The National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies (NASELS), in collaboration with FinishedWork Enterprises and the Department of English, University of Lagos, is set to host the 10th anniversary of the Reading Café on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at the Afe Babalola Hall, UNILAG. The event, themed “New Voices, New Stories,” promises an engaging literary experience for students, writers, and book enthusiasts.
This milestone edition will feature an impressive lineup of literary figures, including Olubunmi Familoni, the celebrated winner of the 2024 Nigeria Prize for Literature, and Dr. Nurayn Fola Alimi, a distinguished lecturer, literary, and cultural critic. Also speaking is Lechi Eke, literary scholar, publisher, and convener of Reading Café.
The event will commence at 11 AM and include a book review session showcasing “After the End” by Olukorode Vishau and “Half Opened” by Uzoamaka J. Eze. Attendees will also have the chance to win prestigious awards such as the Wale Arikawe Prize and The Niche Prize.
Reading Café, an annual literary programme, was founded by Lechi Eke with the primary aim of fostering a vibrant reading culture in Nigeria and positively influencing society through literature. Eke, a writer and newspaper columnist, shared her motivation in a recent interview, stating, “I started Reading Café for the love of Literature… A society where people read books is a society of enlightened people.” She further revealed that the initiative, though conceived in 2012, held its maiden edition three years later, initially under the name ‘Read Out Loud.’
The 10th-anniversary celebration is proudly supported by United Bank for Africa (UBA), Quramo Publishing, and Ujemie Hedia Services Ltd.