Uyo Book Club

03/04/2026

Happy Good Friday, book lovers!
It's also a good Friday to reminisce on the growth of the Uyo Book Club. Do a digital time travel to a typical Uyo Book Club Monthly Reading Session a decade ago.
Yes, we sure have come a long way.

29/03/2026

Femme Forte: The Uyo Book Club March 2026 Special International Women's Day Reading Session

By: Kingsley Mark Akpan

Femme Forte. It's French for “strong woman"; and expatiated on, “a woman of courage, intelligence, and fortitude". Such women abound world over; particularly as members of Nigeria's “Book Club City” since 2021 and its longest-running city book club, Uyo Book Club. With March calendared globally as the month for the celebration of the International Women's Day, Uyo Book Club dedicated this month's reading session to highlight the multi-faceted and layered roles of women, beam their countless successes, and champion their rights.

Just as fitting, “So Long A Letter" – the award-winning novel by Senegalese author and female rights activist, Mariama Bå – was chosen as the Book of the Month; and Mrs Esther B. Attih, a creative director and writer who champions women's rights, emerged as the Book Reviewer of the Month.

As usual, Shakespeare Hall, WatBridge Hotels and Suites (opposite Ibom Hall), Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria was the venue; and hours before the designated 4:00 p.m time of commencement, the hours-long torrential rainfall regardless, members were already trickling in for the book ‘buffet’ segment we call the "DEAR Moment” – which is a catchy acronymic term for the "Drop Everything And Read Moment”.
You see the hundreds of books splayed in front of everyone on the large, long table in the attached photos from Uyo Book Club Reading Sessions? That's how the DEAR Moment is set-up – you get to make a pick of any book you fancy then read it.

It doesn't end at just reading during the DEAR Moment. We get to ruminate on the books read, with each person present giving a summary of their chosen book. Curious about what books were read and summarized during the DEAR Moment? You should watch the livestream of the event here: https://www.facebook.com/uyobookclub/videos/1487103196462560/ .

“So Long A Letter" focuses on protagonist Ramatoulaye’s letter to her long-time friend, Aissatou. Ramatoulaye informs her friend of being recently widowed, and the length and processes involved in the traditional mourning rites. The protagonist presses on about betrayal by her recently-deceased spouse, societal and familial expections of her as a wife and mother, the intricacies of and rifts caused by polygamy, and the humiliating gender-biased mourning rites she is being subjected to.

Mrs. Attih, the Uyo Book Club Book Reviewer of the Month of March 2026, templating on the themes of "So Long A Letter”, drew comparisons with occurrences in Nigeria. From the glass ceiling of aspiration within Nigeria’s sociopolitical system to the weighter expectations when actions are morally scaled, she highlighted the discrepancies in what is expected of and opportunities made available to women in the larger society.

Reacting to the book review, Dr. Udeme Nana, the Founder, harped on the need to make society a safer place for women, opining Nigeria (and Akwa Ibom particularly) should place a stiffer, harsher punishment on people who violently assault women, including proven rapists. Dr. Nana condemned the trivializing of r**e by those who blame the victims and attempt to shield rapists from facing the legal consequences.

As regards making workplaces safer for women, Barr. Obo Effanga, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, a Fellow of the Uyo Book Club and its January 2026 Special Guest Reader, exemplified by analogizing how he does it. Barr. Effanga recalled setting up a meeting attended by female staff of the INEC Akwa Ibom State Headquarters, and during the deliberations where he encouraged the women to speak up for themselves, they listed adjustments which will make work more conducive. It resulted in him directing the construction of toilets attached to each office, stocked with toiletries and sanitary pads. For the INEC state boss, he realized insisting women speak up about their workplace needs highlighted his blindside to some of the realities of women as he otherwise wouldn’t have, as a man, thought about details such as sanitary pads and other such female peculiar needs. Barr. Effanga also mentioned certain familial experiences have helped him understand better that only women truly understand the challenges of women so he's always in support of letting women champion their causes while he supports them in every way he can.

