Carmen McCain

For all of those who have read Hajiya Balaraba Ramat Yakubu's novels in Hausa, or the translation of Alhaki Kuykuyo Ne, Sin is a Puppy that Follows You Home, by Aliyu Kamal, Blaft Publishers is hosting an online event with her at 4pm IST, which is apparently 11:30am Nigeria and UK Time and 6:30am Eastern time US. Please make it if you can!

Meet Balaraba Ramat Yakubu! Exciting short-notice announcement: We have an online event on Saturday 4 PM: a meet-the-writer with Nigerian screenwriter and novelist Balaraba Ramat Yakubu, author of Sin Is a Puppy That Follows You Home. She is in Delhi at the moment--unfortunately, it was a bit too last minute to set something u...

If you are a woman writing about a topic pertaining to culture in Northern Nigeria or the surrounding Hausa-speaking regions, please consider applying or pass this on to anyone else who might be interested inapplying. The workshop, held in Abuja in August, will be an opportunity to meet other scholars doing similar work, get feedback on your work from colleagues and academic mentors, and hear from journal editors about best practices. Travel and accommodations will be covered. The deadline for submissions is mid-June. https://www.openartsworld.org/british-academy-uk-international-writing-workshop/?fbclid=IwAR1WgxUGyWjiDH9fxVvDpHuc-P5MKckXLzJ4S3n2zdUsx2v6nXJY5aWR_iQ

BRITISH ACADEMY (UK) INTERNATIONAL WRITING WORKSHOP • Open Arts CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS Amplifying Women’s Voices in Hausa Cultural Studies: Writing and PublishingcWorkshop for Early Career Women Academics from West Africa Abuja – Nigeria 7-11 August 2023 SOAS University of London, Kaduna State University, and the Hausa International Book and Arts Festival, (H...

Delighted that my most recent article is finally out. My gratitude to Musa Ibrahim and Sara Katz, the editors who invited me to present at a virtual conference at the University of Florida and were very patient with me in the revision process that followed. Gratitude also to Hamisu Iyantama, whose film Kurkuku I examine in this article and author Hasheem Abdallah Malam Madori, who responded to my Facebook query about the Arabic verse in Saviour Y. Inuwa's song. It's helpful for the journal's metrics if readers access this through their academic libraries, but if you don't have easy library access, let me know, and I'll be happy to send you a copy.

Censorship, citizenship and cosmopolitan unity in Muslim and Christian creative responses to repression in northern Nigeria | Africa | Cambridge Core Censorship, citizenship and cosmopolitan unity in Muslim and Christian creative responses to repression in northern Nigeria - Volume 92 Issue 5

Was in Madison this past weekend for the launching of the Tejumola Olaniyan Foundation. You can find out more and give here: https://www.olaniyanfoundation.org/?fbclid=IwAR3MoSp9B-eKyGObF5WSg1unlxLriaAMZFjnzEXZ9dTrevgNYaHZ_wvAz2w

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4pm Sunday, there will be a rare Zoom reading of Africa Ukoh's play 54 Silhouettes, which I reviewed for my Daily Trust column in 2013. To attend, contact the email/social media listed in this article for the link.

MULTI-AWARD-WINNING NIGERIAN PLAY CELEBRATES ITS 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH AN ONLINE READING - Bani Productions

A visual love letter to Nigeria, the beauty and the heartbreak, by my brother Dan Core Productions Ltd.

CPL Pan Nigeria Montage (2020) This montage of footage from many CPL projects and travels, shows the beautiful tapestry and diversity of Nigeria. Over the past decade, CPL has had the pri...

A visual poem "A Place of Many Names" by South African poet Siphokazi Jonas, short film directed and produced by my brother Dan McCain Core Productions Ltd.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvXyST4qB5E&feature=youtu.be

South Africa: A place of many names Siphokazi Jonas creates a bespoke love letter to her country, South Africa. Listen to her words as she takes you on a journey across South Africa showcasing ...

Check out my brother's amazing 2020 showreel featuring images from all over Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, from his Lagos-based production company Core Productions Ltd. He's an artist who works with such passion and professionalism, and I'm so proud of him:

CPL Showreel 2020 Since 2010, Core Productions has produced hundreds of commercials, documentaries, and promotional films across 12 countries in Africa. We are a company with ...

