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Meet our Media Partner: Bakwa Magazine

Bakwa Magazine is not your average cultural and literary online magazine. Oh no. Bakwa not only publishes a wide range of cross-cultural/literary criticism on their site, as well as nuggets of poetry (you can thank us later), but also run a short story competition, organise writing workshops and have a forthcoming literary exchange programme! Discover more about the magazine’s work in our interview with the founder and editor, Dzekashu Macviban.

1. Tell us the history behind Bakwa Magazine.

Bakwa Magazine rose out of the need to fill the lacuna created by the absence of literary and cultural magazines in Cameroon, notably the defunct Pala Pala magazine, and it highlights a new dynamic Africa. Over the years it has been inspired by Chimurenga, Saraba, Kwani? and Granta among others.

2. What is the inspiration behind the logo design and the name of Bakwa Magazine?

Bakwa is a diminutive of “Abakwa”, a soubriquet of Bamenda, a city in the northwestern part of Cameroon. Our logo was created by Dante Besong, a Cameroonian cartoonist, visual artist and designer. The tilted logo highlights how our interests and approach change to suit the phase we are in or the project we are executing.

3. Why is it important to have this bilingual platform for Cameroonian writers and artists alike?

Bakwa magazine goes beyond the constitutional bilingualism of Cameroon. We accept submissions in English, French and pidgin among others. In the past we’ve had a special Mexican Issue in collaboration with The Ofi Press. The Ofi Press published a special West African edition, with content in English and Spanish, which focused on West Africa, while Bakwa, in turn, published a special Mexican issue, focusing on Mexican art, culture and society, with most of the content in English and some Spanish translations.

Our platform prioritizes Cameroonian writing because so much ground work has to be done to develop the Cameroonian literary ecosystem, and there is so much raw talent that needs to be showcased. Despite the fact that we receive submissions in multiple languages, we publish in English (thanks to our in-house translator). Nevertheless, Pidgin English is an exception because we publish work in Pidgin English as well.

4. Could you tell us more about the short story competition?

The Bakwa Magazine Short Story competition aims at discovering a new generation of Cameroonian writers, writers under 39. It is a multifaceted project (in partnership with the Goethe-Institut in Cameroon and Phoneme Media in LA, California) which started in 2016 and is still going on. The shortlisted stories, which were announced on December 31, will be edited and translated and anthologized. The winner will be announced in February.

5. What do Bakwa readers have to look forward to in 2017?

In February, we will launch the first edition of the Bakwa Magazine Reading Series, which will be an exchange between young writers and the public. The first edition will include writers who have been shortlisted for the competition and will also be the prize award ceremony.

The second leg of our short story competition will involve editing and translating stories by the finalists as well as selected stories from the shortlist and commissioned stories, which will be anthologized. We are also commissioning articles for another anthology which will mark our 5th anniversary.

Later during the year, in partnership with the Goethe Institut in Cameroon and Nigeria, as well as Saraba magazine, we will co-organize a literary exchange program between Cameroonian and Nigerian writers which will focus on creative non-fiction and it will take place in Cameroon and Nigeria.

Enjoyed reading this interview? Check out a mini presentation Bakwa organised at the Goethe-Institut last year:

Head over to Bakwa Magazine’s website for more golden nuggets.

Today is the day for Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature! Read more about today’s programme HERE!

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Meet our Media Partner: Africa in Words

Our media partner, Africa in Words, have dedicated themselves to delivering current affairs within the African literary, cultural, creative and academic space. Anyone who is a avid reader/follower of African literature will know about AiW’s work! Read our interview with the team to find out more about AiW’s formation and plans for the new year.

1. Tell us the history behind Africa in Words.

Africa in Words was set up in late October 2011 by Jenny Greenshields, Kate Haines, Katie Reid, Nara Improta and Victoria Moffatt—five PhD students working with Professor Stephanie Newell at the University of Sussex.

We began AiW to give us a space where we could share interests and encounters from our research, and also from our work and lives.  It was a place where despite our sometimes disparate locations and affiliations—Kigali to Brighton, Rio to Accra, Cape Town to Austin—we could come together and find connections, and reach out to other people who might share similar preoccupations.

Today, our Editorial Team and our pool of writers have expanded across the world. We are really proud to have recruited new writers in Africa, the US and Asia, as well as in Europe. We are still entirely independent and we receive no funding; all of our editors and writers are volunteers, and Africa in Words exists because of their passion and commitment.

