Writer and spoken word artist Ivana Akotowaa Ofori is the curator of the African Book Festival Berlin which runs in the German capital from July 18 – 20, 2025. Festival organisers also stated that the theme will be ‘In Other Wor(l)ds’, when the announcement was made on Monday.
The leading African writers, poets, and thinkers on the continent and in the diaspora have converged on Berlin, Germany for the African Book Festival since the first edition in 2018. It has quietly become one of the most anticipated literary shindigs centering African narratives in Europe. Since its first curator writer Olumide Popoola, the role has gone to author and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga, musician and author Kalaf Epalanga, and writer, filmmaker, and photographer Lidudumalingani.
The journey to 2025 started with the revelation that Ivana Akotowaa Ofori will take the role of curator on Monday. The Ghanaian storyteller who lives in Accra is a weaver of words in many forms, including fiction, non-fiction, and spoken-word poetry. An alumna of the Clarion West writing workshop, Akotowaa has been shortlisted for the Miles Morland Writing Fellowship and the Nommo Awards. Her work has appeared in anthologies such as Tor.com’s Africa Risen, Clinamen Editions’ Daring Shifts, and Flame Tree Publishing’s African Ghost Short Stories. Her work also appears in online magazines Jalada Africa and AFREADA. Her debut novella, The Year of Return, was published in 2024 by Android Press (USA) and Smartline Publishers (Ghana) and included in Brittle Paper’s list of 100 remarkable African books in 2024.
The seventh edition with the theme ‘In Other Wor(l)ds’, will focus on fantasy, horror, and sci-fi from Ghana and further beyond. Not only will it do justice to genres that are particularly popular with young readers, but also showcase that African authors do create worlds that go far beyond what German readers are used to. Their stories are not only fantastic adventures but also profound commentaries on the past, present, and future of our planet. They offer a captivating alternative to established Western narration styles and provide readers with insights into topics such as post-colonialism, gender, and environmental issues.
“A lot of traditional African storytelling has been speculative in some way, be it our folktales or our creatures. We are essentially returning to these (un)familiar other wor(l)ds.” said Ofori.
The audience can look forward to readings, book premieres, music, panel discussions, and interactive formats at Alte Münze near Alexanderplatz.
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