Critical Perspectives on Joe Ushie

Call for Chapters

The Joe Ushie Literature Foundation and the University of Calabar Press hereby invite chapters for the volume, Critical Perspectives on Joe Ushie. The volume is dedicated to honouring the life and legacy of one of Nigeria’s foremost poets and literary scholars, Prof. Joseph Akawu Ushie, known in literary circles simply as Joe Ushie.

Joe Ushie is an acclaimed poet from Cross River State and Professor of General Stylistics and Literary Criticism at the University of Uyo. His poetry collections include Popular Stand (1992), Lambs at the Shrine (1995), Eclipse in Rwanda (1998), Hill Songs (2000), A Reign of Locusts (2004), Tsunami Blues (2007), and Yawns and Belches (2018). Prof. Ushie was a Fellow of the 2002 Fulbright Programme in New York and Co-Editor of the Montreal 2017 Global Poetry Anthology. His poems have appeared in world-wide anthologies, and have been translated into Spanish, Finnish, French and German, in addition to receiving numerous national and international prizes and honours.

In honour of Ushie’s contributions to Nigerian literature, this volume will feature peer-reviewed articles/chapters examining aspects of his poetic discourse. Chapters are therefore sought under, but not limited to, the following possible subheadings:

• Joe Ushie and the Niger Delta Issue
• Language and Style in the Poetry of Joe Ushie
• Joe Ushie and Sociopolitical Commitment
• Gender and Sexuality in the Poetry of Joe Ushie
• Human and Minority Rights Activism in the Poetry of Joe Ushie
• Joe Ushie and Environmental Activism
• Joe Ushie and Humanistic Discourse
• Orality and Oral Traditions in the Poetry of Joe Ushie
• Joe Ushie and the Development of Stylistic Studies in Nigeria
• Joe Ushie and Bette Bendi History and Culture
• Linguistic Approaches to the Study of Joe Ushie’s Poetry

Prospective authors should take note of the following:

• Each submission must be accompanied by an abstract of no more than 300 words, followed by five keywords
• The submission deadline is 30 August 2025; no submission made afterward will be considered
• Successful authors will be notified of acceptance by 30 October 2025
• Submissions should be made as email attachments to joeushieliteraturefoundation@outlook.com
• Submissions should be between 5000 – 7000 words, using the APA 9 Style Guide
• There are no publication charges for this collection, courtesy of the Joe Ushie Literature Foundation, and all authors will receive a complimentary copy of the volume; however, authors will be responsible for the courier costs or they may pick up their copies at the Department of English, University of Uyo or the Department of English and Literary Studies, University of Calabar
• The collection will be unveiled on 20 January 2026, as part of the activities for the inaugural Joe Ushie Poetry Prize

The Joe Ushie Literature Foundation and the University of Calabar Press heartily appreciate all prospective authors for their interest in contributing to this collection.


For further enquiries, please contact the project coordinator johnson.ntene@dal.ca