The scope of the blog has also expanded. Originally it was focused on our own research, but now we cover all aspects of African cultural production: books, art, film, history, music, theatre, ideas and people and the ways they interact, through their publication and circulation, with societies, economies and space. Although many of our pieces lean towards research or academic viewpoints, we also love to publish opinion pieces and reviews.

2. What is the inspiration behind the logo design and the name of Africa in Words?

Our name is intended to recognise that there are as many Africas and ways of talking about it as there are words to do it with. It reflects our shared understanding of the diverse networks across the continent that generate thought and action, that provoke people to produce, to curate, and to write, and that cross political, generic, and disciplinary limits.

Our logo was designed by graphic designer Maria Isabella Muniz. To us, the yellow represents the energy we try to bring to all our posts, and the typewriter-like font represents the importance of the written word to many of our posts.

3. What do you enjoy most about Africa in Words both as Founder and as an Editorial Assistant? Tell us about your experiences.

What I enjoy most about working at Africa in Words is the creative and collaborative environment. I enjoy working closely with the AiW team, writers, authors, publishers, and organizations like Afrikult., united in a mutual love for literature, to celebrate and promote fine writing and great stories.

4. How has the landscape of African cultural production changed since launching Africa in Words in 2011?

I would say the landscape has expanded since launching Africa in Words since 2011. There are new voices and organizations like yours that celebrate, promote, support and produce arts and artists from the continent and the diaspora. Publishers like Cassava Republic Press, Jalada Africa, a self-described “Pan-African writers’ collective, and Jacaranda; literary prizes like the Mabati Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Literature which recognizes writing in African language, the Brunel International African Poetry Prize, and the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets, run by the African Poetry Book Fund responsible for the fantastic New Generation African Poets chapbook series and African Poetry Book Series; and festivals like Writivism, Ake Arts and Book Festival, Addis Foto Fest, and Africa Salon at Yale University.

5. What do Africa in Words readers have to look forward to from your blog in 2017?

In the new year, we are planning to expand our focus on cultural production, posting more materials on film, fashion, photography, and other forms of cultural production. We have an incoming writer dedicated to writing film reviews and providing regular coverage on cinema in Africa and the diaspora. Our readers can also look forward to a new series on festivals celebrating African literature, highlighting, for example, the creators and organizers behind these festivals.

We are also strengthening our connections with countries in Africa, and the U.S. To that effect, we are featuring and promoting more events like the New York African Film Festival, Ake Arts and Book Festival and Addis Foto Fest on the blog.

We want to keep widening the perspectives we represent on the blog, and we encourage interested writers to submit posts that discuss any aspect of African cultural production, whether literature, music, cinema, popular culture and etc.

Want to read more of Africa in Words? Check out their blog here and indulge.

Make sure you reserve your free tickets for Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature HERE!

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Meet our Media Partner: AFREADA

For readers who love a great story, have a read of our interview with Nancy Adimora, the founder and editor of AFREADA.

1. Tell us the history behind AFREADA.

AFREADA was essentially born out of the desire to make African literature more readily accessible. It’s no secret that the reading culture has changed, and most people don’t have the time to indulge in an extended book. So when I started stumbling across amazing short stories on personal blogs, I envisioned a central platform where individuals with busy work/life schedules could take a quick break and get lost in a 10 minute read before responding to that email, or helping junior with his homework. After toying with the idea for a little longer than necessary, I set up a holding page, encouraged people to submit their work, and we took off from there.

Now, we publish short stories that are no longer than 5000 words. They are all free to access and vary between 1-20min reads. Since our launch in December 2015, we have published in excess of 100 powerful, hilarious, entertaining, thought-provoking stories from Ethiopia to Madagascar and received well over 50,000 views from 129 countries across the world. With the help of our invaluable partners, we’re looking forward to publishing more gems in the years to come.

2. What is the inspiration behind the logo design and the name of AFREADA?

AFREADA is a fusion of the two words, ‘Africa’ and ‘Reader’ - with this in mind, most people usually realise that it’s pronounced ‘Afreeda’ instead of ‘Afree-ada’ as many people fondly call it. When the vision for the magazine was conceptualized, the logo was always intended to be simple. We opted for a monochrome theme throughout because we wanted the entire brand to be as clean and streamlined as possible. This decision was also a cheeky attempt to challenge the idea that African brands have to be colorful, loud, and incorporate some form of ‘tribal’ print.

