The 2025 edition of the Aké Arts & Book Festival, marking its 13th anniversary, has officially begun, centred around the profoundly relevant theme: “Reclaiming Truth.”
The opening day of the three-day festival, Thursday, November 20, ongoing in Lagos, is a packed schedule, commencing with a Welcome Ceremony that featured an official speech by the Director, musical interludes, poetry and prose readings, Nommo Award presentations with Muna Khogali, and goodwill messages.
Also at the ceremony were Louisa Onome and Yashika Graham, and a performance by the enchanting Afrobeat and alternative rock fusion band, The Recurrence.
Festival Director, Lola Shoneyin, in her opening remarks, underscored the urgency of the theme, stating it “emerged from an urgent observation of our times” where “lived experiences are dismissed, denied, or rewritten for convenience” and “truth is no longer a collective assumption.”
The RecurrenceThe festival’s call is a prayer: that our futures “be shaped by those who dare to tell their truths courageously.” This year’s theme is particularly significant given the festival’s continued growth, including its recent co-curation of the Sharjah Literary Festival, where Prof. Wole Soyinka was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 13th edition of the associated Aké Review saw a staggering 544 submissions, highlighting the publication’s reach and resonance.
The Rise of Romance panel“The Rise of Romance,” the festival’s first panel, “The Rise of Romance,” celebrated the genre’s blooming presence in Nigerian literature. Hosted by Amyn Bawa-Allah, the discussion featured authors Fatima Bala, Adesua Nwokedi, and Oreva Olujimi. They delved into the exploration of love, desire, and emotional truth, and what makes Nigerian romance writing unique.
The Book Chat: African Voices and Political Realities followed, diving into the worlds of Francophone African literature with authors Alain Mabanckou and Bofane In Koli, was ongoing as at the time of filing this story. Moderated by Nnamdi Ehirim, the conversation explored the vivid, satirical, and politically charged realities of postcolonial Africa, examining the enduring impact of their novels on African literature.
The rest of the day is to feature the Book Chat: Resistance, Exile, and Truth from 2:20 – 3:2pm with Iris Mwanza and Andie Davis, moderated by Wanjiru Koinange. The authors are expected to discuss their works, The Lion’s Den and Let Me Liberate You, reflecting on stories of resistance, exile, and the search for belonging. Centred on women and voices navigating silence, power, queerness, and identity in societies struggling with change.
Then there will be the Panel Discussion titled: “Whose Truth Is it Anyway?” at 3:25 – 4:25pm.
Reinforcing the festival’s core theme, the “Whose Truth Is it Anyway?” panel is a powerful conversation on disinformation, contested histories, and silenced voices. Hosted by Ayisha Osori, three “fearless chroniclers of injustice”—Isa Sanusi, Dipo Faloyin, and Sonia Faleiro—interrogates the role of power in shaping narratives and the need for truth in social justice and accountability.
The final Book Chat for the day is titled: “The Unsung Kuti Legacy” from 4:30 – 5:3pm, a deeply touching and reflective Book Chat on Remilekun Kuti, the first wife of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and the subject of the posthumous memoir, MRS KUTI.
Moderated by poet Dami Ajayi, the session offers a rare glimpse into her life, exploring love, sacrifice, resistance, and the untold story of a woman history tried to forget. The session is to feature Remilekun’s children, Yemi Kuti, Femi Kuti, and Made Kuti.
This first day has set a powerful, reflective, and politically charged tone for the rest of the three-day festival.
