On Tuesday, 11th November 2025, the Director of the Book Buzz Foundation, Lola Shoneyin, briefed the press ahead of the 13th edition of the Ake Arts and Book Festival, themed Reclaiming Truth.
Speaking at Ouida House, Opebi, she provided insight into the theme of this year’s event. One of the foremost figures in the African literary scene, her experience and infectious confidence bred anticipation for the Ake Festival, scheduled to hold from November 20th to November 22nd, 2025.
This year’s edition is packed with book chats and panel discussions from 67 guest authors and poets from 16 countries, including Ukraine, Belgium, Congo, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, France, Kenya, Namibia, and Nigeria.
The African Book Quiz, having been held in the previous two editions, will be noticeably absent from this year’s event. In its place is a dinner event in partnership with Africa Imaginary, a South African company, to create podcasts on the creative process of African creatives, as well as a program held jointly with the British Council.
This year’s theme, Reclaiming Truth, speaks to the realities of the current world; a world where even “from positions of power” and leadership, people fail to enjoy the “assumption of truth.”
It seems like some voices have been muffled [on legacy and social media]. It seems like everybody sees the truth, but nobody acknowledges it,” she stated, justifying the need for Ake’s central theme and conversations, which include defining truth, understanding what it is, conversations around selective empathy in the global media and why it’s so hard for the average individual to decipher truth.
Lola Shoneyin spoke about the deeply political motive behind the Ake Festival, stating that “It’s impossible to have a literary gathering that runs away from the political.” She emphasized her stance by pointing out how Ake Festival aspires to always bring these political thoughts closer to the people, especially given the volatile geo-political situations in African countries, including Nigeria.
She also talked up the special platform and opportunity that Ake Festival granted to authors to communicate directly with audiences in a real place of comfort without explanation and context, a hallmark of the refreshingly erudite African audiences, “eyeball to eyeball.”
“We bring the questions, and we let the guests bring the answers.”
Visitors to Aké Festival will experience a series of stimulating panel discussions featuring eminent guests. Conversations include Whose Truth Is It Anyway?, featuring leading authors and thinkers; The Stories That Matter, with Mazzi Odu, Paul Okuego, Kiisa Soyinka, and Tonye Faloughi-Ekezie—authors of children’s books; and The Rise of Romance, with Fatima Bala, Adesuwa Nwokedi, and Oreva Olujimi.
In What Is Truth?, Adania Shibli, Kunle Ajibade, and Dr. Olaokun Soyinka explore the nuances of truth and authenticity. Other panels include Global Media and Selective Empathy, featuring Adrian Harewood, Zeinab M. Salih, and Jonas Kiriko, moderated by Joseph Ike, as well as Mainstream Media and the Loss of Trust, with Tolu Ogunlesi, Colombe Schneck, and Myroslav Laiuk.
The festival will also host Why Speculative Fiction Matters, highlighting the genre’s power to reimagine reality and challenge perceptions. Together, these conversations will ensure that attendees leave Aké Festival feeling inspired, reflective, and more connected to global experiences.
There will be nine Book Chats at this year’s Ake Festival, featuring in-depth conversations with leading African and international writers whose latest works transport readers into unforgettable worlds full of memory, meaning, and magic.
Multi-award-winning author Bernardine Evaristo will be joining us, along with Adania Shibli, the acclaimed Palestinian writer, and Nkereuwem Albert, whose debut novel, The Bone River, published by Ouida Books, is set in Calabar and explores the power that flows through ancient bloodlines and the secrets of the Four Houses ruling the unseen.
There will also be a special Book Chat around one of Ouida Books’ bestsellers, Mrs Kuti, a memoir of Remilekun Kuti, the wife of Fela Kuti, featuring Femi Kuti, Yeni Kuti, and Made Kuti.
The Romance Book Chat lineup expands this year to include Fatima Bala, author of Broken: Not a Halal Love Story, who will present her latest novel, Hafsatu Bebi, and Bolu Babalola, the romconnoisseur herself, with her new book, Sweet Heat.
Ake Festival will host Alain Mabanckou, Bofane In Koli, Louisa Onomé, Femi Kayode, Olufemi Terry, Olayinka Yaqub, Marvellous Michael, Iris Mwanza, Andie Davis, and Lola Shoneyin, who recently won the Akada Children’s Book of the Year Award for Tunde the Chess Champion, illustrated by K. R. Onimole and inspired by the life of Tunde Onakoya.
This year, Aké Festival will celebrate cinematic excellence from Nigeria with a film that resonates with the festival theme.
Producers Ema Edosio and Adebayo Oduwole will screen their film When Nigeria Happens and afterwards engage in a conversation with Omotoke Solarin Sodara.
The enchanting Palmwine and Poetry segment is the highlight of the annual festival. This dynamic blend of cultural elements fuses the refreshing tang of palm wine with the energising artistry of performance poetry to create an exhilarating evening for festival-goers.
Attendees can look forward to captivating performances by Momtaza Mehri, Yashika Graham, Maryam Bukar, Abubakar Umar Sidi, Dami Ajayi, Chukky Ibe, Zaynab Bobi, and Bash Amuneni.
This segment will be hosted by Wana Udobang.
The festival is set to captivate audiences with musical brilliance as The Recurrence, a boy band formed in Lagos by three young music graduates, fills the atmosphere with uplifting and inspiring classics from the coast of West Africa.
This year marks the second Bedtime Stories series at Aké. Audio recordings of two guests reading from their books will be played to soothe audiences at the end of each day as they head to their bedrooms.
Featured authors include Fatima Bala, author of one of Nigeria’s most trending novels, and Adedapo Adeniyi, a filmmaker.
Online registration for this year’s festival has started. Attendees can register on the festival’s website at www.akefestival.org or come to the venue to register and attend. The venue is BON Hotel Ikeja Residence, 51 Sobo Arobiodu Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, Nigeria
Aké Arts & Book Festival is delighted to partner in 2025 with Sterling Group and Open Society Foundation (OSF), who have consistently supported our goal of celebrating and promoting creativity, while facilitating discussions that empower the arts.
This year’s Festival is in Partnership with Sterling Bank, Lagos State Government and Open Society Foundation
