr. Wellington Onyebuchi Nwogu and Dr. Queen Albert in breaking down the theme ‘The Impact of Criticism on a Literary Work’.”
Other key participants include Prof. Ibiere Ken-Maduako, Prof. Helen Okudagu, and Dr. Wellington Nwogu.
Amadi (1934-2016), a mathematician, physicist and soldier, who wrote many classic prose works that include The Great Ponds, Isiburu, The Concubines, Sunset in Biafra, among others, and whose works appear in the iconic African Writers Series (AWS) edited by Chinua Achebe.