Onookome Okome

Onookome Okome is a Professor in the Department of English & Film Studies at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Arts. He holds an MA and PhD from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, specializing in African performance studies, Anglophone African literature, and postcolonial theory. His research focuses on Nigerian literature, African popular culture, and Nollywood cinema, with notable works including Before I am Hanged: Ken Saro-Wiwa (2000) and Popular Culture in Africa (2014). Currently, he is working on a book titled Nollywood: Text, Context, Controversy and collaborates on the Expressive Cultures of the African Diaspora project with York University researchers.

• Education: MA and PhD in African Performance Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
• Teaching: Courses on race and literature, postcolonial theory, African cinema, and colonialism in Africa.

His research bridges literary analysis with sociopolitical themes, emphasizing the 'art of the everyday' in African contexts. Key areas include environmental rights activism in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, the role of Nollywood films, and the evolution of African popular culture. He actively engages with interdisciplinary projects, blending theory with empirical studies of cultural practices.

Current collaborations include a research initiative with York University’s Christopher Innes and Paul Lovejoy, exploring expressive cultural forms in the African diaspora. His work challenges traditional academic boundaries, advocating for inclusive frameworks to understand African cultural production.