Earlier this year, the University of Oxford terminated its academic visitorship with Onyeka Nwelue, a renowned Nigerian filmmaker, writer, literary tastemaker, and cultural entrepreneur. Nwelue, who established the James Currey Society, responsible for organizing the James Currey Fellowship, the James Currey Prize for African Literature, and the James Currey Literary Festival in honor of the British publisher of African Studies, James Currey, had his contract terminated due to a breach of agreement. Following the termination, Nwelue apologized and requested reinstatement.
According to reliable sources, Nwelue expressed his deep gratitude to the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge for providing him with invaluable platforms. His novel, “Outside Weston Library,” published by Abibiman Publishing UK, drew inspiration from a real-life event at Oxford. Currently, Nwelue is working on his next project set in Oxford, tentatively titled “Orange Wine.” The novel explores themes such as an incestuous relationship between twins, relationships between Oxford professors and students, the #MeToo movement, and the underworld of Oxford University, based on personal research.
Nwelue’s crime fiction novel, “The Strangers of Braamfontein,” received praise from Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, who described it as “raunchy.” The book won the 2021 Best Indie Novel at the Crime Lovers Awards and the 2021 ANA Prose Fiction award. Additionally, Nwelue is currently promoting “The Nigerian Mafia: Mumbai,” the first book in a ten-book series set in ten different countries.
In response to being labeled a “fake professor” by Cherwell News, Nwelue stated that he would willingly accept the title if he ever returns to social media. However, he remains committed to producing fiction and sees it as his response to all allegations and mockery.
Previously, Nwelue served as an Academic Visitor at the African Studies Centre, University of Oxford, and as a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Cambridge.