For Dr. Martin Akpan, the Uyo Book Club Orator, Mrs. Esther B. Attih’s animated and engaging book review stood out; and her spin on the book’s many themes, relating it to the events, happenings and observable societal occurrences in Nigeria did “So Long A Letter" justice and made it a memorable review to be recollected with nostalgia.

There were more reactions from other members present. Banker-turned-writer, Mr. Chukwuma Amadi, quizzed the Book Reviewer of the Month about balancing being observably cultured yet identifying as a feminist which, in his words, connotes negativity and combativeness in the Nigerian context. The same notion was reiterated by Mr. Kingsley Mark Akpan, a web developer and brand Identity designer. Mr. Akpan, analogizing with viral examples in the Nigerian social media space, questioned why the worst representatives of feminists seem to be more vocal than the consummate, evenly-tempered civil ones; with the former generating bad press for the movement which should, by default, simply be about women's rights.

As a testament to Uyo Book Club's enduring legacy and cross-border eputation for championing intellectualism and organizing fun reading sessions, amongst the new faces present was Prof. Victor Datonye Dapper, the Professor of Human Physiology at the University of Port Harcourt and a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Medicine (NAMed), who came all the way from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

The Uyo Book Club welcomes all. It is perhaps Nigeria’s most diverse demographic organizational make-up, with members ranging from pre-tertiary school students to heads of parastatals and captains of industry united and connected by the love of books, reading, and intellectual engagements.

Uyo Book Club Monthly Reading Sessions, one of the many expressions of the book club, holds every Saturday by 4:00 p.m. (WAT) at WatBridge Hotels and Suites (opposite Ibom Hall), Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
We are active online too and you should follow us to keep up with our activities and for enquires by checking out https://www.facebook.com/uyobookclub and https://uyobookclub.org .

– Kingsley Mark Akpan

28/03/2026

Uyo Book Club Special International Women's Day March 2026 Reading Session.

Book of the Month: "So Long A Letter" by Mariama Ba.

25/03/2026

THE UYO BOOK CLUB PRESENTS THE SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY MARCH 2026 READING SESSION

You already know the International Women's Day was marked this month. As part of the activities celebrating women who are an integral part of the Uyo Book Club and the world at large, the March 2026 edition of the Uyo Book Club Monthly Reading Session is dedicated to commemorating the International Women's Day.

Our Book of the Month of March 2026 is "So Long a Letter" by Senegalese author and feminist, Mariama Ba.

"So Long a Letter" is an award-winning book with a global readership exploring themes such as polygamy, feminism, and patriarchy which continue to resonate as topical issues today.

To do justice to the book, our Book Reviewer of the Month is Mrs. Esther B. Attih, a creative director, researcher and writer passionate about women's rights and championing feminism in its purest, truest form.

Here's what you need to know to be a part of it:👇🏼

👉🏼 Date: Saturday 28th of March, 2026.

👉🏼 Time: 4:00 p.m. prompt.

👉🏼 Venue: Shakespeare Hall, WatBridge Hotels and Suites (opposite Ibom Hall), IBB Avenue, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

At the Uyo Book Club we feast on books and ruminate on the knowledge gleaned from them. You should come expectant.

For enquires, do send us a message via our page by clicking https://www.facebook.com/uyobookclub and https://m.me/uyobookclub.

Attending the Uyo Book Club Monthly Reading Session is free of charge! You'll only have to pay attention.

Be there! We'll be on hand to receive you.

01/03/2026

FEASTING ON PAGES: THE UYO BOOK CLUB FEBRUARY 2026 READING SESSION

By: Kingsley Mark Akpan

Feasting On Pages: The Uyo Book Club February 2026 Reading Session

2026’s February was eventful on all fronts, from the sub-regional to the national and on to the global stage. The most topical issues being debated are no different from those which dominated our regional and national discourses a decade ago.

So when “The Crumb Eaters", authored almost three decades ago by doctor-cum-writer, Martin Akpan, was chosen as the Uyo Book Club’s February 2026 Book of the Month, fewer books could outrank its theme and content which encapsulates, not just the Nigerian reality, but serves as a cautionary tale for insistently journeying on same roads which have yielded little so far.