A month old but still very relevant. Too much misinformation and too many amateurs pretending to be experts during this time.

Please, Let’s Stop the Epidemic of Armchair Epidemiology Ignore the people misconstruing their expertise and offering false certainty.

So this is Corona?

Ditweni on Twitter “So this is Corona?? ☹️☹️ https://t.co/MBUL3iVA1U”

In lieu of our first class this week, my African Literature students (off campus social distancing themselves) will watch on Netflix Steve Gukas's film 93 Days, based on the true story of how Nigeria was able to stop a major ebola outbreak in Lagos. They will also read Dr. Ada Igonoh's autobiographical narrative. If you are sitting at home looking for something to watch on Netflix, I highly recommend this. It might be a nice break to see a public health infrastructure that worked in 2014... (and appears to still be working in the midst of COVID19 threats)

“Your Blood Tested Positive for Ebola. I Am Sorry.” For two weeks, Dr. Ada Igonoh had the deadly virus. Here is the story of her survival.

Friends, if you are in New York or near New York tomorrow, Wednesday, 20 November, check out Charles Etubiebi's fabulous one man performance of Africa Ukoh's play 54 Silhouettes. This is the first Nigerian play to be performed at the world's largest solo theatre festival.

Charles Etubiebi’s one man performance of Africa Ukoh’s play 54 Silhouettes at the United Solo Festival in New York, 20 November 2019 This Wednesday, November 20, 2019, Charles Etubiebi will perform a one man show adaptation of Africa Ukoh’s play 54 Silhouettes at the United Solo Theatre Festival in New York. (You can buy t…

The buzz is annoying but if you can put up with it watch this excellent lecture by Katharine Hayhoe. She explains the science behind climate change better than anyone I've ever heard. (Starting at timecode 12:00, she points to how scientists have been studying global warming since 1820) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbRROtiHf0I

2018 Colloquium on the Environment - Katharine Hayhoe Noted atmospheric scientist Katherine Hayhoe delivers the keynote for the 2018 Penn State Colloquium on the Environment. Abstract Climate change isn’t just a...

In honour of this weekend's global focus on climate change, a useful site meant for those who are skeptical about climate change. The site addresses many of the questions and doubts skeptics may have about climate change, using easy-to-understand models and videos.

skepticalscience.com

Oprah Winfrey Foundation Announces Fully-Funded African Women’s Public Service Fellowship 2020 For Study In USA: Apply Here - Glim The African Women’s Public Service Fellowship, made possible by a donation from the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, expands the opportunity for African women to impact for public service in their home countries.

Alex Thurston includes the short history of Boko Haram I wrote with Brandon Kendhammer in his thoughtful review of recent books about Nigeria for the Washington Post. It's an insightful review. The title was obviously imposed by a Washington Post editor, as I'm sure Alex would cringe as much as I do at the thought that three new books will enable anyone to "understand" Nigeria--and I appreciate his note at the end about the limitations of books written by non-Nigerians. But I'm really glad he thinks that our book adds to the conversation. Finally, I hate to think of myself as "pessimistic" about Nigeria. On the contrary, I think that often the tone of my writing on literature, film, and culture has often been quite bright and optimistic, but I suppose when one is writing about the effect Boko Haram has had on Nigeria and the current state of political affairs, the conclusions will necessarily be rather bleak.

PS. To those living in Nigeria looking for the book, there is someone traveling back to Nigeria this weekend with a box of books. The press has also let me know the distributor who will supply bookshops if you know of any bookshops want to order it.

Analysis | Here are the three new books you need to understand Nigeria One's an introduction, one explores Boko Haram and the third looks at the future of Nigeria's democracy.

new blog post

Abba Makama’s new film The Lost Okoroshi (screenplay by Africa Ukoh) to premiere at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival Creative duo director Abba Makama and screenwriter Africa Ukoh strike again. For the second time a film collaboration between the two will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The L…

I just realized that Steve Gukas's excellent film 93 Days is available on Amazon Prime. I saw it last year at the Abuja Literary Festival and was so impressed and moved by it. It tells with great sensitivity the story of the 93 days that the ebola virus was in Nigeria and highlights the heroic doctors and public health officials who, some at the cost of their own lives, stopped the spread of the deadly virus. I highly recommend.

Watch 93 Days online - Prime Video What happens when the deadliest infectious disease known to man arrives in a mega city, populated by millions?

