The Lagos Art & Books Festival 2024, popularly known as LABAF, runs in venues in Lagos, Nigeria from November 11 – 17, 2024. The festival theme is “Breakout: Hope is a Stubborn Thing.”
The Lagos Book & Art Festival is an annual arts festival founded by the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), a Nigerian-based cultural organisation in 1999. They have been hosting activities like musical performances, book readings and launches, film screenings, a publishers’ forum, book and art exhibitions, panel discussions, symposia, cultural exhibitions and much more. Many of the leading names in the Nigerian and wider African literary community have been hosted at this storied gathering.
For 2024, organisers promise an array of events, including book displays, exhibitions, live music, and drama performances. Its commitment to fostering meaningful engagement with literature is reflected in its discussion panels, which delve deep into the featured books beyond the authors’ star power. The 2024 edition will pay tribute to the renowned humanist scholar and Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who celebrated his 90th birthday on July 13. Soyinka’s lifelong dedication to exploring the possibilities of the Nigerian project aligns perfectly with CORA’s mission and the festival’s theme, “Breakout: Hope is a Stubborn Thing” (A celebration of resilience and the indomitable human spirit).
One of the highlights will be the announcement of the winner of the Kayode Aderinokun Poetry Prize (KAPP) organised by CORA Creative Youth Club.
For more information on the happenings in Lagos starting on November 11, please visit their official Facebook page.
Please support our work at Writing Africa with a one-off donation or regularly on Mobile Money, PayPal, or Patreon starting at US$3 a month by clicking here.
Leave a Reply