This event is being held both in-person and online via Teams here. No registration is necessary.
Conveners: Dr Peter Brooke and Dr Rachel Taylor
Speaker: Dr. Obari Gomba, TORCH Global South Visiting Professor, University of Oxford
A limited number of seats are available due to Covid-regulations and only members of the University may attend in person. As a courtesy to others please wear a mask. Unfortunately nobody can be admitted once capacity has been reached. As an alternative the seminar can also be accessed via Teams, where it is also open to members of the public.
Dr Gomba is a leading literary scholar and writer, whose work explores the impact of oil production on the social, political, and ecological context of the Niger Delta. His 2018 play, Guerrilla Post, won the Association of Nigerian Authors Drama Prize, and he was instrumental in Port Harcourt being awarded the UNESCO Book Capital of the Year in 2014.
During his stay in Oxford, he is focussing on researching the historical representation of this “oil culture” in three plays set in the pre-colonial period. This is part of the collaborative research initiative The Arts of Oil—A Cultural History of Port Harcourt between the University of Port Harcourt and the University of Oxford, which was launched in 2018. This interdisciplinary programme examines the way in which the profits and politics of oil are represented in the popular arts—literature, photography, comedy, and art. Dr Gomba’s research thus facilitates the exchange of knowledge across the humanities, particularly in English, Anthropology and African Studies.
Dr Gomba will be based at Oxford’s Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, and All Souls College until 17 December, 2021.
Covid-19 Guidelines for university members attending in person:
- St Antony's ask that attendees take a lateral flow test on the morning of the event. If positive, stay at home
- Stay home if you feel unwell with symptoms of COVID-19, a member of your household is self-isolating, or if you are in quarantine
- Wear a face covering where indicated, unless exempt
- Be considerate of other people’s space
- Wash your hands regularly with soap or sanitiser
- You are asked to use the official NHS QR code posters displayed throughout the College site