First, like all proper dinners, we treat ourselves to appetisers and other such literary side dishes; then the main course. The venue? Shakespeare Hall, WatBridge Hotels and Suites (opposite Ibom Hall), IBB Avenue, Uyo, Akwa Ibom. Uyo Book Club Monthly Reading Sessions are held every last Saturday of the month.
Picture this: You walk into a conference hall with heaps of colourful books with as many diverse titles and themes as the fauna in a rainforest. And if you can't exactly do so, the attached images tell the story.

So, back to our literary appetisers. We call it the “DEAR Moment”, which is a fancy play on the “Drop Everything And Read Moment”. Helping yourself to as many books as you can read, there are thousands of options to whet and satiate your literary appetite. We just read – we drop everything and read. And just when you think it can't get any better, Dr. Eyoh Etim, the February 2026 Book Reviewer, steps to the podium to dissect “The Crumb Eaters".

Reviewing the book, Dr. Etim did a post-colonial analysis. He particularly highlighted the linguistic style chosen for "The Crumb Eaters” as simple, relatable, and inclusive of the spoken languages – including Pidgin English – in Nigeria. It deals with the complexities of Nigeria's leadership recruitment structure and teaches that the quality of governance is proportional to the type of leaders distilled from the masses as representatives.

If you have seen the promotional graphic flyer for the February reading session, you’ll already know who the month’s Special Guest Reader is. Dr. Andy Eyo is the CEO of Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS), which has, over the course of two decades, driven health initiatives and campaigns all over Akwa Ibom State, networking with top establishments like the United States’ CDC, the USAID, and others.

Speaking on “The Crumb Eaters" and the Uyo Book Club, Dr. Andy regretted that as a country, decades after the book's publication, we still haven't moved past fundamental issues like leadership. He also expressed the novelty of attending events where books are heaped on tables and the attendees enjoined to read at length, marking out the Uyo Book Club as different in its approach.

Reacting to the review, Justice Ita Mbaba, a retired Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, bemoaned what he insists has become the norm in Nigeria for the least gifted ascending to leadership positions, cautioning that the societal changes the country continues to yearn for will be beyond reach until the anomaly is righted. Justice Mbaba commended initiatives like the Uyo Book Club for providing platforms to subject social issues to intellectual crucibles.

Perhaps the most piquing aspect of “The Crumb Eaters" is, though published in 1998 while Nigeria prepared to enter the Fourth Republic and a return to democracy the succeeding year, its theme, lessons, and content generally are just as relevant today, in 2026, as they were then. It is reflective of decades - old developmental issues we have continued to grapple with.

The book's author, Dr. Martin Akpan, posited that authors are seers fueled by insights which can only be attributed to the divine. Likening the observable going on in our sociopolity to diabetes, a health condition resulting from low production of insulin to counter excess sugar coursing through the body, the doctor-writer juxtaposed good leadership as the insulin to heal Nigeria’s debilitating issues.

"The Crumb Eaters”, took no more than two months and twenty days from idea conception to manuscript. An impressive feat for one who was wholly science-inclined and had no formal tutoring of Literature as a subject during his secondary and post-secondary education.

Ace broadcaster, newspaper columnist, and social critic, Mr Michael Bush, enjoined us to always reflect on the Books of the Month throughout the weeks leading up to the Reading Sessions. Addressing the theme of "The Crumb Eaters”, he charged platforms templated on intellectualism, like the Uyo Book Club, to play more active roles in leadership grooming and recruitment while pledging to be more proactive in associating with the book club.

It is on this note that for March, 2026, the Uyo Book Club will be reading and discussing the articles and columns by Mr Michael Bush over the years this month. You should join us.
The promotional material and information about the Uyo Book Club's Monthly Reading Session and other activities are posted and archived on our page, https://www.facebook.com/uyobookclub.

