The second annual Ake Arts and Book Festival – held in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria – starts today, featuring esteemed international authors and artists and showcasing contemporary African literature, music, art, film and theatre.
Zukiswa Wanner, Siphiwo Mahala, Nomboniso Gasa will be representing South Africa, joining esteemed names such as Wole Soyinka, EE Sule, Binyavanga Wainaina and many others (including former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo) on the packed programme stretching over five days.
This year the theme revolves around the concepts and constructions pertaining to “Bridges and Pathways”, asking critical questions relating to “building bridges between the African people along language, ethnicity, gender and religious lines, and charting new paths towards creative synergy and cultural cross-fertilisation on the African continent.”
Have a look at the programme:
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Press release
The second edition of Ake Arts and Book Festival will take place at June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto-Abeokuta from 18-22 November 2014. The theme is Bridges and Pathways and discussions will focus on building bridges between the African people along language, ethnicity, gender and religious lines, and charting new paths towards creative synergy and cultural cross-fertilisation on the African continent.
The Ake Arts and Book Festival (AABF), in partnership with Ogun State government, Etisalat, Access Bank and Annoying Logo, will once again play host to international authors from all over the world and will showcase the very best of contemporary African literature, music, art, film and theatre.
The festival will feature book chats, school visits and several stimulating panel discussions. There will be a palm wine and poetry night, talks by both Nigerian and international writers and a comprehensive book fair/school programmes that will be open to pupils, publishers and book lovers.
In an event called ‘Muse as Memory’, Nigerian Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka will sit in conversation with Jerome Okolo. Patrick Okigbo will also host the former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo, in a chat titled ‘Defining a Legacy’.
There will be nine book chats at the festival. At the book chat, we will be engaging Yejide Kilanko on her book Daughters who walk this Path, Bernadine Evaristo on Mr Loverman, Barnaby Phillips on Another Mans War, Okey Ndibe on his Foreign Gods Inc, and Chude Jideonwo on Are We The Turning Point Generation? Nnedi Okorafor will be telling us all about her new book, The Lagoon, Fred D’Aguiar will be talking to us about Children of Paradise, Zukiswa Wanner will be discussing London Cape Town Joburg and Nike Campbell Fatoki will tell us all about her bestselling book, Thread of Gold Beads.
Tayo Aluko‘s critically-acclaimed musical play, Call Mr. Robeson, will enjoy its Ogun State Premiere at the Ake Arts and Book Festival. There will also be a contemporary Dance performance by Qudus Onikeku titled, My Exile is in my Head. Tickets for these events are available online at www.akefestival.org.
We will also be screening the film October 1, by actor/director Kunle Afolayan. The film Yeepa, by renowned movie director Tunde Kelani will also enjoy its Ogun State premiere at Ake Arts and Book Festival. Three documentaries will be shown at the festival. They include Barnaby Philips’ Burma Boy, The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo by Yaba Badoe and New Morning, a short film on domestic violence sponsored by the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
There will be masterclasses in Science Fiction Writing with Stella Duffy and Ben Aaronovitch, Documentary Making masterclass with Emmanuelle Mougne and Devising Theatre from Page to the Naked Stage with Femi Elufowoju, jr.
There will also be two Photo exhibitions at the festival; Vera Botterbuschs’ View and Secrets vom Abeokuta and Isara and Victor Ehikhamenor’s In the Lion’s Lair – intimate portraits of Wole Soyinka in his home.
Ake Arts and Book Festival is collaborating with Access Bank Nigeria to sponsor 50 Nigerian undergraduates to the festival. The sponsorship will include book tokens worth N20,000 which can only be spent at the Ake Arts and Book Festival bookstore where they will discover a great selection of books. The application form will be available at www.akefestival.org on 11 November 2014.
Full details of the Ake Arts and Book Festival program is available at the website. Tickets to all events can be purchased online or in person at the festival registration desk from 17 November 2014.
Ends
Book details
- Mr Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo
EAN: 9780241145784
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- Another Man’s War: The Story of a Burma Boy in Britain’s Forgotten Army by Barnaby Phillips
EAN: 9781780745220
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- Foreign Gods, Inc. by Okey Ndibe
EAN: 9781616953133
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- Are We The Turning Point Generation?: How Africa’s Youth Can Drive Its Urgently Needed Revolution by Chude Jideonwo
EAN: 9789785205756
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- Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor
EAN: 9781444762754
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- Children of Paradise by Fred D’Aguiar
EAN: 9781847088611
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- London – Cape Town – Joburg by Zukiswa Wanner
EAN: 9780795706301
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- Thread of Gold Beads by Nike Campbell-Fatoki
EAN: 9780988193208
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- One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina
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EAN: 9781847083326
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- Sterile Sky by EE Sule
EAN: 9780435045753
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