The 4th Annual Igbo Conference: Igbo Womanhood, Womanbeing, and Personhood

This conference seeks to engage with various conceptions of Igbo womanhood, in relation to the changing position of Igbo women and the changing practices in Igbo culture. It will explore Igbo traditions in relation to the role and status of women and examine the numerous social and political contributions made by Igbo women.

This year we have a wide range of plenary panels, round-tables, workshops and film screenings.

Keynote Speaker:

Nnedi Okorafor is a novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy and magical realism for both children and adults.

Born in the United States to two Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. In a profile of Nnedi’s work titled, “Weapons of Mass Creation”, the New York Times called Nnedi’s imagination “stunning”.

Nnedi earned her BA in Rhetoric from the University of Illinois, C-U. She also earned MA in Journalism from Michigan State University, and her MA and PhD in English at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

She is also a graduate of the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop (2001). She is a professor of creative writing and literature at the University of Buffalo.



Featured Speaker:

Chikodili Emelumadu is a Journalist, Blogger, Broadcaster and Author. Her talk is entitled ‘Why are we starving our ancestresses?’.

The conference will screen Chika Anadu’s Igbo language film (with English subtitles) B for Boy and Sabine Jell-Bahlsen’s documentary Mammy Water; In Search of the Water Spirits in Nigeria.

PANEL TOPICS: Widowhood and the Politics of Inheritance, Igbo Women in Digital Spaces, Political Participation and Narratives of Resistance, Reflections on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s ‘We Should All Be Feminists, and more.

WORKSHOPS: Igbo Storytelling, Natural Hair Care, Igbo language, Igbo widow practices and more.


What is the Igbo Conference?

The Igbo Conference, in partnership with The Centre for African Studies, SOAS, University of London, is a forum for discovering the Igbo culture, language and heritage.

The annual Igbo conference aims to promote the study of Igbo language and culture within the UK, and seeks to bring academics and members of the Igbo community together for the purpose of knowledge sharing and exchange.

The ultimate goal of the Igbo conference organisers is to eventually establish an Igbo Centre in London which will act as a hub for anyone interested in research in the field of Igbo Studies (through a library, archives and study space), as well as providing a resource for members of the public to learn more about Igbo culture (through artefacts and interactive resources).