An audience at the 2016 Ake Festival.

The 2017 Ake Arts and Book Festival is here.

Founded in 2013 by Lola Shoneyin, Orange Prize-longlisted author of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives and director of Book Buzz Foundation, the Ake Arts and Book Festival is the biggest annual gathering of African literary writers, founders, editors, critics, readers, everybody on the continent. It is, quite simply, the Met Gala of African literature.

The festival is held in Abeokuta, and has proved quite the attraction for activists, musicians, dancers, actors, illustrators, and a range of artists and thinkers who storm the event to share their ideas and work. Here is information from their Website about the 2017 festival.

The fifth edition of Ake Arts and Book Festival will take place at the Arts and Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta on 14-18 November, 2017. This year’s theme is This F-Word and conversations will focus largely on creative women doing amazing things both on the African continent and beyond.

As part of our aim to develop, promote and celebrate creativity on the African continent, Ake Festival 2017 will feature 14 authors in 7 book chats, 1 art exhibition with 5 incredible female artists, 1 stage play, 1 in-depth interview, school visits, 14 stimulating panel discussions, 4 film screenings, 1 creative writing workshop, 1 music concert with 5 amazing women, a tour of historic sites and a night of poetry performance. Book-lovers and visitors will be thrilled by the range of affordable books at the Ake Festival Bookstore.

We will bring you information about the registration process and everything you need to know about participating. For now, you can check out some memoirs and photos from the festival over the years.

Read: Ake Festival Journal: Day 1 | Nmadiuto Uche

Read: Ake Festival Journal: Day 2 | Nmadiuto Uche

Read: Ake Festival Journal: Day 3 | Nmadiuto Uche

Read: How I Found My Greatness: Reflections on the 2016 Ake Arts and Book Festival | Nnamdi Ehirim

Read: Chronicles of Ake: A Firsthand Account from Nigeria’s Biggest Literary Festival

Read: Ake Festival 2016: A Musicaliterary Concert | Nmadiuto Uche

Read: My Ake Festival Video on the African Literary Scene is Out!

Read: African Writers Never Looked So Good! | See the Stunning Photo Shoot at Ake Arts and Book Festival

Read: President Obasanjo Hangs Out with Writers at Ake Festival

We look forward to this.

Visit the Ake Festival Website for more information.