A conference on “Myth and Modernity in African Literature” has taken place at the School of Media and Communication, Pan-African University, Lagos, Nigeria. The conference which was organised in collaboration with the Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom held from 24-26 August, 2011.

The conference, which attracted academics and Cambridge fellows from different countries, was co-convened by Dr. James Tar Tsaaior (School of Media and Communication, Pan-African University, Nigeria) and Dr. Christopher Warnes (Faculty of English, University of Cambridge, UK). Notable guests and participants during the conference included: Prof. Abiola Irele (formerly Visiting Professor at Harvard University, USA and now Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Kwara State University, Nigeria), Prof. Stephanie Newell (University of Sussex, UK), Prof. Akachi Ezeigbo (University of Lagos, Nigeria), Prof. Emevwo Biakolo, the host, among many others.

Professor Abiola Erele, gave the keynote presentation on “Myth and the African imagination”. He emphasised that myth is not just about the past but is also involved in the construction of modernity and even prefigures the future. The keynote set the conference up for more interesting discussions and presentations on myth and modernity in African Literature.

Professor Emevwo Biakolo, Dean School of Media and Communication, Pan-African University, in a lead paper presentation, exploded the myths by the West about African philosophy and culture and established that African philosophy is a valid academic and intellectual discipline in its own right and that it only needs to assert its self so as to achieve the authenticity that African History and Literature have attained.

Professor Stephanie Newell, in her lead presentation, spoke on myth as a site of cultural construction as part of the politics of resistance, not only in colonial Africa but also in the postcolonial situation. Dr. James Tsaaior maintained that myth is a veritable cultural site for the articulation of African cultural nationalism in a modern glocalised world hence its continued inherence in the political economy of artistic and knowledge production in Africa. While Dr. Christopher Warne also spoke on the need to engage myth critically in social and political engineering on the continent as it is relevant in the modern African condition.

One of the highlights of the conference was the round table discussion by the 2010/2011 fellows who spent six months in Cambridge where they shared the results of their research experiences. Significantly titled: “Cross-Cultural Transactions: Realities of Doing Research in Cambridge”, the round table brought Cambridge to Africa through the rich experiences of the fellows.

The conference was concluded with a pool-side dinner organised by the Dean, School of Media and Communication, PAU, Prof. Biakolo and an excursion to the Aja Arts and Crafts Market and Eleko Beach Resort in Lagos.