Emmanuel M. Obiechina

professor, African, Afr-Amer studies, Harvard

Emmanuel N. Obiechina is a distinguished scholar and literary critic known for his keen and thoughtful interpretations of African literature and the African diaspora. Born in 1933 in Nigeria, Obiechina received his BA in English from University College in Ibadan, Nigeria, an affiliate of the University of London in 1961 and his PhD in English from the University of Cambridge in 1967. With 20 years of teaching experience, Obiechina has taught students at universities in both the US and Africa. From 2002 to 2003, Obiechina was a Visiting Scholar in the department of African and African American studies at Harvard University. He was also a fellow in the Du Bois Institute where he presented research work entitled "Slavery and the Fall of Africa: Textualizing a Historic Tragedy" as part of an ongoing book project. His honors include being awarded a festschrift, entitled Meditations on African Literature edited by Dubem Okafor and awards for "Humanistic Perspectives on Contemporary Society" from the Ford Foundation. Additional prizes include several NEH Summer Institute appointments as well as fellowships at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, the University of Cambridge and a Fulbright Travel Fellowship for Senior African Scholars.