COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 11, 2005) — The president of the Association of Nigerian Authors will present two readings of his work next week at Tennessee Tech University.

TTU’s English department will host the first presentation by Olu Obafemi at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 15, in Henderson Hall Room 205. Entitled “Literacy and Literary Culture in Nigeria,” the presentation will be followed by a reception for the author in Henderson Hall Room 318C.

The second event will involve TTU theater students presenting staged readings from a series of Obafemi’s works, each to be followed by the author’s own interpretations and descriptions of meaning, symbolism and goals.

Those readings will be presented at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17, at TTU’s Backdoor Playhouse, located in the rear of the Jere Whitson Building. A reception and book signing by Obafemi will follow the presentation.

He began his writing career as a child, with the intention of fighting injustice, and that goal is still reflected in virtually all of Obefemi’s works today.

A professor at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, Obafemi is a published playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and newspaper columnist. The broad scope of his abilities has helped him create a large readership and audience, especially among literary students in Nigeria’s colleges and universities.

He earned his doctorate from the University of Leeds in England.

Both of his presentations at TTU are Center Stage events that are free and open to the public.

--Tracey LeFevre
This information posted 15 February 2005