Nigeria Content Online

It’s not every day
a man goes from being a Jesuit priest and struggling student to
overnight literary sensation, but that is what happened to Uwem Akpan.
The Akwa Ibom native published his first collection of short stories in
2007 and last September, it was endorsed by media powerhouse Oprah
Winfrey on the Book Club segment of her show.

So when Akpan came
to Abuja on Friday, June 4 to read from his acclaimed book, the city’s
literati turned up, eager to hear his voice.

The event was
organised by the Abuja Literary Society (ALS), one of three major
literary groups in the city; it was held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
Over 150 people attended including poet, Lola Shoneyin, Ayo Olukanni
(spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs); and there was an
unexpected drop-in by Archbishop of the Abuja diocese, John Olorunfemi
Onaiyekan.

Author and former
television personality, Eugenia Abu, opened with an introduction. Mr
Akpan, wearing his clergy collar, read from two of his stories:
‘Luxurious Hearses’ and the Caine shortlisted ‘My Parent’s Bedroom.’
Between readings, he took time to answer audience questions and tell
stories about his time as a Masters of Fine Arts student in the
University of Michigan, in the United States.

Both of his
readings focused on ordinary people who find themselves caught up in
religious and ethnic conflicts. Akpan soon found himself defending
accusations that he was portraying the African continent in a negative
light – a criticism that has been levelled against him before.

“I set out to
write a book of tragedy, so I make no apology about writing about
Africa in stark terms,” said the author. “You have to develop a thick
skin [about criticism]. You have to say, I’ve done my best.”

A few audience
members were curious about the author’s unusual position as both a
writer and a priest, wondering how he was able to balance both.

He assured that he
did not use parishioners’ confessions in his stories. “If the
confessional was useful to writing, many priests would be writers,” he
joked. Instead, he compared his calling with how Jesus used parables to
spread his message to his disciples.

“Christ’s use of words was very poetic and he had a way of pushing those words to those who were excluded.”

Advocacy on behalf of the disenfranchised was the main impulse behind his work, Akpan explained.

“We want to help
the poor, but from a distance,” he said. “I’m not just glorifying
poverty or human pain; I want to tell the story of street kids and say
they are human beings.”

The evening ended
with glowing speeches from Archbishop Onaiyekan and ALS chairperson,
Ferdinand Agu. However, the highlight of the event was when one young
writer, 12-year-old Habib Saleh, was given an opportunity to meet
Father Akpan, his literary idol.

Agu observed that
it was an example of the nation’s growing literary presence on an
international stage that is more familiar with the country’s bad
reputation than its positive contributions.

“When people tell the story of Nigeria, it sounds like a book of
endless stories of corruption; it sounds like good things don’t happen
here anymore,” said Agu. “But there are points of light shining in this
country and I believe this event is one of those points of light.”