Penn State’s African Feminist Initiative hosts a discussion with Ainehi Edoro on January 19, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. EST about her new book Forest Imaginaries: How African Novels Think. The virtual event, moderated by philosopher Zinhle ka’Nobuhlaluse of Southwestern University, will explore how African fiction uses forest imagery to theorize creativity and power.

Edoro’s book analyzes forest representations in canonical African novels, from Achebe’s evil forest to Tutuola’s endless forest and Mofolo’s landscapes in Chaka. Her argument centers on how these literary spaces function as sites where African writers think through questions of imagination, authority, and worldmaking. The book, releasing from Columbia University Press this month, draws on Edoro’s dual expertise in African literature and digital culture.

As founder of Brittle Paper and Mellon-Morgridge Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Edoro has spent years documenting African literary production across traditional and digital platforms. Her scholarship asks how narrative forms, whether in novels or social media, generate new philosophical approaches to creativity. This book extends that inquiry into the symbolic forests that populate African fiction.

The conversation is part of AFI’s monthly programming, which creates space for scholars and activists to engage with contemporary African feminist thought. To attend, register here.