The 10th edition of the Ake Arts and Book Festival with the theme “Homecoming 2022” will begin in Lagos on Thursday, November 24.
The venue for the literary event is at Strong Tower Events Centre, 40 Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
To be headlined by Véronique Tadjo, the 2022 edition of the festival will bring over 1000 writers, poets, musicians, actors, filmmakers, artists and thinkers from Africa and the world together to celebrate creativity.
Tadjo is the writer of books and poems such as Latérite, As the Crow Flies, A mi-chemin, The Shadow of Imana and a host of others.
Guests will include; Mr Tunji Lardner, a fellow of Ford Foundation/Arnova and a professor at the Indiana University, USA; Amina Salihu, a senior programme officer with the MacArthur Foundation; Abdulrazak Gurnah, Tanzanian author and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature (2021); Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, former First Lady of Ekiti State and writer; Mr Kunle Ajibade, Executive Editor of The News and PM News and author; Yusuf Balogun (Aremo Gemini) a storyteller, playwright and poet; Wanjiru Koinange, Kenyan author and library restorer and many more.
On Friday, November 25, which is day two of the event will feature five panel discussions, four book chats and a concert.
The panel discussions include Sauuti: The Making of a Shared World of African Science fiction with guest panelists such as Stephen Embleton, Cheryl S. Ntumy, Dare Segun Falowo and to be hosted by Wole Talabi; Japan Vs Civic and Political participation (Abake Adenle, Nandul, Tunji Lardner, and Abdulkareem Baba Aminu as host and others. The panel discussions will take place from 9:30 am to 7:10pm
The Book Chats will feature Leye Adenle; Nokhutoula Msimang, Nnedi Okoroafor and many others.
A musical concert will be hosted by AdeBantu with musical performances by Bantu himself, Waka Queen, Salawa Aneni, Brymo, Adunni Nefertiti and Ria. The time will be from 7:30 pm to 8 pm.
The three days of cultural immersion is is a return to holding physical sessions after the 2021 edition of the festival founded by the award-winning author and poet, Lola Shoneyin in 2013
was done virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was titled “Generational Discordance”. The full Ake Arts and Book Festival programme is available at www.akefestival.org/programme.