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Invoking Flora Nwapa Invoking Flora Nwapa Flora Invoking Flora Nwapa’s Efuru (1966) was the first internationally published novel in English by a female African writer. Although Flora Nwapa Invoking Flora Nwapa has been recognized as the Mother of modern African literature, she is not sufficiently acknowledged in world literary canons or world literature studies, which is something this monograph aspires to redress from an anthropological perspective with the Nigerian Women Writers, Femininity help of earlier studies, especially by Nigerian scholarship. Draw- ing on the Efuru@50 celebration in Nigeria in 2016, this book ex- and Spirituality in World Literature plores the revival of Flora Nwapa’s fame as the pioneer of African women’s literature. Uimonen Paula By exploring experimental ethnographic writing, the author combines the genres of creative non-fiction, descriptive ethnog- raphy and scholarly analysis in an effort to make the text more accessible to academic as well as non-academic readers. Inspired by the social change perspective of African womanism and critical decolonial theory, the book makes a contribution to current ef- Paula Uimonen forts to explore a more socially just and environmentally sustain- able world of many worlds. Invoking Flora Nwapa Nigerian women writers, femininity and spirituality in world literature Paula Uimonen Published by Stockholm University Press Stockholm University SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden www.stockholmuniversitypress.se Text © Paula Uimonen 2020 License CC-BY 4.0 Supporting Agency (funding): This monograph is published with support from Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) Grant no. M15-0343:1 First published 2020 Cover Illustration: The confluence of Oguta lake and Urashi river. Photograph by author. Cover License: CC-BY 4.0 Cover designed by Stockholm University Press Anthropology & Society (Online) ISSN: 2002-6293 ISBN (Paperback): 978-91-7635-123-9 ISBN (PDF): 978-91-7635-120-8 ISBN (EPUB): 978-91-7635-121-5 ISBN (Mobi): 978-91-7635-122-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/bbe This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit creativecommons.org/licenses /by/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA. This license allows for copying any part of the work for personal and commercial use, providing author attribution is clearly stated. Suggested citation: Uimonen, P. 2020. Invoking Flora Nwapa: Nigerian women writers, femininity and spirituality in world literature. Stockholm: Stockholm University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/bbe. License: CC-BY 4.0 To read the free, open access version of this book online, visit https://doi.org/10.16993/bbe or scan this QR code with your mobile device. Anthropology & Society Anthropology & Society (ISSN 2002-6293, https://www.stock holmuniversitypress.se/site/books/series/anthropology-society/) is a peer-reviewed series of academic monographs and edited vol- umes. The series strives to provide an open access platform for contemporary anthropological research. With its unique insights into the human condition, anthropology offers a fresh perspective on social life around the world, which the series aims to convey. Editorial Board • Maris Gillette, Professor, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg • Mark Graham, PhD, Professor, Department of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University, Sweden • Nina Gren , Chair, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Lund University, Sweden • Gabriella Körling, PhD, Researcher, Department of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University, Sweden • Susann Baez Ullberg, Assistant Professor, Department of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology, Uppsala University Previous titles in the series 1. Olsson, E. 2018. Guiden till Spaniensverige: Diaspora, integration och transnationalitet bland svenska föreningar i södra Spanien. Stockholm: Stockholm University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/bao Peer Review Policies Stockholm University Press ensures that all book publications are peer-reviewed. Each proposal submitted to the Press will be sent to a dedicated Editorial Board of experts in the subject area for evaluation. The full manuscript will be reviewed by chapter or as a whole by two external and independent experts. A complete description of Stockholm University Press’ peer-review policies can be found on the website: http://www .stockholm universitypress.se/site/peer-review-policies/ The Editorial Board of Anthropology & Society used an ex- ternal double-blind peer-review procedure while evaluating this book proposal to maintain the integrity of the author and the academic merit of the book. The book manuscript was assessed with a single-blind