Week Starting 10th December: books, debates, poetry, Femi Temowo, networking, clubbing and lectures

Hello Everyone,

Just 17 days to Christmas and the nice days off at home stuffing yourself and getting merry. Remember Proud to be African Clothing is giving you 10% off all purchases with the discount code BROWN10!

And just to make it all the more groovy we now have Proud to Ghanaian Maroon hoodys, Born in the UK, Made in Jamaica hoodys for kids and adults, Born in the UK Made in Africa for kids and adults (in black and grey) and Proud to be African hoodys (in black and grey) for kids as well as adults.

Monday 10^th December

From 9.30am to 5.00pm we have Somalia Open for Business at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum, 97 Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 4DN. This conference brings together those who wish to bring economic development to Somalia, with sessions covering Business and the economy, Law and Order, Health, Education, Youth opportunities, Agriculture and Fishing and Transport and Infrastructure. Tickets are £32.45 from here.

At 6.00pm we have There was a Country: Reflections from the Nigerian Diaspora in Committee Room 6, House of Commons, Westminster, SW1A 0AA. This event seeks to bring together Nigerians of all backgrounds and other interested parties to discuss Chinua Achebe’s sensational and controversial new book, ‘There was a country: A Personal History of Biafra’. The panel discussion will cover key legacies of the coup and civil war in the context of Nigeria’s present realities and the future. Chaired by the Right Honourable Chi Onwurah MP (Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Digital Infrastructure) with Donu Kogbara (Journalist), Dipo Salimonu (Eirenicon), Onyekachi Wambu (AFFORD) and Dr Muhammad Jameel Yusha’u (Northumbria University). RSVP for this FREE event by emailing. 

At 6.30pm we have We Just Begin at the Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road. EC1R 3GA. At this event you can learn about 7 ecological sites set up to test ways to restore environmental health and different models of land ownership. Of these 5 are in East Africa, 1 in the UK and 1 in the USA. Named the Barbets Duet after a species of woodpecker that sing with one voice and drawing from western and African knowledge pools, there will be presentations by James Magode Ikuya from Uganda, Chris Jones from Cornwall and Barbara Heinzen. Tickets for this event are £5.00 (£3.00 concs) from here. 

Tuesday 11^th December

At 8.00pm Greenwich University ACS presents Showtime: The Christmas Send Off at Sparrows Bar, Sparrows Farm, Greenwich University, Avery Hill Campus, Sparrow Lane  SE9 2BT with DJ's playing the hip hop, R&B, funky house, UK garage, reggae, soca, slow jams and classic R&B and hip hop. Its £3.00 entry for Greenwich students, £4.00 for guests. More details here.

Wednesday 12^th December

At 6.30pm Place4BRIC’s presents Taster: Business Models and Investment in Africa’s Creative Industries at the Google Campus, 5 Bonhill Street, EC2A 4BX. This networking event will consist of a presentation about the upcoming conference as well as drinks and networking. This FREE event is ideal for tech entrepreneurs, start ups or techies RSVP here. 

At 6.30pm we have The I’mPOSSIBLE conversation Winter Edition 2012 at Pearson plc, 80 The Strand, WC2R 0DW. This event focuses on publicising the life journeys of women of colour on Britain. The panel for this event is hosted by journalist and author Hannah Pool are Foluke Akinlose MBE (founder of preciousonline.co.uk), Dorothy Koomson (bestselling author), Rachel Ritfield (international fashonista) and Rachel Springate (CEO of Enright Entertainment). Tickets are £25.00 each or £17.00 if bought for 4 people from here.

Thursday 13^th December

At 5.30pm BEN TV and the House of Commons present The African Diaspora Conference: Effective Opposition in Sustainable Democracy at the House of Commons Offices, Portcullis House, Westminster, SW1A 2LW. This conference subtitled The Role of African/ Nigerian Diaspora, questions whether Nigeria has a genuinely effective opposition that can take on the ruling party and what contribution the Diaspora can make to building effective democratic structures in Nigeria and Africa and how to contribute to wealth creation. The panel hosted by the Right Honourable Simon Hughes MP (Deputy Leader, Liberal Democrats) will consist of Governor Peter Obi (Executive Governor, Anambra State), Right Honourable David Lammy MP (Member for Tottenham), Right Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji (Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly), Edward Akinlade (Suru Group), Alistair Soyode (BEN TV), Tunde Alabi (Coordinator and Organiser). This is FREE invitation only event email Tunde Alabi for registration or call him on 07575816767.   

At 5.30pm we have the 2^nd Annual NAPPUK End of Year Event:  Accelerating National Development Through Project Management at the Rennie Room, Institution of Civil Engineers, 1 Great George Street, Westminster, SW1P 3AA. Guests speakers include Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Dr Dalhatu S Tafida, Mr Andrew Bragg, (Chief Executive, Association for Project Management), David Shannon (Association for Project Management), Rosemary David –Etim (FBN Bank UK Ltd). RSVP for this FREE event here.

At 7.30pm we have Proud to be African favourite Femi Temowo Live at Deans Street Pizza Express, 10 Dean Street, Soho, W1D 3RW. Playing his first gig at this venue with his usual stellar line up of Richard Olatunde Baker ( on Talking Drum), Jonathan Idiagbonya (Piano), Karl Rasheed Abel (Bass) and Troy Miller (Drums). Tickets are £15.00 from here.

