The Aké Arts and Book Festival, Africa’s largest literary celebration, is set to return for its highly anticipated 12th edition. Scheduled to take place from November 20 to 23, 2024, at Bon Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, this year’s festival promises an exciting array of events under the theme: Finding Freedom. Founded by Lola Shoneyin, award-winning author and cultural advocate, the festival has become a cornerstone of Nigeria’s literary and cultural landscape, attracting writers, thinkers, and audiences from across the globe. The 2024 theme, Finding Freedom, delves into the universal human pursuit of autonomy amidst adversity. Festival founder Lola Shoneyin shared…

Ehiorobo Derek, Kyle Okeke are Evaristo Prize for African Poetry 2024 joint winners

We’re a charity awarding £1,000 grants to people of colour based in the UK who want to bring a new creative project to life. We support creativity in all its forms including: poetry, paintings, fashion, zines, music, food, flowers, photographs, workshops, events or something else completely. Applications are now open until 7th May, 6pm! Who can apply? To apply, you need to identify as Black, Asian, Brown and/or part of the Global Majority aged 18 or over and based in the UK. For all other information and tips on making the best application possible – you can find detailed application…

OPPORTUNITY:INTRODUCING THE BLACK POETS MASTERCLASS SERIES. Obsidian Foundation is proud to announce the Black Poets Masterclass Series in partnership with Arvon, Royal Society of Literature, The National Poetry Library and The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society. From May to December 2023, four award-winning poets, Dzifa Benson, Anthony Joseph, Karen McCarthy Woolf and Jason Allen-Paisant will explore four distinct areas of the Black poetry canon, looking at Black writers past and present from Africa, the US, the Caribbean and the UK. Join us over the course of 8 months for a deep dive into the Black poetry canon, equipping you to explore what a decolonised poetry canon might look like and…

This event signifies a renewed interest in the spoken word and demonstrates the transformative potential of poetry in the digital age.

Image Caption: Performers at the "Folklore and Gyration of the Oppressed" event at the Lagos International Poetry Festival.