Celebrated Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, will headline the inaugural edition of the ‘Things Fall Apart’ Festival, a cultural event set to take place in Enugu State from June 29 to July 5, 2025.
The week-long festival, organised by the Enugu-based Centre for Memories – Ncheta Ndigbo, is an evolution of the annual Things Fall Apart Day, now in its fifth year.
This expanded format aims to celebrate the towering legacy of the late Chinua Achebe, one of Africa’s most revered literary icons, with a festival that mirrors his global stature.
Adichie, widely regarded as one of Achebe’s most prominent literary descendants, will deliver the keynote address inspired by the festival’s theme, ‘Masculine, Feminine, Human – The Dialogue of Complements in Things Fall Apart’.
According to the organisers, the selected theme will explore how Achebe’s work reflects harmony and conflict between male and female roles, linking it to today’s discussions on identity, humanity, and culture.
Returning home amid a global tour for her new novel, Dream Count—her first in over a decade—the author will reflect on Achebe’s enduring influence on literature, identity, and the power of cultural storytelling.
In a statement, the organisers described the event as “a week-long cultural immersion designed to honour Achebe’s legacy through art, performance, technology and scholarship”.
The organisers noted that the event’s highlights will include dramatic performances, staged readings, art exhibitions, film screenings, saloon-style conversations with cultural thought leaders, and immersive tech installations.
A striking feature will be the recreation of Umuofia Village, the fictional setting of Achebe’s seminal novel, offering visitors a living glimpse into the world he so vividly imagined.
A special appearance will also be made by the lead cast of the 1987 television adaptation of Things Fall Apart, including Nollywood veteran actor, Pete Edochie, who famously portrayed the protagonist, Okonkwo.
In a symbolic nod to Igbo tradition, the iconic Ajofia masquerade—featured prominently in the novel—will make a dramatic entrance into the reimagined village.
An essay competition for pupils in secondary and students in tertiary institutions, along with entries from the general public, will also be featured, as will guided memory walks and film screenings.
