Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo is a Nigerian author and educator, whose published work includes novels, poetry, short stories, books for children, essays and journalism.Geoffrey Kwadwo Gyasi, "Interview with Nigerian Writer, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo", Munyori Literary Journal, via Geosi Reads, 22 August 2013. She is the winner of several awards, including the Nigeria Prize for Literature."Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo", African Books Collective.
Biography Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo was born and raised in Eastern Nigeria, but now lives in Lagos. She is the first child of Joshua and Christiana Adimora and has five siblings. Raised partially in a rural environment and partially in the city, she combines these two factors, as background and setting for her children's stories and adult fiction. Though born in Eastern Nigeria, she has lived in different parts of the country – East, North and West. She has travelled extensively in Africa, Europe and in the USA.
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master's (MA) degrees in English from the University of Lagos and her Ph.D. from University of Ibadan, in Nigeria. She also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from University of Lagos.
A lecturer, writer, novelist, critic, essayist, journalist, and administrator, she was appointed a professor of English at University of Lagos in 1999. She has taught in this university, in the Department of English, since 1981. She headed the English Department in 1997 and 1998, from 2002 to 2005, and 2008–2009. In September 2015, she relocated to Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi State, in South-East Nigeria, where she has continued to teach students and mentor younger lecturers.
She is married to Professor Chris Ezeigbo and they have three children.
Professional experience She taught in secondary schools and a teachers college before becoming a university lecturer. She was a member of the editorial board of two newspapers in Lagos: The Independent (1992–1995) and The Post Express (1997–1999). While with those two newspapers, she wrote editorials, feature articles and maintained regular columns. She has held administrative posts at the University of Lagos as sub-dean of the Faculty of Arts for two years (1992–1994) and as acting head of English Department in 1997/98. She has also been in hall administration in the university as assistant hall warden in Moremi Hall and Moremi Annexe from 1981 to 1984; hall mistress of Madam Tinubu Hall from 1994 to 1996, hall mistress of Amina Hall from 1996 to 1997.
She was the national treasurer of the Association of Nigerian Authors from 1995 to 1997, vice president of Women Writers of Nigeria (WRITA) from 1998 to 2000. She went on to become the first vice-president of PEN Nigeria and the financial secretary of WRITA National.
Research supervision Undergraduate Level: Supervised more than 160 final-year undergraduate projects at Unilag (B.A. (Hons.), 1986–2015). And, so far, 12 projects at Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo (2015–2022). Postgraduate (Masters): Supervised more than 100 M.A. dissertations between 1986 and 2015 at Unilag. Postgraduate (Ph.D.): Under her supervision 12 candidates successfully completed their PhD and graduated between 2003 and 2018 at Unilag. currently supervising a doctoral (PhD) student at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State. Postgraduate Diploma (PGD): Supervised six students in the Postgraduate Diploma programme at the University of Lagos Between 2012 and 2014.
External examination/professional assessment She has served as external examiner/assessor to various universities (15) in the country: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife University of Benin University of Calabar University of Jos University of Ilorin Abia State University Rivers State University of Science & Technology Redeemer's University (RUN), Mowe, Ogun State Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State University of Nigeria, Nsukka Lagos State University (LASU) Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State University of Ibadan Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State University of Lagos (2019).
Reading tours
She has toured many countries and in each of them she has read from her works. In October/November, 1993, she toured six British cities – London, Bristol, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham – and gave readings from her first collection of short stories, Rhythms of Life, Stories of Modern Nigeria. The tour was organized by Karnak House (her London publisher). In May 1998, she was a guest of the Centre for African Studies of the University of Edinburgh at a Literary Retreat at the Burn, in Scotland. She also read from her works at Evangelische Akademie, in Bad Boll, Germany, in October 2000 and also at Humboldt University in Berlin, in May 2002. She participated in "Time of the Writer Festival" in April 2002, at the Centre for Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, in South Africa. She was at the 2002 Convention of International PEN held in Macedonia. she presented a paper at the Indaba at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair in Harare from 25 July to 2 August 2003.
Membership
She is a member of many academic associations such as the Literary Society of Nigeria, Modern Languages Association of Nigeria. She is an active member of writers' organizations including International PEN, PEN Nigeria, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and the Women Writers Association of Nigeria (WRITA). She is the first vice-president of PEN Nigeria. She served as the National Treasurer of ANA from 1995 to 1997 and the first vice president of Women Writers' Association of Nigeria. She is currently the financial secretary of WRITA.
Finished publications Apart from publishing more than 60 academic papers in local and international journals and as chapters in books and having her short stories appear in five anthologies, Adimora-Ezeigbo has published 48 books. She has published 23 books for children (more are in the press), has been a children's Sunday School teacher and regularly gives talks to children in schools and to women's clubs on topics such as culture and youth development in Nigeria, child upbringing and the education of the girl-child, etc.