3. AFREADA recently launched a flash fiction-photography competition, tell us about the process and what you discovered about the entries.

Our photo-story competition was definitely an eye-opener for us. As a digital platform we’re always looking for new ways to engage our community so, as we counted down to our first year anniversary, we thought it would be great to invite our writers to write a 500 word flash fiction piece based on a particular photograph. After combing through Instagram for weeks and settling on a breathtaking photo taken by UA, we set the guidelines, offered a £100 prize and released it to our community.

We really had no expectations so we were quite overwhelmed when the submissions started pouring in. As we reviewed the creative stories from across the world, and finally selected a winner, we realised how much the Internet and the advancements of technology had enabled us to leap over the boundaries of traditional publishing, and look at storytelling more holistically. It was rewarding to witness how one photographic story, could give birth to over 200 others. So, as a result, we are very keen on incorporating transmedia and multiplatform storytelling into our strategy for the coming years.

4. What do you enjoy most about AFREADA and why?

Aminatta Forna once said: “if you want to know a country, read its writers". This literally forms the bedrock of everything that we do at AFREADA. Whilst we want to champion writers, and provide an escape for readers, our vision has always been to promote travel through storytelling. Through stories we can escape the cold, London rush hour, and spend 10 minutes soaking in the good vibes of Nairobi; we can take Wuro to school in Ethiopia, and have a chuckle with Mushonga in Uganda. This is by far my favourite thing about AFREADA, it’s a gateway to experiencing the languages, food, and culture in the cities, towns and villages across Africa.

5. What should AFREADA readers look forward to in 2017?

This year, our readers should expect more engaging content from a more diverse pool of exceptional writers. We’ll announce more collaborations with varied literary organisations, more dynamic partnerships with publishers, creative competitions, and experiments with transmedia and innovative storytelling. Watch this space!

Want some more juicy reads from AFREADA? Check out the online magazine’s website here!

Make sure you reserve your free tickets for Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature HERE!

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Meet our Media Partner: bookshy

If you love keeping up to date with the African literary scene like we do, you’d want to hear from the founder, Zahrah Nesbitt-Ahmed, of bookshy. Check out our interview with bookshy, one of our media partners for Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature.

1. Tell us the history behind bookshy.

bookshy started as a random thought February 2011 - an online space that housed books written by writers from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America. But I found the idea a bit overwhelming, so I put that thought aside.

10 months later - December 2011 - I was in Lagos, a few months into my PhD fieldwork. In my spare time I was reading new (and not-so-new) works by Nigerian writers. Remembering my earlier random thought, I decided to pare it down to one continent and write about the books by Nigerian, and other African, writers I was discovering.

2. What is the inspiration behind the logo design and the name of bookshy?

I find that bookshy represents me in so many ways. On one hand, it's the young me that was so shy I lost myself in books. On the other hand, it's the part of me whose bookshelf is always one book shy of being full. Overall, it really is about my love for books, African books, and reading and book culture.

The current logo - which I’ve had since June 2016 – was designed by a young, London design consultancy – West Port Five. I had the same logo and design for over 4 years and felt that my blog needed a new look (both in terms of design and the logo) to represent not only the blogs growth, but in a way mine.

My initial logo had bookshy looking out from behind books. That really was who I was 5 years ago when I started this blog - extremely confused and extremely nervous about the world of blogging.

The new logo – sees bookshy no longer peeking over the books. This was also meant to show my evolution – as I have over the years become more visible as the editor/curator of bookshy. This increasing visibility is something, if I am honest, I am struggling to come to terms with.

Even with a new design, I still wanted elements of the original logo - the glasses (because my glasses are a part of who I am and represent my geeky and inquisitive nature when it comes to African literature), the playfulness (because while I may come off as a bit too serious, when I'm in a comfortable and safe place, I can get a little silly), and of course the colours - I wanted it simple (black and greys). We, of course, went through different versions, but in the end (and through a unanimous decision with my family and few of my closest friends), we decided on the current logo.

3. What would you say has been the most exciting book to come out of the African literary scene in 2016? Are there any titles you are on the lookout for in 2017?

