Africa Writes is back!
Africa Writes 2023, The UK’s largest celebration of contemporary African and diaspora literature will take place at the British Library from Friday, 29 September to Sunday, 1 October.
This years theme is Intangible Heritage.
Expect a vibrant programme of talks, readings and performance, connecting UK audiences with both established and early career writers, exploring this year’s theme of Intangible Heritage – a meditation on the things that make us who we are. We aim to answer two questions:
- What are the things that make us who we are that we can’t explain or put our fingers on?
- What parts of our culture are known and felt without being said and how do they manifest in our stories?
This years festival has been brought together by this stellar team of curators:
Nancy Adimora is an award-winning publishing consultant and the founder of literary Magazine AFREADA.
Sulaiman Addonia is an Eritrean-Ethiopian-British novelist and founder of the Asmara-Addis Literary Festival In Exile.
Ainehi Edoro is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Brittle Paper and Assistant Professor of Global Black Literatures at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Angolan-born Kalaf Epalanga is a celebrated author and columnist who fronts the Lisbon-based dance collective Buraka Som Sistema.
Maaza Mengiste is an acclaimed novelist, essayist, and photographer. Her novel, The Shadow King, was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize.
Yomi Ṣode is an award-winning Nigerian-British playwright and poet. His debut collection Manorism was shortlisted for the TS Elliot and Rathbones Folio Prizes.
Whether you are a savvy enthusiast or curious to explore new writing and learn more about Africa and its literature, Africa Writes will be a rich and exciting experience.
All in person events will take place at The Knowledge Centre in The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB. You can also purchase a livestream ticket to watch everything happening in the Pigott Theatre.