YAM is regarded as the king of crops among the Igbo people of South-East Nigeria. No wonder then that it is accorded so much respect and celebrated by the people every year. It is often believed that if a new yam is celebrated, the subsequent year will be more productive.

There Was A Country… A Personal History of Biafra by world literary icon, Chinua Achebe is no doubt, another tour de force from the master story teller, who in 1958 through the publication of his classic narrative; Things Fall Apart inaugurated the birth of what is today known as African literature. Besides being the mother and midwife of modern African literature according African American novelist, Michael Thelwel, Achebe is also an important essayist, poet, social commentator and cultural archivist.

Dr Chris Anyokwu teaches African Poetry, African literature and literary theory at the Department of English, University of Lagos. He is the author of A Parade of Madmen, Homecoming, Ufuoma, Termites and Ol’Soja and Other stories. In this interview, the seminal scholar and writer speaks about a number of disturbing trends in contemporary Nigerian literature. He talks about the function of literature in an environmentally changing and cyber redefined world, Niger delta and about the state of criticism in Nigeria. Excerpt:

Two recent African memoirs, both published in London and New York in 2012, reflect on the continent’s self-mutilation since the heady days when independence from colonialism was viewed as morning yet on creation day. What followed independence has been season after season of anomy, to use the phrase of Wole Soyinka.

FOR one week, apart from the normal visitors that visit the Nike Art Gallery, Lekki, Lagos, the gallery will welcome more visitors as art lovers, patrons, collectors and other enthusiasts will converge at the place for another independence exhibition by one of Nigeria’s most exhibited artist, Oyirinde Olotu.