Onyeka Nwelue gets his visa

Following a media outcry on the refusal of an entry visa into Hong Kong for writer Onyeka Nwelue to participate in a literary festival, the Chinese authorities have reversed themselves. Nwelue now has a visa and will go to the ball, though later than planned.

Here's what the author told Wordsbody:
"Writers Nury Vittachi and Jane Camens asked booklovers in Hong Kong to petition the Immigration Department and went on radio shows to talk about it. Newspaper reporters were brought in and the Nigerian Consulate was contacted to talk to the Immigration Department too, which they did. In fact, I have never felt so much love like this before, since I became a writer.

The Chinese people happen to be sensitive towards the media and protests.

When I went to the Chinese embassy in Delhi, the visa section woman couldn't look up to my face. She only said, 'The Immigration Department has now approved your visa. Come and pick your visa tomorrow and don't ask me more questions'. She is still rude, but I forgive her.

I wish to have a swell time in Hong Kong, because I learnt Moses Isegawa, author of Abyssinian Chronicles would be there too."

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Is it because I'm black?

Now, what have we here...

21-year-old Nigerian author of 'The Abyssinian Boy', Onyeka Nwelue, has had quite a steep rise since entering into the Lagos literary scene as a teenager. Pretty impressive, unless you're a Chinese immigration officer who has to consider the author's visa application to be allowed into Hong Kong for a major literary festival.

Nwelue was billed to feature in this year's Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival, due for programmes and appearances on March 9 (City University in Hong Kong) and the festival itself on March 11. Alas, the writer got a call from the Chinese embassy in Lagos informing him that his visa application has been turned down. No reason given.

We are by now used to Britain rubbishing artists from African when it comes to visas: Odia Ofeimun, Souleymane Cisse, Atukwei Okai, Samuel Fosso etcetera etcetera. But Hong Kong now as well?

Almost certainly the only African and the only black writer participant in Hong Kong, Onyeka Nwelue is left mouthing the oft-repeated cliché: is it because- ?