Friday 14^th December

At 6.30pm is The Inaugural Tajudeen Abdul Raheem Lecture at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT. This lecture is in honour of Tajudeen Abdul Rahman a prominent Nigerian civil society campaigner who died in a car accident in 2009. Themed The African Union at Ten: with particular reference to Continental Security with Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari as the keynote speaker. Former Nigerian Ambassador to the UN and UN Special Advisor on Africa and Special Envoy to Myanmar and Angola he is an expert on regional integration, foreign policy and Africa’s role in the UN. RSVP for this FREE event here (a £3.00 donation is gently hinted at)

At 6.30pm Poesy Unplugged returns to The Rock Tower, 49 Tufnell Park Road, Tufnell Park, N7 0PS. This laid back and friendly poetry/ music slam, is ending the year on a high with an open mic session, music, poetry, spoken word and of course mince pies! This is a friendly, FREE event, check here for more details.

At 9.30pm we have the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) Christmas Party at Area, 67 Albert Embankment, SE1 7TP. Featuring Proud to be African Clothing favourite Afrikan Boy, Rumba De Bodas, Orchid Road and many others, with DJ’s Barney Spiegel, Harikiri, Jabs and Seani K, Jack Jewell, Nadia, Skywalker, Subprime and Tri:bal playing disco, house, hip hop, funk, dubstep, moombahton, drum and bass and electro. Earlybird tickets are £5.00, standard £10.00 (with a £3.00 refund with fancy dress) from here, more on the door but only up to 11.00pm. The dress code is Christmas themed fancy dress or casual

Saturday 15^th December

From 2.00pm to 6.00pm the Students Association of Nigerians in the Diaspora (SANDS) presents London Forum on Constitutional Reform in Nigeria at London Metropolitan University, North Campus, Room GC1, 166-220 Holloway Road, N7 8DB. This seeks to give Nigerians in the diaspora an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing constitution review process in Nigeria. In the morning will be an open session for a draft submission to the House of Representatives, in the evening will be a panel debate on ‘Enacting a Peoples Constitution: So far, so Good’. Panel discussants include Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Hon. Mulikat O. Akande-Adeola, Hon Betty Apiafi, Dr Alistair Soyode, Mr Bimbo Folayan. Register for this FREE event here. 

 At 3.00pm we have the opening performance of Ola Rotimi’s play Our Husband has gone mad again at Georgewood Theatre, Goldsmiths College, Lewisham Way, New Cross, SE14 6NW.  . Directed by Lookman Sanusi this comedy pokes fun at the misfits and opportunists who bespoil the African political landscape as a retired Major takes to politics for reasons of vanity rather than patriotism, with his hapless efforts taking an even worse turn when his American wife arrives and discovers his 2 other secret wives. There is another performance at 7.30pm of this classic play which runs until Thursday the 20^th. Tickets are £10.00 from here.

At 6.00pm we have the 4^th Annual Kenya Achievers Award at The Royal Regency, 501 High Street North,E12 6TH. This event seeks to recognise Kenyans and their achievements around the world and in the UK, with entertainment and a 3 course Kenyan buffet, admission for this event is £30.00 in advance from here and £50.00 on the door. 

At 6.00pm we have Mutsa Mutsaa Fashion and Beauty Cocktail Party at the 5* Courthouse DoubleTree Hotel, 19-21 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7HL. This fun night of fashion, music, cocktails, shopping and pampering will have designers, designer clothes and accessories. Fashion shows, 15 minute pamper sessions, a goody bag, discounts and competitions. Something for the discerning fashionista. With 3% of the proceeds going to AMREF UK(the maternal health charity), tickets are  £20.00-£25.00 from here.

At 7.00pm we have EDnKEV (featuring Eddie Kadi and Kevin J) at Sync London, 361-375 Stratford High Street, Stratford, E15 4QZ. This show features two of London’s favourite comedians joining forces for a night full of laughter. To see UK Black Comedy at its finest get your ticket for £20.00 form here. 

At 7.30pm we have Samuel Coleridge Taylor at the Croydon Festival Gala Concert at St John the Evangelist, Auckland Road, Upper Norwood, SE19 2RX. Performing Samuel Coleridge Taylors Violin Concerto in G minor op. 80, Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast and Ballad in A minor. A welcome opportunity to see this fine Black composers works performed by the Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by John Butcher. Tickets are £8.00

At 9.00pm we have The Official Naija UK All White Party at Club Favour, 516 Old Kent Road, SE1 5BA. £10.00 before 12.00 midnight. Birthday bookings by BB28F6395. More details available

At 10.00pm the Igbo Cultural and Support Network will be holding their Christmas Party at Biagio Bankside, 32 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 9EU. DJ’s on the night will be playing the best in Afrobeats, hip hop, funky house, bashment and old school classics. There will be prizes for best dressed males and females and of course plenty fine fine African women and men. All this for just £10.00 in advance from here or £15.00 on the door.

Sunday 16^th December

From 2.00pm to 6.00pm our good friends at Mwalimu Express return to Rich Mix, 35-37 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, E1 6LA, for the final event of the year. This month’s destination is Senegal, with live performances by the excellent West African Blues Project featuring Modou Toure (on kora) and Ramon Goose (on guitar), with the screen station documentary The United States of Africa. This is a FREE family friendly event with children’s face painting, kids yoga and dancing, oware board games and DJ’s Rita Ray and Max Reinhardt on the decks.  

At the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm we have a screening of Yaaba in which a 10 year old boy Bila befriends an old woman named Sana who has been accused of witchcraft and ostracised. When Bila’s cousin falls ill Sana goes on a long and gruelling journey to get the medicine to save him, imparting her love and wisdom along the way. This screening is FREE but a donation of £3.00 is politely hinted at. RSVP here.