The Ake Arts & Books Festival is universally known as the Ake Festival is an annual book festival that happens in Nigeria. It started in the city of Abeokuta in Nigeria in 2012. It is a production of the Lola Shoneyin led Book buzz Foundation. This festival has grown over the years and has provided an excellent platform for writers from various parts of the continent to talk about issues affecting the people through arts. This year’s theme for the Ake Arts & Books Festival is “Black Magic.” The festival is slated for the 22nd to 25th of October 2020 and will take place in Lagos, Nigeria. This festival has grown to become one of the most recognized brands on the African literary circuit. It has hosted some of the best African writers from Wole Soyinka, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Niyi Osundare, to Amata Ata Aidoo, Nooruddin Farah, as well as Tsitsi Dangarembga.African Literary festivals in 2020
The venue for this year’s Ake Arts & Books Festival is Alliance Francoise in Lagos, Nigeria. The announcement for the 2020 edition of the Ake Arts & Books Festival was announced on January 23rd, 2020.
Promoting, developing and celebrating creativity
The primary idea for the Ake Arts & Books Festival is to promote, develop and celebrate the creativity of the African continent through a series of events and festivals. This means that the Ake Festival is a platform for panel discussions, workshops, book chats, plays, poetry events, concerts and performances. The four-day event provides an excellent way for participants to have a cultural immersion.
About Book buzz Foundation
Lola Shoneyin started this foundation in 2012 with the idea of promoting literacy, especially amongst children of school-going age. It also seeks to develop tools and reading spaces as well as organize literary and cultural festivals, like the Ake Arts & Books Festival. This foundation also aims to support schools in the creation of reading spaces and libraries. It has organized the Ake Festivals since its inception and continues to do so till now.
Even though there is no word yet on the expected headliners of the event, it is a good chance for participants r start arrangements to attend the festival in October since the dates are already out. It is expected to bring together writers, dancers, filmmakers, artists and thinkers to talk about Africa. Ake Arts & Books Festival continues to shine more light on the African literary potential and exposing it to the entire world.
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