peer-review process. The Board expresses its sincere gratitude towards all researchers involved in this project. The Author stepped down momentarily from her role as Chair of the Editorial Board during the review process of the book to avoid a conflict of interest. Recognition for reviewers Stockholm University Press and the Editorial Board would like to extend a special thanks to the reviewers who contributed to the process of editing this book. Both the book proposal and the manuscript were reviewed by: Thomas Fillitz, Professor, Department of Cultural and Social Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria Sabine Jell-Bahlsen, Cultural Anthropologist, Ethnographic Film Maker, Writer & Editor, USA The book proposal was reviewed by one additional reviewer who wishes to remain anonymous. In loving memory of Terho Uimonen (1960–2015) Dr Sarah Nyendwoha Ntiro (1926–2018) Saumu Omari Kirama (1945–2019) Heidi Moksnes (1962–2020) I dedicate this book to my mother Aili Uimonen (1930–2017) Contents List of Figures ix Acknowledgements xi Prologue: Ethnography of Flora Nwapa and Nigerian Women Writers 1 Conceptual groundings in anthropology of world literature 1 Reviving Flora Nwapa’s legacy though Efuru@50 13 Fieldworking in and beyond Nigeria 18 Poetic reflections on a good journey 24 Narrative structure and combination of genres 25 1. Cultural Tangles in Lagos 29 Kekenapep, jollof rice and power cuts 29 Cultural framing of fame at Efuru@50 34 Feminine storytelling and masculinist literary canons 40 Nwapa’s This Is Lagos and writing across genres 46 Eugenia Abu and the power of female storytelling 50 Creolized aesthetics in a pluriverse of literary worlds 54 2. Feminist Controversies in Maiduguri 61 Military escort, new moon and endless sky 61 Efuru@50 and African womanhood 65 Nwapa’s Women Are Different, feminism and womanism 72 Razinat Mohammed and women in the north 79 Tope Olaifa on women and violence 85 Womanist worldmaking and literary ontology 89 3. Celebrating Children in Abuja 97 Swimming pool, art galleries and TV interview 97 Children’s carnival at Efuru@50 102 Flora Nwapa’s children’s literature and Mammywater 106 Elizabeth Ben-Iheanacho and African Tales for Children 112 Vicky Sylvester and female role models 117 Multitasking careers and literary mothering 121 4. Post-War Publishing in Enugu 129 Code switching, check points and chi 129 Unveiling Efuru@50 and awarding the First Daughter 133 Flora Nwapa’s Never Again and women’s war stories 141 Tana Press and Nwapa’s post-war publishing 148 Social media-savvy Salamatu Sule 150 Digital revival of Tana Press 154 5. Culture and Relationality in Owerri 161 Celebrity children, deep culture and keynote debut 161 Concluding Efuru@50 with mighty swords and God’s blessings 164 Flora Nwapa’s social worlds and spiritual relations 172 Digital incarnations and infinite fame 178 In memoriam Cecilia Kato 183 6. Sacred Waters in Oguta 191 Urashi river, writers’ residence and chewy snails 191 Female divinity in The Lake Goddess 195 Creativity and intertextuality in Flora Nwapa’s oeuvre 200 Femininity and spirituality in one world literature 205 Invoking Flora Nwapa 211 Epilogue: Revisiting Oguta and Thanking Ogbuide 213 Bibliography 225 Films 242 List of Figures 1 Efuru@50 press conference banner 14 2 Filming scholarly presentations at University of Abuja 21 3 Efuru@50 gift bags 37 4 Audience at University of Maiduguri 66 5 Student dramatizations of Efuru 105 6 Unveiling Efuru 136 7 Titled members of Igbu society paying homage to Ogbuefi Flora Nwapa 165 8 The confluence of Oguta lake and Urashi river 208 Acknowledgements This book has taken me on a long journey and I have many people to thank for guiding and encouraging me along the way, in differ- ent parts of our world. In Sweden, I have been greatly inspired by the research programme Cosmopolitan and Vernacular Dynamics in World Literatures (2016–2021), coordinated by Stefan Helgesson, in intellectually stimulating and warmly supportive ways. I am also thankful to all my colleagues in the programme, especially Chatarina Edfeldt and Katarina Leppänen who share my interest in gender, Erik Falk who has done great work with African women writers and Lena Rydholm whose life trajectory has intertwined with mine in un- expected ways, as well as Bo Ekelund, Adnan Mahmutovic and the rest of the Location & Orientation team. I am truly grate- ful to Helena Wulff for inviting me to be part of this inspiring research on world literature, thus adding yet another dimension to our mutual interest in the anthropology of arts and creativity. As always, I have been able to draw on the insights of my in- tellectual mentor Ulf Hannerz, this time around for our Nigeria connection and for lending me his copy of Efuru, first edition, along with other relevant reading materials
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