In response to the altered state of our present day reality and the change that has affected everything from fashion to friendship, the annual literary event, Ake Festival, has reworked it’s yearly theme while moving the event online, to suit the aesthetic of the new normal.
In a well-written twitter thread post, the organizers of the literary convergence articulated this change and the reason for it.
Check out the post below:
“Our world has changed forever. And when the world turns, we turn with it. The magnitude of recent world events cannot be ignored. We have therefore decided to change the theme for the 8th edition of Ake Arts & Book Festival to AFRICAN TIME.
In 1918, African nations were in the clutches of imperial forces that denigrated our stories, culture, history, language and belief systems. A century later, a new pandemic finds Africa struggling with the colonial hangover of poor leadership and a predatory global order.
Africa must reject the old normal and seize the opportunity of the moment to recalibrate and break the cycle of betrayal by those elected to lead. This may be our last chance to shape Africa and define the continent of our dreams.
It may have come later than expected but, for the children of Africa everywhere, this is African Time.”
We can’t wait to navigate this new theme at the 2020 edition of the Ake Festival.
Fingers crossed.
