African Writing Online; Interviews; Becky Ayebia Clarke; Derek Petersen.

Jack Mapanje
Niyi Osundare
Lauri Kubuitsile
Peter Addo
N.Casely-Hayford
Kola Boof
Courttia Newland
Nii Kwei Parkes
Eusebius
       McKaiser
Anietie Isong
Dike
       Chukwumerije
Chinelo Achebe-
       Ejeyueitche
Akin Adesokan
Tolu Ogunlesi
Adaobi Tricia
       Nwaubani
Eghosa Imasuen
Mpalive Msiska
Roi Kwabena
Emmanuel
       Sigauke
Nnedi Okoroafor-
        Mbachu
George E. Clarke
Kimyia Varzi
Obemata
Uche Nduka
Amatoritsero Ede
Obododimma Oha
Leila Aboulela
James Whyle
Koye Oyedeji
Obiwu
Becky Clarke
Nike Adesuyi
Derek Petersen
Afam Akeh
Olutola Ositelu
V. Ehikhamenor
Molara Wood
Chime Hilary
Wumi Raji
Chuma Nwokolo

Derek Petersen
Cambridge University

Becky Ayebia Clarke
Ayebia Publishers

"In a way the bi-centenary celebration is a kind of ambiguous occasion for me. As you would have seen, it has to a certain extent become an occasion in which British political leaders want to beat their chests about their roles in bringing slavery to an end. And about what they did in the past to help advance liberty. I don’t think myself that that is how this occasion should be remembered. We’ve tried to organize this lecture series so that it can be shown that the period of abolition of slavery wasn’t a moment of profound transition in the real sense of the word. Rather it marked the beginning of a different form of inequality and political exploitation, particularly colonial imperialism..."

"According to Charles Larson, ‘those who say that nothing good has come out of Africa have not read the continent’s writers. African writers inhabit a world devoid of privilege or advantage, lacking many of the things that their Western counterparts take for granted such as—informed and understanding critics, rarely encounter enlightened political leaders willing to acknowledge the importance of the arts...Diasporic writing is increasingly connecting with writing on the continent and this can only be a good thing. These cross-cultural currents and fertilization of ideas and sharing of information can only help to strengthen the foundation laid by cultural activists such as W. E. B. Du Bois..."