Irenosen Okojie's debut short story collection, 'Speak Gigantular', which is without a doubt a hidden gem in 2016. It's a ridiculously good collection – like really, really, really good. It's also disturbing, but I say that in the best possible way. In it you find tales about a young boy born with a tail and his mothers undying love, ghosts haunting the London underground, a woman with a deadly foot fetish, and an alien abduction in Brixton … to name some of the stories. It’s strange. It’s bizarre. It’s fantastic. And I loved it.

For 2017, I would say Ayobami Adebayo's 'Stay With Me' – I was hooked from the first line: ‘I must leave this city today and come to you’. A tale centred on a couple, Yejide and Akin, who want/are expected to have a child and the depths taken to ensure that happens.

Also ‘Kintu’ by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and Nikhil Singh's 'Taty Went West'. Both will be published for the first time outside of the East Africa in 2017. ‘Kintu’ will be published by Transit Books in the US and ‘Taty Went West’ (if I’m not mistaken) by Jacaranda in the UK. ‘Kintu’ is a historical novel set in Uganda following a family and a curse that plagues them over many generations, while ‘Taty Went West’ follows a teenage girl who runs away from her home in the suburbs to a terrifying new world occupied by malicious imps, robotic sex slave nuns and other weird and not-so-wonderful creatures.

4. Tell us about African Book Covers, what drove you to curate a visual showcase of African cover designs?

African Book Covers (ABC) is my space to openly judge book covers. For the longest time I hid the fact that I judged books by their covers, because I thought it wasn't something you could admit as a serious book lover. But many books I had discovered and fell in love with were simply because of how they looked on the outside.

I follow a lot of design blogs, including ones about book cover designs. And as much as I loved them, African books never really featured on them. So a few months into blogging, I began paying even more attention to the design of African book covers and thought it would be fun to have the covers of African books I was discovering in one space.

I will be honest and say that my tumblr has not been updated for a while, but watch this space as I have plans for a new ABC look in 2017.

5. As a researcher, have any books you've read and reviewed gone hand-in-hand with your research interests? If so, tell us which ones!

Oh definitely! For my PhD, I ended up drawing on a lot of fiction - I even dedicated a section in my methodology chapter to fiction-based research. My research looked at the experiences of domestic workers in Lagos and I found novels to be extremely helpful in grasping the experiences of workers in Nigerian households, as well as the views and perceptions that Nigerian employers (and Nigerian society) may have of them.

A few of the novels I drew on included Chinua Achebe’s (1966) A Man of the People, which portrayed African men in the kitchens of the missionaries or other colonists as cooks and stewards, as well as Buchi Emecheta’s (1994) The Joys of Motherhood, where the father of the female protagonist, Nnu Ego, sends her to Lagos to marry a man, Nnaife, who earns a living as a washerman for an English family. These novels helped me further support one of my claims that men worked as domestic workers in colonial Nigeria, while also enabling me to gain perspectives on what being a domestic worker in colonial Nigeria might have been like.

Another useful classic text was Flora Nwapa’s (1966) Efuru, a novel about an independent, but ‘cursed’ woman living in a village in colonial Nigeria. There is a point in the story where Efuru asks her mother-in-law to help her get a maid to help her look after her baby. Her mother-in-law found her a ten-year-old girl, who was the daughter of her mother-in law's cousin. Here, child fostering in colonial Nigeria is introduced, as well as the different perspectives employing households may have on domestic workers and how to treat workers.

I also read about domestic workers in contemporary Nigerian fiction, such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche’s (2006) Half of A Yellow Sun and Chika Unigwe’s (2012) The Night Dancer. In The Night Dancer, for instance, Ezi's husband has an affair with their young maid, Rapu. Here, the fears around female worker’s sexual availability are revealed – a theme I explored in great detail in one of my chapters.

I should say that I am such a huge proponent of fiction in research. So much so that I remember a few years ago for an interview for a Teaching Fellow position I presented a course outline and reading list for a module on cities through fiction. I didn’t get the job, but if I ever do go back into academia, I would certainly run a class on gender and cities based on fiction.

Want to discover more about bookshy? Check the blog out here.

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Make sure you reserve your free tickets for Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature HERE!

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Meet our Media Partner: Whats_On Africa

We are psyched to have the support of What’s_On Africa for Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature! Check out our interview with Dele Fatunla of Whats_On Africa below.

