Migration and Literature: A Comparative Study of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Ben Okri in Digital Humanities

Authors

  • Henry Chukwudi John African Leadership University, Kigali, Rwanda
  • Abayomi Awelewa University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria

Keywords:

Miigration, Nigerian Diaspora, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ben Okri, Digital Humanities, Comparative literature, Data visualisation

Abstract

This study examines the impact of migration on the publishing timelines, thematic focus, awards, and translations of Nigerian diaspora writers Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Ben Okri. Employing a mixed-method approach that integrates qualitative and quantitative analyses, the research explores how migration influences their literary journeys and expands the global reach of Nigerian literature. Utilizing digital humanities tools such as KnightLab’s TimelineJS, Flourish, and Google Sheets, the study visualizes data from reputable sources like Amazon and Goodreads to analyze each author’s international achievements. Findings indicate that migration significantly shapes Adichie’s and Okri’s thematic explorations, addressing complex issues of identity, race, and cultural belonging. This research demonstrates how digital visualization offers insights into the intersection of migration and literary success, illustrating how these authors navigate and portray diasporic identities. Ultimately, the study contributes to African literary studies by highlighting the role of migration in enhancing the global influence and thematic depth of Nigerian literature.

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Author Biographies

  • Henry Chukwudi John, African Leadership University, Kigali, Rwanda

    John Henry holds a B.Ed in Library and Information Science, an M.Ed in Educational Media and Technology (Tai Solarin University, Nigeria), and an M.A in Rare Books and Digital Humanities (Université Bourgogne-Franche- Comté, France). He has certifications in Teaching and Learning (CIE) from Cambridge University, U.K. A recipient of the ERASMUS+ Mobility Grant and ISITE-BFC Rare Books Project Award, he is the Academic Research Digital Librarian at African Leadership University (Mauritius and Rwanda) and an Associate Researcher at the Centre for Digital Humanities, University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is pursuing a split-site PhD in Digital Humanities (Université de Bourgogne and University of Lagos) and an online PhD in Society, Technology, and Culture (UOC, Spain).

  • Abayomi Awelewa, University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria

    Abayomi Awelewa is a lecturer and a researcher in the Department of English at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is also a publisher and a communications expert. His fields of research include African and African diasporan literature, Digital Humanities, gender and trauma studies. He holds a PhD in English literature from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Before he joined the University of Lagos, he worked at the Mcpherson University, Seriki Sotayo in Ogun State, Nigeria. Awelewa also worked at HarvestPlus, XLR8 and Literamed Publications in a career spanning over 20 years.

References

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DIGITAL TOOLS USED FOR DATA VISUALIZATION

1. Northwestern University Knight Lab- https://knightlab.northwestern.edu/

2. Daria Tunca’s Digital Corpus - Center for Teaching and Research in Post-colonial Studies (CEREP) University of Liège- http://www.cerep.ulg.ac.be/bibliographies/

John Henry’s Nig-ewriters Coprus https://nig-ewriters.rarebook-ubfc.fr/writers-journey/

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Published

27-11-2024

Data Availability Statement

https://nig-ewriters.rarebook-ubfc.fr/writers-journey/

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2024): Digital Humanities and Interdisciplinary Scholarship

Section

Articles

Categories

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Copyright (c) 2024 Henry Chukwudi John, Abayomi Awelewa

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How to Cite

John, Henry Chukwudi, and Abayomi Awelewa. “Migration and Literature: A Comparative Study of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Ben Okri in Digital Humanities”. Multilingual African Digital Semiotics and E-Lit Journal (MADSEJ), vol. 1, no. 2, Nov. 2024, pp. 51-62, https://madsej.africanelit.org/index.php/madsej/article/view/15.