For the second time the African Book Festival will summon the finest in African and afro-diasporic writing to Berlin. The event is curated by award-winning writer and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga from Zimbabwe. With Ben Okri, the festival’s headliner is another literary giant from Nigeria.
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African Book Festival Berlin
This year the event focuses thematically on transitions, change, upheaval and future visions – in a literal as well as figurative sense: How do African writers interpret the issue of crossing borders and trespassing, physically but also stylistically. How are personal experiences and changes in location reflected in poetry? Which political upheavals are picked up on in fiction and how are they interpreted? In which ways can and do African thinkers influence current situations. How can we transcend the instrumentalisation of migration by policy makers? How can certain issues gain new meaning? This year’s regional focus is on southern Africa, Zimbabwe in particular, the homeland of the new curator, which has been facing political upheaval since former freedom fighter and later dictator Robert Mugabe’s 30-year rule ended in 2017. Since then the country has been in transition like almost no other. Radical changes like these lead to pressing questions that of course find their way into the country’s literature and poetry.
Line-up:
- Ellah Wakatama Allfrey [ZWE /
UK]
- Harriet Anena [UGA]
- Sefi Atta [NG / USA]
- Ayesha Harruna Attah [GHA /
SEN]
- Bibi Bakare-Yusuf [NG / UK]
- Panashe Chigumadzi [ZWE / ZA]
- Shadreck Chikoti [MWI]
- Chirikure Chirikure [ZWE]
- Tsitsi Dangarembga [ZWE]
- Jude Dibia [NG / SWE]
- Ainehi Edoro [NG /
USA]
- Chiké Frankie Edozien [NG / USA]
- Safia Elhillo [SDN / USA]
- John Eppel [ZWE]
- Pumla Dineo Gqola [ZA]
- Ayindé Howell [USA]
- Jama Musse Jama [SOM]
- Fred Khumalo [ZA]
- Syl Ko [USA]
- Yana Makuwa [USA]
- Zakes Mda [ZA / USA]
- Thando Mgqolozana [ZA]
- Christopher Mlalazi [ZWE /
MEX]
- Donald Molosi [BWA]
- James Murua [KEN]
- Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu [ZWE /
ZA]
- Sue Nyathi [ZWE / ZA]
- Ijangolet S Ogwang [KEN / UGA
/ ZA]
- Ben Okri [NG / UK]
- Olumide Popoola [NG / DE / UK]
- Denis Scheck [DE]
- SchwarzRund [DOM / DE]
- Namwali Serpell [ZMB / USA]
- Elma Shaw [LBR / RWA]
- Emmanuel Sigauke [ZWE / USA]
- Fungai Tichawangana [ZWE / KEN / USA]
- Novuyo Rosa Tshuma [ZWE / USA]
