5 must attend events at LABAF 2019
With a few days left to the 2019 edition of the Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF), we are excited about the amazing activities in store.
Every single event, conversation and activity at the festival has been carefully-curated to tickle your artistic fancy, while leaving you better. But we have a few ‘favourites’ that we are willing to share with you.
So, we have put together 5 must-attend events at LABAF2019 that you should definitely not miss.
WOLE SOYINKA 85; Timeless Memories; Elastic Effects.
If you are a fan of the legend, Professor Wole Soyinka, then this one is definitely for you.
This event is an exhibition project that seeks to understand and showcase, from the perspective of the icon, 25 most important defining moments that led the young man who grew up in Abeokuta to become the enigma we all revere today.
Date is Monday November 4th, 2019 from 2.00 pm at Kongi Harvest, Arts Gallery.
POETRY OF ARRIVAL; co-ordinated by Poets InNigeria.
It is no secret that when poets gather, magic is created. So, if you have a thing for rhyme and reason, laced around the eloquence of words, then this one will excite you!
‘Poets in Nigeria’ will make a bold statement at a no-holds-barred poetry night that is guaranteed to take your breath away.
Date is Tuesday November 5th, 2019 from 7.00 pm at the Food Court.
1st READERS FORUM; READERS ARE LEADERS.
There has always been a connection between Leaders and the kind of literature they consume. This session will lay credence to that assertion, as two distinguished Nigerians, Odein Ajumogobia, former Minister of State for Petroleum/former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Adepeju Adebayo will show us how their achievements are linked to their penchant for books and reading.
At this event, we will take a deep dive into their unique perspectives, literary habits and the books that helped form their minds.
Date is Wednesday November 6th, 2019 and time is 4.00 pm at Kongi’s Harvest, Arts Gallery.
HOW TO CAPTURE 200 MILLION READERS IN 5 YEARS.
The title gives this one away. The 9th Publishers Forum and Quramo Publishing limited is set to tackle emerging opportunities and challenges in the publishing eco-system.
So if you are published or plan to be, you should definitely be at this conversation. Date is Thursday November 7th, 2019 from 10.00 am at the Goethe Institute, City Hall, Lagos Island.
THE SHAKARA MUSIC CONCERT
There is no LABAF without a closing performance!
So we give you the Shakara Music Concert, a celebration of the musical legacies of the maestros, produced by Hakeem Adenekan for Commstrat Company.
The concert will kick off at 8pm on November 10th at the Food Court of Freedom Park.
That’s it, 5 events that you don’t want to miss at LABAF2019
Thank us later.
‘A Fistful of Shells’ wins 2019 Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize
In the UK, historian Toby Green has won the £25,000 (A$46,750) Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize for Global Cultural Understanding for his book A Fistful of Shells: West Africa from the rise of the slave trade to the age of revolution (Penguin Press), reports the Bookseller.
Green’s history of West Africa dispels the long-held view that African trade only began with the European ‘Scramble for Africa’ in the late 19th century, arguing the continent had already been globally connected for many centuries.
‘A Fistful of Shells is a treasure trove of a book. Truly ground-breaking, it draws on years of work to tell another story of pre-colonial West Africa, a continually ignored continent,’ said the judges. ‘It changed the way in which the jury thought about Africa and helped us to better understand not just Africa but the way in which the world is changing right now. Finally, a detailed history that few Westerners know but all ought to. Quite simply, an eye-opener.’
Established in 2013, the prize was created by the British Academy to celebrate works of nonfiction that contribute to ‘global cultural understanding and illuminate the interconnections and divisions that shape cultural identity worldwide’.
The winner, chosen from a shortlist of six, was announced at a ceremony at the British Academy in London.
Source: booksandpublishing.com
SA Film ‘Moffie’ Nominated for 3 British Independent Film Awards
Cape Town — South African film Moffie has been nominated for three British Independent Film Awards.
The nominations were announced on Wednesday, and the LGBTQI movie is nominated in the categories for Best Director (Oliver Hermanus), Breakthrough Producer (Jack Sidey) and Best Cinematography (Jamie D Ramsay).
The film is based on the novel by André-Carl van der Merwe and was shown at the London Film Festival. The plot centres on a young man named Nicholas who is conscripted into the South African military and grapples with his sexuality.
The director’s previous movies include Skoonheid (Beauty) and The Endless River, which was the first South African film selected for Venice’s Competition.
In a statement on Moffie’s Facebook page, the movie’s director said: “It is a real milestone for us to be recognised at this event,”. He added: “We’ve had an amazing team come together to make this film and so to be celebrated in this way is truly wonderful.”
The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, 1 December 2019 and will be hosted by comedian, actress and writer Aisling Bea.
Moffie will premiere in South Africa on 13 March 2020.
Source: Channel24
Benin Agog As Emotan Comes Alive In Stunning New Historical Play
The eagerly anticipated historical play, Emotan, was the indisputable highpoint of an exhilarating week of festivities at the National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST), which closed at the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre in Benin City, Edo State capital on Friday.
Written and directed by William Benson, and produced by Joseph Edgar of Duke of Shomolu Productions, the play was supported by the MTN Foundation as part of its Arts and Culture revival cause. The play was a vivid retelling of the storied account of the revered Benin trader, Emotan, historically credited with setting up the first primary school in the kingdom and saving the monarchy during one of its lowest moments.
Played by Aisha Sanni Shittu, Emotan was a well-respected food trader during the reigns of Oba Uwaifiokun and Prince Ogun, the future Oba Ewuare the Great in the 16th Century, she assisted Oba Ewuare in reclaiming the throne after several years in exile.
The First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki said Emotan’s story highlighted the timelessness of empowering women and sustaining the fight against human trafficking.
The Honourable Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Diaspora Affairs for Edo State, Hon. Osaze Osemwengie-Ero called the production “a triumph of storytelling about the Edo people” and said the government “is doing everything to put Edo State on the global cultural tourism map through showcasing the best of our rich heritage.”
Speaking on the Foundation’s support, Dennis Okoro, Director, MTN Foundation said, “From her tenacity and resourcefulness to her patriotism and courage, Emotan is a historical figure we can learn a lot from. It is stories like these that fuel our Foundation’s commitment to introducing a new generation of Nigerians to our great history.”
This production was a strong reflection of NAFEST 2019’s theme of ‘Our Royalty, Our Pride’, which afforded cultural enthusiasts the opportunity to bask in Benin’s rich and long traditional heritage.
The MTN Foundation supports Emotan as part of its Arts and Culture Cause through which it has sponsored some of Nigeria’s most compelling art, poetry and theatre productions. For almost a decade, the Foundation has sponsored acclaimed plays including Saroo, Wakaa, Fela and the Kalakuta Queens, Agbarho, Jungle Story 2 and the Nigerian Universities Theatre Arts Festival to name a few.
Emotan will also show at the Agip Recital Hall of the Muson Centre in Lagos from December 22 to 25, 2019.
