Lagos International Poetry Festival begins

By Abdulwasiu Hassan

Nigeria's coastal city of Lagos this week welcomes a line-up of accomplished poets, writers and performers for the annual Lagos International Poetry Festival.

The four-day festival, beginning Wednesday, includes engaging readings, performances, workshops, exhibitions and curated panels.

It is being held at the Mike Adenuga Center in Ikoyi, Lagos, and year's edition is a "tribute to curiosity and discovery", according to the organizer Efe Paul-Azino.

“It is a reassertion of our individual and collective freedom to pursue knowledge without the corrupting influence of politics, religion, or capital,” he said in a statement.

“It is a reaffirmation of our commitment to a world where poetry and science are reinvigorated to point us toward a future defined by our courage to explore, question and understand.”

Breaking of barriers

The different backgrounds of the guests and performers reflects a breaking of barriers, not only between fields of study but also between cultures and people, Paul-Azino said.

Some of the guests expected at the festival include Wana Udobang, Mahogany Browne, Obii Ifejika, Zaynab Iliyasu Bobi, Ameerah Shabzz-Bilal, Kamnelechukwu Susan and Helena Lewis.

Two documentaries are scheduled to be screened at the festival. They are David Odiase’s Benin Did Not Die and Kola Tubosun’s Ebrohimie Road: A museum of Memory about the life of Africa’s first Nobel Prize for Literature winner.

Writer Umar abubakar Sidi is due to read from his novel, The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus, and will be joined by Elizabeth Johnson to discuss the book.

Climate science

The festival will also have a panel discussion featuring Niyi Osundare, Amy Shimson-Santo, Nninmo Bassey and Deji Toye on the topic: Does climate science need a new language?

Nigerian writer, Jumoke Verissimo, who teaches creative writing at Toronto Metropolitan University, is going to be honoured with a special recognition award.

The Lagos International Poetry Festival was conceived in 2015 and is held annually.

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