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This year, we mark the 67th anniversary of the publication of Things Fall Apart—Chinua Achebe’s literary classic that redefined African literature and reshaped global conversations about identity, culture, and power.
The Things Fall Apart Festival 2025 is a week-long celebration that brings together leading literary voices, cultural enthusiasts, historians, artists, and passionate readers in an immersive experience that honours Achebe’s work and its continued relevance in today’s world.
This year’s edition explores the theme: “Masculine, Feminine, Human: The Dialogue of Complements in Things Fall Apart.” It invites audiences to reflect on Achebe’s powerful insights into balance—between masculinity and femininity, individuality and community, tradition and change.
Through storytelling, curated salon sessions, essay contests, panel discussions, art exhibitions, tribute readings, and the creation of a Things Fall Apart Village, the festival offers a rich cultural platform that bridges generations and celebrates the enduring legacy of Chinua Achebe.
Celebrating Achebe’s Legacy Through Contemporary Voices
The Things Fall Apart Festival 2025 reaches its crescendo with a grand finale featuring Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Africa's most celebrated contemporary literary voice and torchbearer of Achebe's revolutionary spirit.
In this landmark keynote address, Adichie will illuminate how Things Fall Apart continues to shape global conversations about gender, identity, and shared humanity in our rapidly evolving world.
Her presentation promises to blend intimate personal reflections with sweeping cultural analysis, drawing powerful parallels between Achebe's Umuofia and today's complex societies.
Centre for Memories, 2 Awgu Street, off Umuoji Street, Independence Layout, Enugu
Sunday, 29th June – Saturday, 5th July 2025
If you’ve ever wanted to enter the pages of Things Fall Apart, this is your invitation. The festival offers a rare opportunity to walk through the world Achebe so vividly imagined—Umuofia, a symbolic mirror of Ìgbò society. From captivating live cultural performances to the thoughtfully designed Things Fall Apart Village, every corner of the festival brings the novel’s spirit to life.
Whether you're a student of literature, a curious thinker, or a passionate reader, this is your chance to explore the questions that still echo from Things Fall Apart. The festival offers thoughtful encounters through curated salon sessions, panel discussions, exhibitions, and symposiums. Inviting deeper reflections on Achebe’s themes, and how they continue to resonate in today’s world.
One of the festival’s most anticipated highlights is the stirring presence of African screen legends. As the sun sets over the Things Fall Apart Village, expect a powerful gathering of cultural icons. Veteran actor and our Special Guest of Honour, Chief Dr. Pete Edochie, MON, the face of Okonkwo in the 1987 NTA adaptation of Things Fall Apart, and others will will take the stage to inhabit the world Achebe built.
It's a special Nkwo in Umuofia. We begin the festival with cultural performances, an arts exhibition, and guided tours through the world we’ve built. As evening falls, gather for music and deep conversations shaped by the spirit and questions of Things Fall Apart.
See DetailsIt’s Eke in Umuofia. Expect village tours, folklore, workshops, book and panel discussions, dance, and trivia. We’ll round off with a film screening and an evening conversation on adapting indigenous stories for the screen.
See DetailsToday is Orie in Umuofia. Join guided village tours, enjoy folklore sessions, express yourself at a poetry workshop, and experience cultural dance, a cooking competition, and a thrilling wrestling performance. As evening falls, stay for a film screening and a heartfelt conversation on what true collaboration means in our time.
See DetailsDay 4 features a rich blend of children’s folklore workshops, literary discussions, tech and cultural panels, vibrant performances, and film screenings celebrating Umuofia’s heritage and future.
See DetailsDay 5 explores culture, wellness, and masculinity through engaging panels, fireside chats, and performances—culminating in a powerful film screening and conversation on empowering Eastern Nigerian creatives.
See DetailsDay 6 highlights creative storytelling through workshops, theatre, and film—culminating in powerful conversations on preserving Igbo cultural memory and elevating Eastern Nigerian narratives for global audiences.
See DetailsDay 7, the grand finale, features cultural showcases, a keynote and conversation with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, thematic panels, awards, and a magical bonfire night of storytelling under the stars.
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