African Writes Festival 2019

Posted: Mar, 5th 2019 Contributor: Bilen Shifferaw,

Africa Writes, The Royal African Society's annual literature and book festival in association with The British Library, returns for the fourth year.

Taking place from Friday 5th to Sunday 5th July, Africa Writes 2019 will bring together over 50 authors, poets, publishers, critics and experts for an exciting programme, including book launches, readings, talks, panel discussions, performances, children and young people’s workshops, family activities, and an international book fair.

Save the dates in your diaries for a rich and vibrant programme of book launches, panel discussions, performances, masterclasses, education events, family workshops and an international book fair.

Man Booker shortlisted author Chigozie Obioma will headline this year’s Africa Writes. Closing the festival on Sunday, 7 July, Obioma will talk about his writing, Igbo cosmology and the blurred lines between myth and reality in his latest novel An Orchestra of Minorities. The event will open with an evocative staged reading of Obioma’s critically acclaimed debut novel, The Fishermen, followed by an in-conversation led by award-winning author and curator Irenosen Okojie.

Chigozie Obioma says: “I’m really excited to be a part of this celebration of the written word and to be in the company of a cohort of writers from Africa. I’m certain those three days will be like being at a concert in Lagos while in London.”

Africa Writes 2019 will open on Friday, 5 July, with Our Bodies Speak Poetry, an evening of inter-generational poetry, story-telling and performance exploring the body as a site of power, possibilities and resistance. The event will feature a slate of award-winning poets, writers and activists including Raymond Antrobus, Adesola Akinleye, Caleb Femi, Jessica Horn, Miss Jacqui, Fatimah Kelleher, Nick Makoha, Sitawa Namwalie, Koleka Putuma and Belinda Zhawi. This event will be BSL interpreted.

On Saturday, 6 July, the evening headline event, delivered in partnership with the Royal Society of Literature, will celebrate Margaret Busby’s landmark anthology, New Daughters of Africa. The anthology, which brings together the work of over 200 African women writers, will be brought to life by a panel of contributing authors including Bernardine Evaristo, Nadifa Mohamed, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and Namwali Serpell.

There are a number of ticket options available. Advance booking is strongly recommended. Please see below for more information and online booking links. You can also purchase tickets over the phone by calling the British Library Box Office on +44 (0)1937 546546.

Concessions are available for all tickets, and Royal African Society Members get a 40% discount.

Weekend Pass £20
This pass gets you into the full weekend of events, apart from the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening events, Our Bodies Speak Poetry, New Daughters of Africa and Chigozie Obioma in conversation and The Fishermen, which are ticketed separately. BOOK NOW

Saturday Day Ticket £15

This pass gets you into all events on Saturday held at the British Library. The evening event New Daughters of Africa is ticketed separately. BOOK NOW

Sunday Day Ticket £12

This pass gets you into all events on Sunday, apart from evening event Chigozie Obioma in conversation and The Fishermen which is ticketed separately. BOOK NOW