Authors at the 2025 Sharjah Festival of African Literature
Calling all bookworms! The Sharjah Festival of African Literature will take place from Friday, Jan. 24 to Monday, Jan. 27 at the University City Hall Square.
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Here are some of the African authors who will speak at the festival:
Abdulrazak Gurnah
Gurnah won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2021. On Saturday, Jan. 25, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m., he will talk with author Iman Al Yousuf about his renowned novel Afterlives.
Wole Soyinka
Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright and novelist who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. He will talk to Layla Mohamed about the multifaceted nature of African identity and the connection between the Arab world and Africa. The discussion will be hosted on Friday, Jan. 24, from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Nnedi Okorafor
The Nigerian-American author will discuss her latest book, 'Death of the Author,' with writer and journalist Abdulkareem Baba-Aminu on Friday, Jan. 24, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Mara Menzies
The storyteller will talk about the power of storytelling and about blending cultural tales with her personal experiences. The session will take place on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Yvonne Owuor
The author will talk to Amyn Bawa-Allah about her novel 'The Dragonfly Sea', her writing process, and the role of African storytelling in global literature. The session will take place on Monday, Jan. 27, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Umar Abubakar Sidi
The Nigerian poet will talk about his latest book 'The Incredible Dreams of Garba Dakaskus' with publisher Wendy Njoroge. The poet will talk about imperialism and alienation in contemporary African life on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
If you've got no plans for that weekend, register for the Sharjah Festival of African Literature.