University of Lagos in collaboration with Wole Soyinka Society will host a four-day international conference to celebrate the 80 birthday anniversary of Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka from July 10 to 14, 2014.

Below are details of the conference which aims to promote the perpetuation of the cultural and artistic legacy of Professor Soyinka:

• Title: The ‘Soyinka Impulse’
• Theme: ‘Art, Humanity, Transitions and Permanence: Calibrating Soyinka @ 80’.
• Opening Ceremony: July 10, 2014    Time: 5.00 p.m.          Venue: Afe Babalola Hall, UNILAG
• Co-Conveners: Professor Duro Oni and Dr. Bisi Adigun
• Programme of events:

1. The event starts tomorrow with an exhibition at the JP Clark Centre, UniLag at 5 pm
2. Conference Keynote Lecture entitled: “WS and the Nigerian/African Left: Clarifications and Reflections on that ‘Jacobin’ Moment” by Prof. Biodun Jeyifo of Harvard University (starting at 9:00am).
3.  
4. Five plenary sessions of conference paper presentations, each of which will be preceded by a keynote address by the following distinguished scholars: Professor Niyi Osundare (Nigeria); Professor Isidore Diala (Nigeria); Professor Motsa Zodwa (South Africa); Professor Anjali Gera Roy (India) and Dr James Gibbs (Britain).
5.  
6. The staging of Haba Pastor Jero, an adaptation of Soyinka’s Trials of Brother Jero, at the main auditorium at UNILAG;
7.  
8. Presentations of a few sketches from Soyinka’s Blackout, Blowout and Beyond – Satirical Sketches;
9.  
10. A visit to Abeokuta, where a site-specific performance of excerpts from Soyinka’s very first Yoruba tragedy, A Dance of the Forests, will be presented.

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