THE third session of #CORALiterarySeason 2.0, staged on Saturday, July 19 by the CORA Youths Creative Club (CYCC) once again ignited the literary scene with students and youths navigating through the labyrinth of late Kenyan author, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s literary philosophy and narrative style.
This edition, held at the CORA Library & Resource Centre, Freedom Park, Lagos, which spotlighted Ngũgĩ’s debut novel Weep Not, Child, drew participation of 43 students from Lagos State University (LASU), University of Lagos (UNILAG), Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), with additional virtual audiences across other Nigerian universities.
Curated to reflect on the timeless social, political, and psychological depths of Ngũgĩ’s narrative, the event interwove dramatic readings, critical discourses, and creative performances; translating written literature into living discourse. The event commenced at 1 pm with an evocative reading session where Ayomitunde Olokodana and Adeleye Oluwawemimo brought Ngũgĩ’s prose to life. Their delivery not only resurrected the voice of Njoroge, the story’s young protagonist, but also recalled the sorrow and hopes embedded in the colonial Kenyan landscape.
From the reading, the programme dived into a plenary featuring reading from, and discussions around Ngugi’s Weep Not Child discussing the theme – Literature as a Mirror. Lateef Odetunde (moderator) led the session with six panellists: Ojolowo Oluwatobiloba, Sarah Adeyemo, Adekunle Adeola, Ayeni Kehinde Silas, and Amife Sangofadeji.
In his suave but rigorous moderation, Lateef Odetunde offered a distinct lens on Ngũgĩ’s debut novel, allowing for a mosaic of interpretations rooted in both textual analysis and contemporary relevance. Ojolowo Oluwatobiloba opened the panel talks by tracing the arc of education as resistance in the novel. He argued that Ngũgĩ’s portrayal of education is paradoxical: while it offers Njoroge the illusion of escape, it also alienates him from the political reality his family endures. Ojolowo highlighted how colonial education was a double-edged sword — training subjects in European ways of thinking while disconnecting them from communal struggle.
Sarah Adeyemo, in a notably poetic delivery, emphasised the gendered silences in the novel. She acknowledged that while Ngũgĩ focuses heavily on male agency and resistance, the female characters, especially Njoroge’s mother and sister, carry unspoken burdens that deserve closer reading. According to Sarah, these women are the “emotional scaffolding of revolution”—unacknowledged but necessary.
Adekunle Adeola steered the conversation into the political heart of the text: land as identity. His insights drew parallels between the dispossession faced by Gikuyu farmers in colonial Kenya and the ongoing land-related crises in Nigeria today. He underscored how land in Weep Not, Child is more than property: it is about ancestry, spirituality, and dignity.
“To lose land,” he said, “is to lose your memory, your name, and your god.”
Ayeni Kehinde Silas introduced a psychological dimension, interpreting Njoroge’s descent into despair through the lens of postcolonial trauma. He described Njoroge as a tragic hero — not in the classical sense, but as a child crushed by the weight of expectations, he cannot fulfil. Ayeni referenced Frantz Fanon, positing that the novel reflects the internal colonisation of the Black mind.
“Njoroge tries to be free by dreaming, but dreams are a dangerous drug when reality is so violent.”
Amife Sangofadeji offered a nuanced reading of betrayal, especially in the character of Jacobo, the collaborator. Amife challenged the idea of Jacobo as simply evil, instead suggesting he is a reflection of ...colonial elite — those who secure power by aligning with oppressive systems. She expanded this analysis to Nigeria’s own socio-political terrain, arguing that Ngũgĩ’s critique remains relevant to understanding corrupt post-independence leadership across Africa.
The discussion wasn’t limited to the panelists. The moderator opened the floor to audience contributions, resulting in a cascade of passionate reflections from students, educators, and virtual participants. A student from UNILAG highlighted how Weep Not, Child inspired her to write poetry about his own rural community’s educational struggles, while a FUOYE literature student questioned whether Ngũgĩ’s portrayal of hope is too naive or strategically rhetorical. The panel dissected the novel thematically, anchoring on:
What emerged most clearly from this first session was not simply an appreciation of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s genius, but a reaffirmation of the power of literature to interrogate history, challenge ideology, and inspire new visions of freedom. The youth were not just passive readers. They were critics, poets, and potential revolutionaries, armed not with guns, but with words.
Session Two: Law, History, and the Shadows of Colonialism
Aijinnahen Setonji Ludovic, a history student, moderated the second session titled “Law and Literature: From the Historical Perspective of Ngũgĩ’s Weep Not, Child.“ UNILAG law students Faith Omobolanle and Genevieve Uwagbai anchored a compelling analysis that merged jurisprudence with historical memory. The discussants explored themes like:
Additionally, there was a brief interlude of spoken words. The audience witnessed a burst of lyrical energies as spoken word artists Adekunle Adeola and Sarah Adeyemo (Sarah Inkspire) performed riveting poetic pieces crafted from Ngũgĩ’s literary titles. Sarah’s piece, a rhythmic fusion of Petals of Blood, Devil on the Cross, The River Between, Weep Not, Child, and I Will Marry When I Want, was both a homage and a critique. Her performance transcended traditional recitation; it was a dialogue between texts and time, where each title became a stanza in Africa’s political epic.
Critiques: Life and Literature
The last session of the event,Critiques: Life and Literature – Voices of Critique had Joy Ogbitse as moderator, and featured Joy Eseosa and Senami Mofunlewi as participants. The panel shifted focus to the existential and psychological impact of Ngũgĩ’s storytelling. Key points included:
This session grounded the discussions in literary craft, underscoring Ngũgĩ’s power not just as a storyteller, but as a social surgeon of his time.
Volunteers and Coordination: The Heart Behind the Scenes. Seventeen dedicated CORA volunteers organised the seamless execution of the event. From ushering to tech support, refreshments to documentation, their invisible labour was the engine of the day’s success. Their commitment ensured that the third session of #NGUGISeason was not just an event, but a movement of thought.
At the end of the third edition of #CORALiteraryseason, one message rang clear: Weep Not, Child is more than a novel. It is a lens, a lament, and a legacy. Through the voices of readers, critics, poets, and students, Ngũgĩ’s early work proved timeless. It summoned remembrance of a brutal past while demanding courage for the present.
