-24 January 2025
The first-ever Sharjah Festival of African Literature has celebrated a milestone in African arts and culture by presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka.
The award was conferred by Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, recognizing Soyinka’s extraordinary contributions to African literature and his impact as a global literary icon.
This landmark event, which began on 24 January and runs until 27 January, is co-curated by the Book Buzz Foundation, founded and directed by Lola Shoneyin, a prominent literary figure renowned for curating the Ake Arts and Book Festival and the Kaduna Book and Arts Festival.
The festival has brought together a stellar lineup of African literary voices, including:
Prof. Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate Prof. Abdulrazak Gurnah, Alain Mabanckou, Jennifer Makumbi, Petina Gappah, Nnedi Okorafor, Peter Kimani, Yvonne Owuor, Chika Unigwe, Tendai Huchu, Wole Talabi, Cheryl Ntumi, Fatima Bala, Nnamdi Ehirim, Umar Abubakar Sidi, and poets Wana Udobang, Maryam Bukar Hassan, and Deborah Johnson, Dami Ajayi (author and poet), Ann Masina (South African singer), and notable guests like Ifeoma Esiri, Mara Menzies, Ade Bantu, Amyn Bawa-Allah, Kenanao Phele, Wendy Njoroge, Abdulkareem Baba-Aminu, and Dr. Olaokun Soyinka.
The festival reflects the UAE’s dedication to fostering global literary exchange and highlighting African stories and culture on an international stage.
By Lola Shoneyin
Your Highness, esteemed guests, distinguished authors, and lovers of literature,
It fills me with immense joy and gratitude to have been invited to co-curate the first edition of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature, a landmark event that brings together eminent authors, established wordsmiths, and new voices from across Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
From the very first moment that we at the Book Buzz Foundation started working with the Sharjah Book Authority, we viewed this festival as much more than a celebration of words; it is a significant step towards bridging the gap between these two regions, which are rich in heritage, bound by a complex history, yet now united by the limitless power of storytelling and creativity.
As a city that hosts several book festivals, conferences and fairs, Sharjah has become a beacon of literary excellence, a place where people engaged in the business of books converge to deliberate, to learn and to take the right steps towards a more equitable literary landscape.
Sharjah’s commitment to fostering dialogue and the cross-fertilization of ideas makes it a befitting setting for this festival, and I extend my heartfelt appreciation to our chief host, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, my warm and wonderful collaborator Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi who continues to be a friend of Africa in the truest sense, His Excellency Ahmed Al Ameri the CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority. I also extend my gratitude to the SBA team - Khoula, Mohammed, Asma, Qurrat, Deema, Saif, Moza, and Amir for their support and dedication to making this day, this moment, a reality. I am also very appreciative of the commitment of my dynamic team, who accompanied me to Sharjah. Thank you, Toke, Tobe, Ayomide, Sharon, Oyeshola, and Nancy. You always make my job so easy.
Africa and the Arab world share deep-rooted connections—woven through centuries of trade, scholarship, and artistic exchange. Yet, despite these ties, we have not developed enough platforms for shared literary engagement. Today, together, we take a bold step towards changing that. This festival offers us a unique opportunity to engage, to listen, to discover the stories that have shaped our identities, and to bring our peoples closer together.
African literature is as diverse as the continent itself—spanning thousands of languages and cultures. histories, and perspectives. Our works speak to our resistance, our resilience, our struggles, our humor, our joys, and the bold reimagining of the future.
And just as African writers continue to challenge and inspire so many across the world, we acknowledge the sublime contributions of our Emirati kin, whose poetic traditions and innovations have enriched our lives. This festival is a meeting of minds, a place where we can learn from one another, challenge perceptions, foster understanding, make friends, and forge new artistic silk roads together.
During this festival, in addition to many distinguished writers and thinkers, you will hear from two giants recognized globally for their observations which help us make sense of the human condition. It is a huge privilege to have Professor Wole Soyinka and Professor Abdulrazak Gurnah with us at this first edition of the Sharjah Festival of African Literature.
And to all the other writers gathered here today from across different, African countries. you are the custodians of our memories, the chroniclers of our trials and triumphs. Here, in Sharjah, your words will inspire and build bridges where distance and language once separated us. As always, when creatives minds come together, magic happens.
This is because literature, in particular, transcends borders, and time, connecting us in ways that policy and politics cannot, reminding us of our shared humanity and our collective aspirations for a more just and harmonious world.
I invite you all to engage wholeheartedly, to explore, to question, and most importantly, to enjoy the confluence of African and Arabic culture and creativity.
Thank you.
