How Uwem Akpan enlivened Abak Book Club’s 3rd anniversary, awakened emotional trauma 55 years after civil war

* Akpan reads in Ikot Ekpene on Saturday, July 26

*‘New York, My Village is a fresh, nuanced perspective on the Biafran experience’

By Mary Jonas

IT was Saturday, July 19, 2025 and the sky at Credo Farms Resort was calm and resplendent. Dignitaries had come from far and near to mark Abak Book Club’s third anniversary. But it was an unusual anniversary as a grand literary event was also afoot with the presence of one of Nigerian writers and Akwa Ibom’s most celebrated US-based literary son Uwem Akpan was also visiting. It was double celebration for the book club. Akpan had been reading in cities across Nigeria since his summer holiday visit. Abak was his fourth reading tour city after Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja, where he first visited before coming home with his first critically acclaimed novel, New York, My Village. The event brought together a vibrant mix of writers, intellectuals, students, and book lovers in a fitting celebration of words and ideas.

Guests began arriving at 1:30pm, and the venue was soon brimming with warmth, style, and camaraderie, as old friends reconnected and new alliances were formed, true to the club’s motto: Read, Connect and Act!

Akpan arrived in his usually modest simplicity of ankara long sleeves top and Jeans trousers and golf cap. He was accompanied by his entourage, and was warmly received by an audience eager to engage with him on his masterpiece. The event commenced with introduction of special guests, spiced up by an electrifying spoken word performance by Rosebeth Cletus that set the tone for an afternoon of thought-provoking dialogue.

The book discussion, expertly moderated by Loveday McJolly, delved deep into the themes of the novel. Issues such as the lingering impact of the Nigerian Civil War, particularly it’s implications for Akwa Ibom and the Anaañ nation were explored alongside broader concerns like racism, tribalism, imperialism, and identity politics. The conversation extended to the audience, where participants engaged actively with the author with questions and reflections.

Uwem Akpan (left) and Usen Anietie exchanging books

The book chat was the most emotional one ever hosted by Abak Book Club, with Akpan leading with an emotional outburst at a point. While reliving the tragic and traumatic events as narrated in his story, he became really emotional and shed some tears which caused an emotional stir among the audience to the point that some members of the audience joined him. It was a truly touching moment for everyone; some elderly ones in the audience saw themselves in Akpan’s story, as direct victims of the war, as the story easily resonated with them. Akpan had written their own story for the world.

However, when it got to the part where the writer spoke about bedbugs in New York of all places in the book, and his infusion of the Annang language, the audience became relaxed and the atmosphere dissolved into that of laughter and wonder. It was a blend of all sorts of emotions, from anger to sadness, laughter, and some sighs of regrets for what the minority went through during the war.

While contributing to the conversation, the author of Civil War Child, Dr. Nestor Udoh, shared his experiences and drew literary parallels with similar civil war works like The Tailor by Albert Ekop, Chinua Achebe’s There Was a Country, and Chimamanda Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun. Dr. Udoh also generously donated copies of his book to several schools that attended the event that included Holy Family College, St. Mary’s Senior Science College, Loreto Girls Juniorate, and Government Technical College, all in Abak.

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Umo Eno and author of Village Boy, Mr. Anietie Usen, also made intervention with a symbolic donation of his books to Akpan that further highlighted the mutual support and admiration among writers of Akwa Ibom extraction. Village Boy was longlisted for The Nigeria Prize for Literature 2024, just as Akpan’s New York, My Village was recently longlisted for the same prize this year alongside 11 other fiction works.

Uwem Akpan helping to cut the 3rd anniversary birthday cake of Abak Book Cub

In a heartfelt remark, the Coordinator of Abak Book Club, Mrs. Mary Jonas, reflected on the club’s remarkable three-year journey. She recounted how, driven by the desire to replicate the reading culture in her hometown, she consulted the founder of Uyo Book Club and progenitor of the book club movement in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Udeme Nana, to establish the Abak chapter. She expressed pride in the club’s growth and its ability to host a world-renowned writer like Akpan.

“This spells progress. This speaks progress,” Jonas said while celebrating the club’s achievements and highlighting Akpan’s role in amplifying diverse narratives. Drawing on Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story,” she commended Akpan for offering a fresh and nuanced perspective on the Biafran experience through his novel.

She also paid tribute to the chairman of the club’s Board of Patrons, Rev. Fr. Thomas Ebong (PhD), for supporting the event and for his unwavering commitment to the club’s mission. She acknowledged the contributions of the executive team and members like Inyene Peter, Uko Edet, and Dr. Abasiama Mfon, whose consistency and dedication, she said, have been vital to the club’s success.

Distinguished guests at the event included Prof. Ndaeyo Uko, Prof. Patrick Uko, Prof. EnoAbasi Urua, Dr. Nana (represented), Dr. Theresa Linus, Dr. Jacinta Akaenyi, Dr. Iberedem Daniel, Mr. Anietie Idok, Mr. Theophilus Edet, and Mrs. Udeme Inyang and Becky Asindi who represented Eket Book Club, among many others.

The celebration concluded with the symbolic cutting of Abak Book Club’s 3rd anniversary cake to seal a day filled with deep literary insight, community spirit, and a shared commitment to restoring a culture of reading in Akwa Ibom and beyond. It was truly the homecoming of a great son of the soil.

Thereafter, guests were treated to dinner at the resort.

Mrs. Jonas, the Coordinator of Abak Book Club, wrote from Abak