Sharjah Festival of African Literature starts January 24

The inaugural edition of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature runs in Sharjah, UAE from January 24 – 27, 2025.

In the last few years, Sharjah has hosted increasing numbers of African writers and publishing professionals at their festivals and book fairs. This January, the emirate will host its first major event with African writers at the centre with the Sharjah Festival of African Literature. Themed “The Tale of Africa” it will be hosted by the Sharjah Book Authority in conjunction with the Lola Shoneyin-led Book Buzz Foundation.

Over 20 African writers, poets, publishers, booksellers, festival curators, and other publishing professionals from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, the USA, and Zimbabwe travel to Sharjah to strengthen cultural exchange between Africa and the Arab world. It will also provide a platform to celebrate African literary heritage and foster dialogue among writers, intellectuals, artists, and audiences.

The biggest draws will arguably be Nobel laureates Wole Soyinka and Abdulrazak Gurnah whose towering contributions to African and global literature resonate with audiences worldwide. Also on the ticket are Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Chika Unigwe, Tendai Huchu, Nnedi Okorafor, Petina Gappah, Peter Kimani, Dami Ajayi, Cheryl Ntumy, Nnamdi Ehirim, Wana Udobang, Mara Menzies, Wole Talabi, Wendy Njoroge, Ifeoma Esiri, Deborah Johnson, Ade Bantu, Maryam Bukar Hassan, Ann Mckayzie, Abdulkareem Baba Aminu, Kenanao Phele, Dr. Olakun Soyinka, and Fatima Bala.

These delegates will sit on stages alongside Emirati authors Dr. Abdulaziz Almusallam, Chairman of Sharjah Institute for Heritage; Dr. Mariam Alhashmi, a literary critic; and writer Salha Obaid. They will join poet and writer Shaikha Al Mutairi, Ali Al Abdan, poet and media personality Mohammed Al-Habsi, and writer Eman Alyousuf.

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