Abba Makama's new film, written by Africa Ukoh, premiering at the Toronto film Festival. The trailer is on fire! Check it out. Can't wait to see it.

‘The Lost Okoroshi’ Trailer: TIFF Premiere Is an Afrofuturistic Journey Through Nigerian Masquerade Exclusive: Abba Makama's latest is bound for a breakout when it premieres in TIFF's wide-ranging Discovery section next month.

Congratulations to Lesley Nneka Arimah for winning the Caine Prize for African Writing. Read my review of her collection of short stories What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky here.

My review of Lesley Nneka Arimah’s collection of short stories What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky in the American Book Review As with almost all of my posts these days, this one is a year overdue, but with Lesley Nneka Arimah’s recent Caine Prize win for her fantastic short story “Skinned” first publishe…

The Times Literary Supplement reviews 5 recent books on Boko Haram, including the short history I wrote with Brandon Kendhammer for the Ohio Short Histories of Africa series.

Listening to terror When US Navy SEALs conducted their midnight raid on Osama bin Laden’s home in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in the spring of 2011, they discovered a tranche of letters that featured correspondence between and among al-Qaeda’s central command and militants worldwide, including the Nigerian insurgent grou...

Posted on my blog after a year-long hiatus to archive my conversation with Africa Ukoh whose play 54 Silhouettes is on at the Lagos Theatre Festival for the next two days. If you're in Lagos, go see it: https://www.ariiyatickets.com/event/54-silhouettes/?fbclid=IwAR2K5yL140p5GYx6dLb3izSbrJVvog9gs7dIZkL2lb1LZ-rQ9yPaG7l3JOk

Interview with playwright and screenwriter Africa Ukoh, whose play is currently on at the Lagos Theatre Festival An interview I did last July with playwright and screenwriter Africa Ukoh has been published by Brittle Paper. His play 54 Silhouettes is currently being performed as a one-man show at the Lagos Th…

An interview I did last July with Africa Ukoh just published on Brittle Paper. Africa's play 54 Silhouettes will be performed by Charles Etubiebi as a one man show during the Lagos Theatre Festival this coming week.
DATE: 12, 13, & 14 April.
VENUE: Esther's Revenge, Freedom Park, Broad Street, Lagos.
TIME: 7:30pm
TICKET: N3000.
ONLINE TICKETS: https://www.ariiyatickets.com/event/54-silhouettes/

Humanity, Culture, and Representation in Theatre and Film: Africa Ukoh, author of 54 Silhouettes, and Carmen McCain in Conversation Africa Ukoh is a Nigerian playwright, screenwriter and actor. His play 54 Silhouettes was the winner of the Stratford East/30 Nigeria House Award and was also first runner up for the BBC African Performance Competition. It was produced as a radio play for BBC before its Jos stage premiere in 2013 an

Thank you to Brandon Kendhammer, my old Hausa language classmate at Wisconsin, for involving me in this project. I was lucky to get to write a book with someone as smart, knowledgeable, and patient as Brandon. If you want to check out the book, which is a kind of introduction to Boko Haram and its effects on Nigeria for the general reader, it is available on Amazon. https://amzn.to/2Pgrgry

Very important investigative article about the dangers of fake news in Nigeria. Please read.

Like. Share. Kill. Nigerian police say false information on Facebook is killing people

I'm honoured have my review published in this special issue of the American Book Review on Harassment. To read my review of Lesley Nneka Arimah's short story collection What it Means when a Man Falls from the Sky, click on this linkhttp://americanbookreview.org/PDF/ABRHarassmentFocus2018.pdf . The editor Aimee Armande Wilson has worked hard to make sure that it remained open access, so kudos to her.... If you can't get that to work and you want to read it, inbox me and I can send you a pdf.

Project MUSE - Postcolonial Mythologies While writing this review, I read the news of a Nigerian-American graduate student at Yale who fell asleep in a common room while writing a paper and awoke to a white student calling the police on her. When she protested this assault on her freedom of movement, the police told her, “You’re not b...

Important findings. Let's make sure we fact-check news that seems sensationalistic before we share it.

The Grim Conclusions of the Largest-Ever Study of Fake News Falsehoods almost always beat out the truth on Twitter, penetrating further, faster, and deeper into the social network than accurate information.

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
-William Butler Yeats, from "The Second Coming"