THE FLORA NWAPA SOCIETY by Marie Umeh
When I met with Flora Nwapa, in 1992, she was at a PEN International Conference at Rutgers University in New Jersey, hosted by Professor Abena Busia. She was on tour in the United States giving lectures at different universities. Flora was also selling her books. I attended another one of her lectures at New York University, hosted by Professor Flora E. Kaplan. I escorted Flora Nwapa to other venues. At one point, I said, “Flora, I am going to nominate you for an Honorary Doctoral Degree in the United States.” She smiled at me approvingly, promising to send me her Curriculum Vitae. I did get her CV; I was also expecting to see her in August/September, 1993 in New York. Flora acquired a teaching appointment in Creative Writing at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Professor Gay Wilentz had invited her to teach in the Department of English, beginning the Fall, 1993 Semester. Dr. Kema Chikwe was in New York at the time on a short vacation at her sister's residence. We were waiting for Flora to arrive in New York; we wondered what was causing her delay. She had to travel to Greenville, North Carolina to meet Gay and to start teaching students who enrolled in her classes. Kema called her relations in Nigeria to inquire about Flora Nwapa. We were shocked when we learned that Flora Nwapa Nwakuche was dead! We screamed; we cried; we hollered. It was unbelievable. Then, we were angry when we learned that Flora died in a hospital in Enugu in October, 1993.
The Flora Nwapa Society Award
The Flora Nwapa Society is an international organization affiliated with the African Literature Association. The primary goals of the association are to preserve and to promote meaningful research pertaining to Flora Nwapa and her creative production. The Flora Nwapa Society is committed to increasing awareness of and scholarship about Flora Nwapa as a major African woman novelist, dramatist, essayist, fiction writer, poet, publisher, politician and writer of children's books in the 20th century. In honor of Africa’s first female novelist and publisher of the Anglophone African world, The Flora Nwapa Award will recognize an individual who has distinguished oneself in writing and publishing in Africa or in the African Diaspora. The Flora Nwapa Award is also open to academics and to public figures, such as managing directors, politicians, foundation heads, journalists, filmmakers, and individuals from the world of arts and entertainment.
Award Recipient - 2021: Professor Wangui wa Goro
AWARD RECIPIENT - 2022: CAROLE BOYCE DAVIES
AWARD RECIPIENT - 2023: DR. GCINA MHLOPHE
Some Award Recipents Through theYears
This section includes some links to documented and captioned information on some Flora Nwapa Society Award winners.
Other Illustrious award winners include: Njideka Nwapa-Ibuaka, Catherine Acholonu Olumba (see link below) and Micere Githae Mugo. Author Sindiwe Magona of South Africa received the FNS Award when the ALA had a conference in Johannesburg.