– Kingsley Mark Akpan

26/02/2026

The 𝐔𝐲𝐨 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛 February 2026 Reading Session is here!

Our February 2026 Book of the Month is "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐛 𝐄𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬" by medical doctor-writer, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐤𝐩𝐚𝐧.
Written over two decades ago, "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐛 𝐄𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬" continues to examine and highlight the complexities even in present-day Nigeria and Africa.

The main highlight of our February 2026 Reading Session will be a book review of and discussions centered around the lessons in this timeless, era-striding book, "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐛 𝐄𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬".

𝐃𝐫. 𝐄𝐲𝐨𝐡 𝐄𝐭𝐢𝐦, a novelist, poet, and lecturer at the Akwa Ibom State University (Obio Akpa Campus) will serve as the Uyo Book Club February 2026 Book Reviewer.

Our Special Guest Reader for February 2026 is 𝐃𝐫. 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐄𝐲𝐨, the CEO, Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS).

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 is Saturday, 28th February, 2026.

𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞? As usual, Shakespeare Hall, Watbridge Hotel and Suites (opposite Ibom Hall), IBB Avenue, Uyo.

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 is 4:00 p.m.

If you want to make enquires, do contact us by direct-messaging here on Facebook and we will take it from there.

See you there!

01/02/2026

BEGINNING WITH A BANG: THE UYO BOOK CLUB JANUARY 2026 READING SESSION

By: Kingsley Mark Akpan

It's 2026 and the Uyo Book Club is up to what it has been up to since 2015: promoting reading and putting Akwa Ibom and Nigeria on the global map, online and in-person. One of such in-person reading promotions is the Uyo Book Club Monthly Reading Session where book enthusiasts from within and outside of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria converge for a book feast and discourses. January 2026 was no different.
With Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist", the third best-selling single-volume book of all time, as the January 2026 Book of the Month, all was set for the Reading Session. Venue? Shakespeare Hall, WatBridge Hotels and Suites, IBB Avenue, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

Here's how the Reading Sessions are typically set-up: the DEAR Moment (which is really a fancy abbreviation for the "Drop Everything And Read Moment”), book reviews, book discussions, performing arts, interactive sessions…
Dr. Udeme Nana, the book club's Founder, took center-stage as the January 2026 Book Reviewer. While his review did justice to the plot of “The Alchemist”, the real gems were his interpretations and interpolations with relatable present-day events. Paulo Coelho's masterpiece is really about writing and shaping one’s destiny, the challenging hurdles regardless. It equates the journey as the destination and the destination to self being the lessons learnt while journeying.

As the month’s Special Guest Reader, Barr. Obo Effanga, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State who is a lawyer-cum-journalist-cum-human-rights-activist and the author of two published books: “Déjà vu Nigeria” and "To The Sun at Sunset",
related the theme of “The Alchemist” to happenings in the Nigerian sociopolity, insisting Nigeria is no more than a reflection of its citizens. Like the protagonist, Santiago, we tend to realize development and progress are arduous and require sacrifice and patience which refine us individually and collectively as a nation; sacrifices, sadly, not everyone is willing to make.
Exemplifying with Nigerian elections, he continued that the actions of the citizens themselves are at odds to the change and advancement clamoured for; noting that vote-buying takes two parties to work: the buyers vying for elective office and the sellers otherwise seeking proper representation.

The interactive session of the Uyo Book Club Monthly Reading Session in recent months has had a twist to it: In real time, we get to each talk about books read during the DEAR Moment, and discuss the salient points from the Books of the Month reviewed. Everyone gets to have a go at it. But with INEC REC in attendance and politics being at the front burner of topical issues, the interactive session was also an opportunity for the members present to quiz and seek answers to concerns about the sanctity of the Nigerian electoral system and processes which Barr. Effanga addressed and quelled.

Dr. Udeme Nana conferred on Barr. Obo Effanga the Fellow of the Uyo Book Club while charging the INEC Residential Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State to start a book club at the State INEC Office in continuance of the mission to promote reading across Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.

