Dublin has celebrated its UNESCO City of Literature status for over a decade, and Ireland’s literary heritage is a rich part of its cultural life today.

This heritage has had a global impact. When visionary Nigerian writers such as Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka were finding their voices following independence from Britain in 1960, they looked to Ireland for inspiration as the first colony to attain political and cultural freedom.

As Abuja, capital of Nigeria, bids for UNESCO status, what might the two cities learn from each other as they look to the future, and how might they work in partnership? Dublin’s literature is a part of the city’s landscape, from Sweny’s Pharmacy to its literary statues, from its museums to its walking tours. By contrast, Abuja is a new city, built in the 1980s and still forming its neural connections, yet representing a country where over 500 languages are spoken, and storytelling is as essential as breathing. 

Join us to explore these questions in the company of Abuja-based playwright Chidi Ukwu, Nigerian authors now based in Ireland,Ola Majekodunmi and Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi and writerGabriel Gbadamosi.
The event will be chaired byRita Sakr, Lecturer in Postcolonial and Global Literatures at Maynooth University

Chiamaka Enyi-Amadi is an Igbo–Irish writer, editor, educator and arts facilitator.

Gabriel Gbadamosi is a British poet, playwright and novelist of Irish-Nigerian descent. His first novel, Vauxhall, was published in 2013.

Ola Majekodunmi is a writer, broadcaster, freelance journalist, Gaeilgeoir, and co-founder of Beyond Representation

Chidi Ukwu is a Nigerian playwright and theatre director and has worked across multiple creative contexts in Africa.

Presented in association with Dublin UNESCO City of Literature with kind support by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht,  Sport and Media.