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Stolen doctoral thesis Who is Mokolo Emmanuel Ekenedilichukwu? That is what the archaeologist Staffan Lundén asked when, some time ago, he found out that Amazon was selling the book, The Stolen African Art in British Museum for 149 pounds. Because the book is available to download free of charge from GUPEA. And it was not written by Ekenedilichukwu – it is Staffan Lundén’s doctoral thesis. – IT BEGAN WHEN a colleague in the
Illustration: MARIA KÄLLSTRÖM
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GUJOURNAL SUMMER 2020
Netherlands contacted me. She had seen a book on Amazon’s website that she felt was quite reminiscent of my thesis. Obviously, it made me curious. It turned out that the book was not only reminiscent of my thesis, it WAS my thesis. Except for the author’s name and a slightly altered title – my book is called Displaying Loot. The Benin objects and the British Museum – it was an exact copy. The same text, the same pictures, even the same dedications to people who had contributed to my research. Staffan Lundén contacted the university’s senior legal counsel, Sara Dahlberg, to help him fill out the documents that Amazon required in order to withdraw the book. Somewhat less expected was the fact that he received an email from Mr Ekenedilichukwu, the person who had plagiarised his work. – He explained that he had not made any money from the book, but that he had copied it as two of his own books had been stolen. He also told me that he chose my book because his mother hails from a royal family in Benin and that he can therefore confirm that the contents are correct. I later checked up on Mr Ekenedilichukwu and he is listed as the author of an additional five books. Whether he has actually written them, or stolen them too, I do not know, obviously. Of course, copying an entire book is something that is rather peculiar. But
