INTERMEDIALITY IN FRESHWATER BY AKWAEKE EMEZI: A HYBRIDIZATION OF LITERATURE, ORAL TRADITION, AND IGBO SPIRITUALITY

This study explores the intermediality of Akwaeke Emezi's Freshwater, examining how the novel transcends conventional literary boundaries through its fusion of multiple artistic, spiritual, and cultural traditions.By integrating Igbo cosmology, polyphonic narration, and fragmented storytelling, Freshwater operates at the intersection of oral, written, and digital traditions, challenging the constraints of traditional novelistic form.The research highlights how the body functions as a narrative medium, reflecting themes of transformation, multiplicity, and self-representation.Furthermore, Emezi's engagement with digital and visual culture situates the novel within the contemporary landscape of transmedia storytelling, drawing parallels between literary experimentation and digital identity construction.The study argues that Freshwater is not merely a novel but a multimedia experience, where myth, memory, and modern communication intersect to redefine narrative possibilities.Through an interdisciplinary lens, the analysis affirms that Emezi's work exemplifies how contemporary literature embraces intermediality as a fundamental mode of storytelling, offering new ways of conceptualizing identity, spirituality, and artistic hybridity.Ultimately, Freshwater serves as a transformative literary artifact that reshapes the dialogue between literature, digital culture, and visual storytelling.