For several years now, there has been a drive at Bard to develop an institution at the college that aims to use Professor Chinua Achebe’s legacy to best serve the future of African writers and artists. Bard College has a reputation for celebrating the arts, and has always been more open than most colleges to cultural entrepreneurship, independent thought and the role of the intellectual and writer in public life. To that end, we intend to push strongly to help make Bard College a center of excellence for the teaching of African Literature.
The Achebe Center will build a world class institution that serves a new generation of African writers; encourages literary/cultural entrepreneurship; positions our literature in its appropriate place in world literature; and always serves the highest of ideals and ideas. Our current projects include facilitating events featuring visiting writers, artists and scholars; publishing books and chapbook; facilitating writer/artist residencies, projects and collaborations; the creation of a new low-residency creative writing program; and more.
As all eyes turn toward South Africa and the 2010 World Cup, Chimurenga and the Chinua Achebe Center will send thirteen prominent writers, among them Chris Abani and Alain Mabanckou, on a guided pilgrimage to twelve cities in Africa (and Salvador do Bahia). Their experiences will be published as travelogues and appear here on this web site below:
http://www.pilgrimages.org.za/
Africa Week at Bard College 2011
Highlights of the week include:
April 17, 21–23
- West African Dance and Drumming workshop on Sunday, April 17
- Reading and booksigning on Thursday, April 21
- Reading and dance performance on Friday, April 22
- Lecture by Kegurn Macharia and film screening of Is It Sweet: Tales of an African Superstar in New York on Saturday, April 23
Click here to download the full schedule of events > >
Africa Week at Bard College 2009
October 19-24Highlights of the week include:
- a reading by Binyavanga Wainaina with special guest Chinua Achebe on Wednesday, Oct. 21,
- a top caliber lecture and panel discussion on Thursday, Oct. 22, and
- the Kenyan musical Mo Faya! in the Fisher Center on Friday, Oct. 23.
E-mail achebecenter@bard.edu
Binyavanga Wainaina
Director
Tel 518-605-6215
E-mail bwainain@bard.eduThomas Burke
Program Manager
Tel 845-758-7837
E-mail tburke@bard.edu