Everything is already set in motion for the February 2026 Reading Session. Dr. Martin Akpan’s “The Crumb Eater", a timeless piece published in the penultimate year of the last century but addressing issues which Nigeria and Africa still grapple with socio-politico-economically in the present day, is the chosen Book of the Mont.
Why the Doctor-Writer’s classic still holds relevancy even today is one you will find out by getting a copy of " The Crumb Eaters” early enough.
Venue and time for the February 2026 Reading Session? Same as always: WatBridge Hotels and Suites, IBB Avenue, Uyo and on the last Saturday of the month of February by 4:00pm.

The Uyo Book Club Monthly Reading Session is just one aspect of the book club. Activities and interactions continue across social media, particularly on Whatsapp and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/uyobookclub).

----- Kingsley Mark Akpan

31/01/2026

We're live on Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/ahi-dhfp-hef ! Join the interactive session here if you aren't in Uyo.

You've comments and inputs? Those will be entertained.

All you have to do is click the Google Meet link to participate.🙂

It's here again! The Uyo Book Club January 2026 Reading Session holds this Saturday.

Our January 2026 Book of the Month is "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭" by 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐞𝐥𝐡𝐨. "The Alchemist" is in the top 5 list of best-selling single-volume books globally, with over 150 million copies sold so far. Why is it so popular? And what lessons lie therein to be gleaned?

Dr. Udeme Nana, fnipr will dissect the book as the Book Reviewer.

And our Special Guest Reader for the January 2026 Reading Session? None other than 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫. 𝐎𝐛𝐨 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Akwa Ibom State.

Here's how to participate:👇🏽

👉🏽𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: Saturday, 31st January, 2026.

👉🏼𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞: Shakespeare Hall, Watbridge Hotel and Suites, IBB Avenue, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

👉🏼𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 4:30 p.m.

Uyo Book Club monthly sessions are more than just book reviews - there's always more; book discussions, reading sessions and everything literature.

You should join us.

You want to make enquires? Send us a message here: m.me/uyobookclub .

28/01/2026

It's here again! The Uyo Book Club January 2026 Reading Session holds this Saturday.

Our January 2026 Book of the Month is "𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭" by 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐞𝐥𝐡𝐨. "The Alchemist" is in the top 5 list of best-selling single-volume books globally, with over 150 million copies sold so far. Why is it so popular? And what lessons lie therein to be gleaned?

Dr. Udeme Nana, fnipr will dissect the book as the Book Reviewer.

And our Special Guest Reader for the January 2026 Reading Session? None other than 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫. 𝐎𝐛𝐨 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Akwa Ibom State.

Here's how to participate:👇🏽

👉🏽𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: Saturday, 31st January, 2026.

👉🏼𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞: Shakespeare Hall, Watbridge Hotel and Suites, IBB Avenue, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

👉🏼𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 4:30 p.m.

Uyo Book Club monthly sessions are more than just book reviews - there's always more; book discussions, reading sessions and everything literature.

You should join us.

You want to make enquires? Send us a message here: m.me/uyobookclub .

02/01/2026

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND WELCOME TO 2026!

Oh! You thought we forgot to wish you the blessings of the new year? Of course we have you at heart.

Welcome to 2026 from the Uyo Book Club. Thank you for being part of our decade-long mission so far of reigniting reading in not just Uyo and Akwa Ibom State, but all over Nigeria.

From participating in our physical monthly reading sessions to engaging with Uyo Book Club's activities on social media and playing your parts in different ways to make intellectualism cool and fun to associate with, all of the achievements we have had wouldn't be possible without you.

In 2026, book lovers, we hope to do more. This dream is only realizable, of course, with your continued support.

Remember to read a book today, this week, and this month.

Uyo Book Club: inspiring readers, building the future.

https://www.facebook.com/uyobookclub

https://uyobookclub.org

25/12/2025

You made it to today.
We made it to today.

For all the significance of today and the season, from all of us at the Uyo Book Club, MERRY CHRISTMAS!🎅🌲🦌

Have the best and safest one yet. Season's greetings, book lovers! 🌲🎅🦌