Children's books
Two of her stories for children have been translated into Swahili and Xhosa languages. Her books are listed below: The Buried Treasure (Junior African Writers Series), Oxford: Heinemann, 1992. Swahili translation: Hazina Iliyojikwa (Junior African Writers Series), Oxford: Heinemann, 1996. The Prize (Junior African Writers Series), Oxford: Heinemann, 1994. Alani the Troublemaker & Other Stories, Literamed Publications, 2003. Asa and the Little Stream, Literamed Publications, 2004. Whisker the Brave Cat, Literamed Publication, 2005. Red One and the Wizard of Mula, Literamed Publication, 2005. Snake Child and Star Baby, Literamed Publication, 2006. Ezezemale and the Tree Spirits, Literamed Publications, 2006. Sunshine, the Miracle Child, Literamed Publications, 2006. Heart Songs (poems). Ibadan: Kraft Books Ltd., 2009. Clouds and Other Poems for Children. Ibadan: University Press Ltd., 2009. Ako the Storyteller. (children's novel). Ikeja, Lagos: Lantern Books, 2009. Zoba and his Gang. (children's novel). Ikeja, Lagos: Lantern Books, 2009. Things Fall Apart @ 50, Special Edition, LARES, A Journal of Language and Literary Studies, Vol. 16. No 3 (2008). Edited with Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse. Waiting for Dawn (poems) (Ibadan: Kraft Books Ltd.) 2010. The Slave Girl. (children's novel) Lagos: Eph Communications Ltd, 2010. The Dwarf's Story. (children's novel) Lagos: Eph Communications Ltd, 2010. The Return of the Thief. (children's novel) Lagos: Eph Communications Ltd, 2010. The Boy and his Dog (children's novel) Lagos: Eph Communications Ltd, 2010. Hands that Crush Stone (play). Ibadan: University Press Plc, 2010. Barmaid and the Witches of Izunga. (play) Ibadan: University Press Plc, 2010. Roses and Bullets (novel). Lagos: Jalaa Writers' Collective, 2011. Toki Learns the Hard Way. Lagos: Melrose Books and Publishing Ltd, 2011. Mina the Shy Girl. Lagos: Melrose Books and Publishing Ltd., 2011. Kidnapped at Noon. Lagos: Melrose Books and Publishing Ltd., 2012. Mina the Shy Girl. Lagos: Melrose Books and Publishing Ltd., 2012. Seyi's Strong Voice. Lagos: Melrose Books and Publishing Ltd., 2012. Dancing Mask, Ibadan: Kraft Books, 2013. Singing in the Rain & Other Poems for Children. Ibadan: University Press, 2014. Ona and the Dwarf (co-authored with Odinaka Azubuike). Benin: God Scholars' Publishers (GSP), 2014. The Eagle and Other Poems for Secondary Schools. Benin: God Scholars' Publishers (GSP), 2014. Footmarks: Poems on One Hundred Years of Nigeria's Nationhood. Co-edited with Naza Amaeze Okoli. Ikeja, Lagos: ICS Services Limited, 2014. Mixed Legacies. Ibadan: University Press, 2019.
Fiction
The Last of the Strong Ones (novel), Lagos: Vista Books, 1996. House of Symbols (novel), Lagos: Oracle Books Limited, 2001. Children of the Eagle (novel), Lagos: Vista Books, 2002. Rhythms of Life (short stories), London: Karnak House, 1992. Echoes in the Mind (short stories), Foundation Publishers, 1994/ Vista Books, 1996. Rituals & Departures (short stories), London: Karnak House, 1996. Fratures & Fragments (short stories) Lagos, African Cultural Institute, 2006. Adventures of Anum the Tortoise. Lagos: Lantern Books, Literamed Publications, 2006. My Cousin Sammy, Ikorodu: The Book Company, 2007. Fire from the Holy Mountain, Ibadan: University Press, 2007. Trafficked. Ikeja: Lantern Books, Literamed Publication, 2008. Heart Songs (poems), Ibadan: Kraftbooks, 2009. Magic Breast Bags. Ibadan: University Press PLC, 2019. Silver Lining. An Anthology of Nigerian Literature. Co-edited with Folu Agoi. A publication of PEN Nigeria Centre. 2019. Metaphor for Happiness & Other Stories. G.M.T. Emezue, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo et al. (eds). Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Press. 2019. Tolerance & Other Poems. G.M.T. Emezue, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo et al. (eds). Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Press. 2019. Contours of Tolerance. G.M.T. Emezue, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo et al. (eds). Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Press. 2019. Resident Alien & Other Stories. Ada Uzoamaka Azodo and Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (eds). Goldline & Jacobs, USA, 2020. A Million Bullets and a Rose. London: Abibiman Publishing, UK. 2022. Broken Bodies, Damaged Souls & Other Poems. Lagos: Purple Shelves Limited, 2022. Do Not Burn my Bones & Other Stories. Lagos: Purple Shelves Limited, 2022.
Non-fiction
Fact & Fiction in the Literature of the Nigerian Civil War, Lagos: Unity Publishing & Research Company, 1992. Gender Issues in Nigeria – A Feminine Perspective, Lagos: Vista Books, 1996. A Companion to the Novel, Lagos: Vista Books, 1998. The Literatures of War (edited with Liz Gunner), SOAS, University of London. Wings of Dawn: An Anthology of New Writing by Nigerian Women (edited with Ronnie Uzoigwe), British Council, Lagos, 2006. Literature, Language and National Consciousness (edited with K. King-Aribisala), Lagos: University of Lagos Press, 2006. Snail-Sense Feminism: Building on an Indigenous Model. Faculty of Arts, University of Lagos, 2012.
Other books
Wings of Dawn, An Anthology of New Writing by Nigerian Women, co-editor with Ronnie Uzoigwe, British Council/WRITA (Lagos), 2006
Essays
"When a novelist writes a play" by Chika Abanobi, The Spectator, 20–26 February 2009, p. 41. "Escape into poetry, audacity of pidgin," by Akeem Lasisi. The Punch, Tuesday, 19 May 2009, p. 46. "Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo's Post-Inaugural Harvest," by Ezechi Onyerionwu, Sunday Vanguard, 14 June 2009. P. 47. "10 Most Significant Contemporary Nigerian Novelists," by Henry Akubuiro, The National Life, 22 March 2009, p. 21.