By HENRY AKUBUIRO
Poets from Nigeria and beyond will be entertaining the literary community in the forthcoming Lagos International Poetry Festival holding later in the month. The five-day festival, which holds from October 28 –November, 2015, will feature master classes, school visits, performances and panel discussions.
Iconic Nigerian poet, JP Clark, and frontline poet, Odia Ofeimun, are among the elite class of bards expected to delight the audience. The South African writer, Nick Makoha, winner of the 2015 Brunel University African Poetry Prize; and the Nigerian, Lola Soneyin, will also make the festival thick at the maiden edition of the festival.
The list also includes Inua Ellams, TJ Dema, Wana Udobang, Titilope Sonuga, Dami Ajayi, Chuma Nwokolo, Sage Hasson, Jumoke Verissimo, Akeem Lasisi, Chijioke Amu-nnadi, Natalia Molebatsi, Uche Peter Umez, AJ Dagga Tolar, Iquo Eke, Adesola Fakile, among others. In all, about 30 poets will be showcased in what promises to be “West Africa’s first international poetry festival”, according to the festival director, Mr. Efe Paul Azino.
The theme of the festival, he informed at a media briefing in Lagos midweek, would be “Borderless Words”, explaining that it would be “geared towards exploring poetry’s capacity to break racial, ethnic, gender, language and cultural divides, and help forge creative collaborations across the continent”.
The festival, which will hold in several venues, including Freedom Park, University of Lagos, Muson Centre, Bogobiri House and the African Artist Foundation –all in Lagos – will kick off with master classes at 10 am on the 28th of October, to be followed by a cocktail in the evening at Freedom Park. Organisers said, on the following day, 29th, a special session would hold at the University of Lagos, featuring Prof. JP Clark and performances by other festival guests.
Mr Azino informed, too, that panel discussions and more performances would hold at the Freedom Park from Friday October 30, to be preceded with a command performance on the 1st of November.
In the last two decades, added Azino, poetry, especially the performance variant, had been experiencing resurgence across the African continent, from Lagos to Nairobi and Johannesburg, “where enthusiasts gather to listen to poets riff on anything everything, adding that the “effect of this has been a broadening, somewhat, of the literary space across Africa with attendant value on its creative economy”.
The theme of the festival, he said, would emphasis on poetry’s capacity to bridge racial, ethnic, gender, language and cultural divides and the imperative of creative collaborations on the continent.
The broad objectives of the festival, he remarked, were to contribute to the breeding of young, emerging voices through workshops and livelihood through workshops; to engender conversation on the furtherance of the art as a means of expression and livelihood through panel discussions, as well as create shared performance space for poets from Nigeria and the UK.
Titilope Sonuga, one of the guest poets, said she, aside performing her poetry, would also be involved in teaching the master classes. Born and raised in Nigeria, she moved over to Canada, where she honed her craft in poetry and won renown. “The festival presents an opportunity for me to perform in Nigeria and also meet and engage other poets at the same space,” she said.
Sponsored by Nigerian Brewery and supported by Freedom Park, the Corporate/Brand Manager of the former, Mr. Edem Vindah, said the pioneer beer company had, over the years, been supporting the entertainment, sports, literature and art. “Right now,” he added, “we are supporting poetry, which follows the annual creative writing workshop by Chimamanda.”
The company, he said, believed that its contribution in the festival would encourage poets and young people aspiring to exhibit their talents, nay ginger other corporate organisations to partner with organisers of literary events.