The Uppsala International Literature Festival is set to celebrate its 8th edition with a special focus on Nigeria. The festival will take place in Uppsala, Sweden from March 27 to 29, 2025.

The festival will highlight Nigeria’s contributions to literature, showcasing the works of writers such as Wole Soyinka, the first African laureate to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and other luminaries like Ken Saro-Wiwa. Lola Shoneyin, author, poet, founder and leader of the Book Buzz Foundation, will give the opening speech. Other participants include Logan February, the youngest ever literary laureate in the Future Awards Africa competition and an active advocate for LGBTQ rights in Nigeria. Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, a Nigerian journalist and writer, will join Shoneyin and Feburary for a panel discussing the rapidly growing book market in Nigeria where books are still a luxury.

In addition to the Nigerian focus, the festival will also include a posthumous tribute to Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, who tragically lost her life in a Russian missile attack while working on a book documenting the human toll of the ongoing war in Ukraine, a discussion of James Baldwin’s legacy, and a conversation about South Africa’s indictment of Israel submitted to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Uppsala International Literature Festival is committed to promoting an “increase interest in literature and writing from, in Sweden, less visible cultural spheres.” Last year, the festival focused on Arabic novels and we are excited to see this year’s emphasis on Nigerian literature.

Check out the full program of events here!