1. Tell us the history behind Whats_On Africa.

So…What’s On Africa started life as an offshoot of the Royal African Society’s website; as one of the most prominent Africa-focused organisations in London, we got lots of requests for promoting events, and providing a platform for people to do this seemed like a very good idea; when I joined the RAS (Royal African Society) – it was part of my role to develop this idea and make it grow; it grew relatively well as an offshoot of the site – but after awhile it seemed like a good idea to give its own home and identity. It was redeveloped last year, and this year (2016) we’re piloting a youth editorial programme for young contributors to write for the site – and we’ve got a good bunch of people writing based in London and on the continent.

2. What is the inspiration behind the logo design and the name of Whats_On Africa?

The platform was originally called Gateway for Africa…and when we were rebuilding it as a fully functioning site – we thought it would be good to have a different name to go with it; the name came about during the welcome drinks for our current chair, Zeinab Badawi, who threw it out in conversation – I liked it, everybody else liked it, so it worked! As for the logo, we just needed something simple that would say what it does on the tin – and also clarify that we’re part of the Royal African Society’s group of programmes.

3. What do you enjoy most about Whats_On Africa?

What I enjoy most is the opportunity to be in the know about a variety of events and activities, and the potential of the site and the Youth Editorial Programme that we’re piloting to support it and offer a platform for young people to write.

4. Since starting Whats_On Africa have you, as Publisher, come to discover more events which you may not have necessarily been aware of yourself?

Yes, many – not too many though, because of What’s On Africa and being part of a network of Africa-related organisations, I tend to hear about many events – but it always surprises me the breadth of things happening in London; it’s heartening that there’s so much space and appetite for Africa-related things and events. Something that always strikes me is the energy of a group of people coming together to organise events without having an organisation behind them – a recent example was the conversation about blackness in popular culture, ‘Cultural Compounds: What is this ‘new’ black in black popular culture?

http://whatsonafrica.org/cultural-compounds-new-black-black-popular-culture/

5. Why do you think it's important that Whats_On Africa exists and what impact do you believe it is making for Africans within the UK and on the continent?

The importance of its existence I think is the same reason it is important that any Africa-related media exists – in the grand perspective, there are not near enough platforms that focus on the African continent, and its diaspora, be that in the UK or elsewhere. In terms of impact, I would say that we make an impact on the diaspora by: providing a platform for events to be listed, widening public knowledge and marketing of events related to Africa; also providing opportunities for new voices to write about the continent. Lastly, and this is where I think What’s On Africa is not unique, but valuable, is in providing a platform for reviewing and profiling creative output that in the UK may not always make the major or even minor newspapers because it’s not in their eye-line. That’s what I hope we can continue strengthening the platform to do.

Enjoyed the interview? Why not check out Whats_On Africa’s website here for more information.

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Don’t forget to reserve your free tickets for Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature HERE!

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Want to win FREE ebooks? Get involved in our digital giveaway competition with Bahati Books and DigitalBack Books!

Afrikult. has partnered with Bahati Books and Digitalback Books to give you the chance to win ebooks and exclusive one-week access to a virtual library collection of African literature respectively! What you need to do for a chance to win Nairobi Echoes by Stanley Gazemba and Side Babies by Zainab Omaki from Bahati Books: 'Screen shot your favourite African literature ebook cover and tell us why you love it!' Tweet your submission using hashtag #WTTBahatiComp. For a chance to win one-week free access to Digitalback Books' virtual library collection, answer this question: 'What benefits do you see in making African literature available digitally?' Tweet your answer using hashtag #WTTDBBComp. The competition is open for submissions from Monday 9th January until Tuesday 17th January 2017. Remember the competition will only run on Twitter, any submissions submitted via another social media platform will not be considered.

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Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature | Saturday 21 January 2017 | SOAS, University of London

Afrikult. presents the final of the three-part series Words that Travel. Running throughout 2016, each event focuses on particular mediums and traditions of African literature with the third featuring African music.

Words that Travel aims to showcase the wonderful and rich diversity within the African literary genre. Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature is the final instalment for the 2016 series, capturing the synergy between music and literature. The all day event will be held at SOAS, University of London in the Djam Lecture Theatre (DLT) and the Junior Common Room (JCR).

