The 2023 Lagos International Poetry Festival (LIPFest) was themed “Sanctuary” and consisted of four mesmerizing days of performances, readings, panel discussions, workshops, film screenings, and exhibitions.  It took place from October 26–29 this year at the Alliance Française / Mike Adenuga Center in Lagos, Nigeria.

The Lagos International Poetry Festival has been held since 2015 and creates a stunning annual celebration of creativity and culture in Lagos by bringing together some of the biggest writers, poets, thinkers, artists and public intellectuals. The aim is to provide a space for exchanging ideas and connecting poets, writers, and artists to new audiences and practices.

The 9th edition of the festival included a range of fascinating events such as Come To The Water: Yoga and Poetry, Feminist Joy As Resistance, Poetry Slam, Folklores and Gyrations of the Oppressed, Poetry After Dark, and more!

We are especially a big fan of the writing workshops held by big names such as Bassey Ikpi, Jericho Brown, Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún, and Brane Mozetic. Find the full list of events here.

It looks like LIPFest 2023 was a huge success and we cannot wait to find out next year’s dates, theme, and schedule. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, check out the stunning photos from this year’s festival below.

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All photos sourced from Lagos International Poetry Festival’s Instagram @lagospoetryfest.