Photo: Book O'Clock
Growing up in northwest Nigeria, 22-year-old literature student Uchenna Emelife had developed a rare hobby - reading books. Then, swept off his feet by reading Purple Hibiscus by Chinamanda Ngozi Adichie and wanting a community to discuss it, he co-founded a book club that promotes reading African literature. In April 2020, he and his friend, law student Rodiyah Mikail, went live with “Book O’clock,” a Whatsapp group that now organizes monthly readings of African books, attended virtually by well-known African writers. In July last year, 700 people attended its first book and art festival in Sokoto. Between April and July 2021, club members visited nine secondary schools across Sokoto, giving a book to each of the 500 students they spoke with. Since then, they’ve established a book club in one school and are working to establish others. Since its launch, the club has grown from 70 members to 125.
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