Here are the main features of Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature;

Publishers’ Market | Location: JCR, Time: 12pm – 6pm

Open Lit Space | Location: JCR, Time: 4pm – 5.30pm Featured author, poet and musician: Irenosen Okojie, Siana Bangura and Prodigies of Nature

African Food Court | Location: JCR, Time: 12pm – 6pm Including MAMINA, Waakye Leaf, and Good Cake Day

Performances including Baba Adesose, Dr. Martin Orwin, Caasha Lul Mohamud Yusuf, Chibundu Onuzo and Yomi Sode | Location: DLT, Doors open at 2pm

LIVE Concert featuring Jally Kebba Susso and Seeds of Creation | Location: JCR, Doors open at 8.30pm

Details of all-day event and our Digital Reading Competition and Giveaway:

Date: Saturday 21 January 2017

Venue: SOAS, University of London

Doors open: 12 noon

Admission: FREE

Register for Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature HERE!

Because we love reading and having access to digital books, we will have our Digital Reading Competition and Giveaway running from 9th January 2017 on Twitter! There are three exclusive prizes up for grabs so make sure you follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr to get first dibs on the giveaways!

Hope to see you at Saturday 21 January 2017! Stay tuned for the release of the full programme next month.

– the Afrikult. team

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Remembering Words that Travel: African Poetry on 23.01.16

At Afrikult. we are currently reflecting on our first event for Words that Travel focusing on African poetry. It feels like such a distant time from now but to think we launched the series on 23rd January earlier this year! Crazy. It was all possible through our crowdfunding #LoveAfricanLiterature campaign!

Our nerves were sky-high as we prepared to go live with the event, totally unsure of what to expect. We can say now that we were equally surprised and overwhelmed by the turnout of our sold-out event and what we also learned on the day. 

The day saw books galore at our Publishers’ Market with Africa Book Centre, Books of Africa, Pelican Post, Numbi Arts, Habiba Diallo, Amal Osman and Hope Road.

And the food served by Waakye Leaf (Ghanaian) and Mamina (Eritrean) was delish! 

When it came to the Performances later on in the afternoon featuring Dr. Chege Githioria, Belinda Zhawi, Elmi Ali, OneNess Sankara and Inua Ellams, we, like the audience, were blown away by the depth of knowledge and artistry explored. We learnt about the importance of African languages, migration of languages, words, poetry, form, we learnt personal experiences of belonging and identity. If you don’t believe us check #WordsthatTravel on Twitter and Instagram. 

Then it came to the final topping of the night, the film screening of LAMB. The first Ethiopian film to be entered into the Cannes Film Festival, directed by Yared Zeleke. Check out the trailer below if you’re feeling nostalgic, or maybe if you missed it altogether (what a shame). 

BUT if this isn’t enough, did we mention Althea SullyCole played the kora during intervals? No? Well here’s a picture.

All in all if you did miss out (again, such a shame) you can catch the live blog article of the day written by Haley Thomas here. And, because we are super generous, the programme for the day here. 

So, like what you’ve read? Were you at Words that Travel: African Poetry? Tell us, we want to hear what you thought and what you enjoyed most about the event. 

Final note, don’t forget to Save the Date for the upcoming Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature via our Eventbrite page here!

– the Afrikult. team 

Photographer: Nicole G LeBlanc

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Call for Writers and Musicians! 27.01.2017 @ SOAS, University of London #WordsthatTravel

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We are BACK! 

We know you have all been eagerly waiting for this announcement, some probably more than others (we know who you are...), but we are thrilled nonetheless to share with you our final instalment for 2016: Words that Travel: Rhythms of Literature! 

Date: Saturday 21 January 2017

Location: SOAS, University of London

Admission: FREE

What to expect:

It will be an all-day event featuring a Publishers’ Market, African Food Court, Performances, Open Lit Space and a live CONCERT!

More details about the programme and the featured acts will be announced closer to the time. 

More about the Words that Travel series:

Afrikult.’s three-part event series Words that Travel aims to showcase the wonderful and rich diversity within the African literary genre. Running throughout 2016, each event focused on particular mediums and traditions of African literature.

In January 2016, focusing on African Poetry, Words that Travel brought together an eclectic cast of young African poets based in London and the UK. Ending with a film screening of ‘Lamb’ (directed by Yared Zeleke).

In June 2016, Words that Travel did something cheeky with African storytelling by showcasing the journey of storytelling from oral, to print to digital. Winding it all down with a film screening of 'Kwaku Ananse’ (directed by Akosua Adoma Owusu)

Back again with our final instalment to the Words that Travel series, think you can guess what’s brewing in our creative pot? Didn’t think so. Word that Travel: Rhythms of Literature captures the synergy between literature and music - the sounds behind words, the words in sounds.

Secure your tickets now via Eventbrite here!