A Global Conversation on THE DEATH OF VIVEK OJI BY AKWAEKE EMEZI
The Bronx • Lagos • Zoom

One Book One Bronx, in collaboration with Beyond Words Book Club, Lagos Live!, and the James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center, will host simultaneous multi-venue conversations on Akwaeke Emezi’s The Death of Vivek Oji.

Named a Best Book of 2020 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, USA TODAY, Vanity Fair, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Shondaland, Teen Vogue, Vulture, Lit Hub, Bustle, Electric Literature, and BookPage, the conversations and panel will examine the many elements of The Death of Vivek Oji that galvanize memory, identity, and familial bonds. Scheduled over several dates on Zoom and in person, this project reimagines how a community of readers can serve the cultural good.

• All dates are free and open to the public
• Choose the venue that fits your availability

Virtual PANEL DISCUSSION

The Sexuality of Vivek Oji
• Thursday, 10/20, 7pm
How can a deeper exploration of this book bring us closer to the issues that affected the short life of Vivek Oji? The panel will focus on the different themes of the book: parent-child relationships, sexuality, queerphobia, and masculinity and how they manifest in communities of color.

Participants

Tasha Dougé is a Bronx-based, Haitian-infused artist, artivist & cultural vigilante. Her body of work activates conversations around women, advocacy, sex, education, societal "norms," identity, and Black pride. Through conceptual art, teaching, and performance, Dougé devotedly strives to evoke empowerment for women and illuminate the contributions of Black people, declaring that her "voice is the first tool within my art arsenal."

Shanae Adams, MA, LPCC, NCC, CIGT (she/they) serves community in a variety of ways, including therapist, educator, and sex-positive enthusiast. Their mission of sexuality normalization, explanation, and melanated representation drives her to prioritize the healing and experiences of QTBIPOC & femmes of color. They are currently pursuing their Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology.

Rachel Finn is a Librarian, Archivist, and Writer in New York City. She has published numerous articles documenting the food history of African Americans and the global African Diaspora. She is the Collections Manager at Weeksville Heritage Center, where she is developing a new vision for library and archival collections.

Kọla Túbọsún is a Nigerian linguist, editor, travel writer, and scholar. His works have been published in African Writer, Aké Review, Brittle Paper, International Literary Quarterly, Jalada, Popula, Saraba Magazine, etc. In 2016, he became the first African to be given the Premio Ostana, a prize given for work in indigenous language advocacy.

ABOUT THE BOOK

What does it mean for a family to lose a child they never really knew?

One afternoon, in a town in southeastern Nigeria, a mother opens her front door to discover her son’s body, wrapped in colorful fabric, at her feet. What follows is the tumultuous, heart-wrenching story of one family’s struggle to understand a child whose spirit is both gentle and mysterious. Raised by a distant father and an understanding but overprotective mother, Vivek suffers disorienting blackouts, moments of disconnection between self and surroundings. As adolescence gives way to adulthood, Vivek finds solace in friendships with the warm, boisterous daughters of the Nigerwives, foreign-born women married to Nigerian men. But Vivek’s closest bond is with Osita, the worldly, high-spirited cousin whose teasing confidence masks a guarded private life. As their relationship deepens—and Osita struggles to understand Vivek’s escalating crisis—the mystery gives way to a heart-stopping act of violence in a moment of exhilarating freedom.

Propulsively readable, teeming with unforgettable characters, The Death of Vivek Oji is a novel of family and friendship that challenges expectations—a dramatic story of loss and transcendence that will move every reader.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

ONE BOOK ONE BRONX
One Book One Bronx hosts restorative conversations related to gentrification, social justice, women’s empowerment, criminal justice, and racial inequality.

BEYOND WORDS BOOK CLUB
Beyond Words is a fun, virtual book club that meets regularly to host intimate discussions of books focused on real-life issues and interpersonal relationships. 

JAMES BALDWIN OUTDOOR LEARNING CENTER
The James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center seeks to build a healthier and greener Bronx community by engaging, integrating, educating, and serving student and community members, especially low-income and marginalized people, in collaboration with numerous partner organizations with common interests.

LAGOS LIVE!
Based in Nigeria, Lagos Live! is an in-person and virtual book club that seeks to go beyond the boundaries of books by utilizing other artistic mediums of expression such as song, dance, and short film.