The second session of the #CORALiterarySeason 2.0, held on July 13, 2025, provided a robust platform to explore African literature through the lens of one of its foremost voices, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. According to a report by Fadairo Olakunle, this event, beyond being a critical appreciation of literature, was a vibrant cultural convergence of students, scholars, writers, and performance artists.
The Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), through its CORA Creative Youths Club (CYCC), curated an interactive and multidisciplinary experience that seamlessly merged literature, orature, critique, and live performance. The 34-year-old organisation empowered its Youth Creative Club – a constellation of recent graduates, current tertiary students, and youths mobilised from various book clubs and literary activist organisations – to execute this impactful session.
Exploring Ngũgĩ’s Core Themes
The programme featured in-depth discussions on Ngũgĩ’s pivotal works, I Will Marry When I Want and The River Between, offering a layered interpretation of postcolonial African realities, language politics, resistance, and liberation. The session began with evocative readings of excerpts: Nathan Olawoyin read from The River Between, and Kelani Mercy performed a piece from I Will Marry When I Want. By focusing on the central conflicts in each text, these readings primed both in-person and online attendees for the rich dialogue that followed.
Panel Discussion: Text and Context
The heart of the session was a moderated discussion, “Text and Context,” led by Sodiq Adesokan, who thoughtfully contextualised both texts. He guided the audience through key thematic touchpoints:
Postcolonial Struggles and Cultural Imperialism: Examining how colonial legacies continue to influence African identity and development.
Afro-pessimism vs. Decolonial Hope: Critiquing narratives that reduce Africa to trauma, and exploring how Ngũgĩ reimagines agency and resistance.
Language as Power: Discussing Ngũgĩ’s ideological shift towards writing in Gikuyu as a decolonial act.
Religion, Modernity, and Resistance: Specifically from The River Between, the panel explored the conflict between Christian and traditional religions and the agency of indigenous knowledge.
Both in-person and virtual panellists explored profound attributes of Ngũgĩ’s works as a literary activist. Grace Oni provided a feminist reading of I Will Marry When I Want, emphasizing the marginalization of women under colonial and capitalist structures. Folorunsho Kehinde analyzed class dynamics and neocolonialism through the lens of the play’s working-class protagonists. Taiwo Ayeni explored the thematic use of landscape and rivers as metaphors for transition and turmoil. Chiejine Onyebuchi contributed insights on Ngũgĩ’s stylistics and theatricality, noting the deliberate fusion of oral tradition and political messaging. The discussion was highly participatory, with students engaging in brief Q&A sessions both physically and through virtual chat platforms.
Poetic Interlude: Orature and Resistance
During an hour-long recess, four spoken word artists – Israel Idara, Uwadiae Ranmwen, Im Osewa Eniola, and Ololade Eniola – lightened the mood with impressive renditions of original pieces inspired by Ngũgĩ’s life and texts. Their performances were emotionally resonant and intellectually charged, echoing themes such as Colonial Trauma and Healing, The Role of Language in Shaping Identity, and The Call for African Youth to Reclaim History. These acts reminded the audience of the power of orature in African literary tradition—a medium Ngũgĩ consistently championed throughout his over six-decade career. Described as “poetic resistance,” these pieces offered emotional catharsis, softening the intense academic discourse.
Critical Reflection: Life and Literature
The final segment, “Critiques: Life and Literature,” held between 3 PM and 4 PM, featured a reflective roundtable with Ayeni Kehinde Silas, Yinka Adetu, and Temilola Olukunle. They critically engaged with Ngũgĩ’s personal journey and ideological legacy, discussing:
Ngũgĩ’s Political Evolution: From an English-writing liberal to a radical, imprisoned playwright and decolonial theorist.
The Role of the Artist in Society: How Ngũgĩ embodies the writer as activist, critic, and reformer.
The Global Impact of African Literature: Situating Ngũgĩ’s relevance in global discourse, noting his influence on diaspora writers, language politics, and social justice movements.
The session closed with a consensus that Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is more than a writer; he is an institution whose work transcends literary boundaries, entering the terrain of ideological warfare, cultural revivalism, and historical reparation.
Broad Participation and Future Impact
The event saw physical attendance from 38 students representing Lagos State University (LASU), University of Lagos (UNILAG), and Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE). Many others, including students, educators, and invited literary guests, joined virtually. This hybrid format ensured wide reach and inclusive participation, fostering a broader pan-Nigerian and pan-African conversation.
The second edition of the annual #CORALiterarySeason was a resounding success—an immersive, educative, and artistic encounter with African literature’s political and cultural power. Through the lens of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, the session illuminated critical issues at the heart of African existence: colonial residue, cultural authenticity, and the continuing battle over memory and meaning. As CORA continues to invest in such spaces of reflection and engagement, it affirms its role as a custodian of Africa’s literary heritage and a facilitator of critical consciousness among the next generation of thinkers and creators.
