The annual African Book Festival organized by InterKontinental is going virtual this year.

The festival, usually held in Berlin, will be streamed live from Grassi Museum in Leipzig and Literaturhaus Munich on January 28 and January 29 2021. Events will be in English, and no translation will be provided.

This year’s festival, titled “Voices from the Beginning — Books Born from Songs,” is curated by Kalaf Epalanga. Epalanga was named curator of last year’s festival, but the festival had been canceled due to the onset of the pandemic.

The two-day festival “explores the manifold entanglements of music and literature.” Conversations with guest speakers will be accompanied by their musical inspirations, and readings will be performed by the actors Martha Fessehatzion and Moses Leo.

The Leipzig event will be livestreamed on January 28 at 8pm GMT+1. It will focus on Anglophone African writers in the diaspora. Epalanga will be in conversation with Chimeka Garricks, Fiston Mwanza Mujila, Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ, Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda, Rémy Ngamije, and Zukiswa Wanner.

The Munich event will be livestreamed on January 29 at 8pm GMT+1. It will focus on Lusophone African literature. Epalanga will be in conversation with José Eduardo Agualusa, Ondjaki, Telma Tvon, Yara Monteiro, and Toty Sa’Med.

Both days of the festival will be livestreamed. Livestream links will be made available soon. Click here for more information on the Leipzig events, and here for more information on the Munich events.

Find out more about the festival and festival guests here.