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The 12th Lagos Book
and Art Festival opens at the Exhibition Hall of the National Theatre,
Iganmu, Lagos on Thursday, November 12 and closes on Sunday, November
14. A pre-festival event takes place at the Ocean View, Lagos, on
November 11. The organisers, the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) has
unveiled the programme of activities for the festival, as below:

Thursday, November 11

Publishers’ Forum at the Cowrie Hall, Ocean View, Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Times: 10am to 2pm; 2pm to 5pm.

Friday, November 12

Venue: Exhibition Hall, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

9am: Opening glee by the Crown Troupe of Africa, followed by ‘My Encounter with the Book’ by Oluboludele Simoyan.

11am: Festival
Colloquium (I) – ‘Literacy and Independence’. Books for discussion: Wole
Soyinka’s ‘You Must Set Forth At Dawn’; ‘In Dependence’ by Sarah Ladipo
Manyika; ‘To Saint Patrick’ by Eghosa Imasuen’ and ‘When Citizens
Revolt’ by Ike Okonta.

1pm: Opening of Art Exhibition; plus Music, Dram, Skits and Wordslam.

3pm: Festival
Colloquium (II) – ‘A Nation of Stories’. Books for discussion: ‘Tenants
of the House’ by Wale Okediran; ‘Just Before Dawn’ by Kole Omotosho;
‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; and ‘In My Father’s
Country’ by Adewale Maja-Pearce.

Saturday, November 13

Venue: Exhibition Hall, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

10am: Children’s
Programme – Talking Books With Cate’ – You Too Can Write!’ Books for
discussion: ‘The Land of Kalamandahoo’ by Ruby Igwe and ‘The Missing
Clock’ by Mai Nasara.

11am: Town Talk –
‘Can A Book Make You Rich?’ Books for discussion: ‘The Outlier’ by
Malcolm Gladwell; ‘Minding Your Business’ by Leke Alder; and ’17 Secrets
of High Flying Students’ by Fela Durotoye.

2pm: Writers Angst: Four young authors discuss the pains and joys of writing.

3pm: Lagos 2060 – Panel discussion around Lagos and the 2060 Project by DADA Books.

4pm-7pm: Festival
Birthday Bash. Music by Fatai Rolling Dollar as LABAF celebrates the
following: Uzor Maxim Uzoatu at 50, Patrick Doyle at 50, Taiwo Obe at
50, Dele Momodu at 50, Odia Ofeimun at 60, Eddie Aderinokun at 70, Segun
Olusola at 75, Fred Agbeyegbe at 75 – Mabel Segun and Chinua Achebe at
80.

Sunday, November 14

Venue: Exhibition Hall, National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos.

Daytime: CORA
Stampede on ‘Folklore in Literature, Drama and Film’. Panel discussion
on the absence of folkloric influences in the Literature and Film of
our time. Books for discussion: ‘The Adventures of a Sugarcane Man’
(Femi Osofisan’s adaptation of Fagunwa’s ‘Ireke Onibudo’); ‘Praying
Mantis’ by Andre Brink; ‘The Hidden Star’ by K. Sello Duiker; and ‘Allah
Is Not Obliged’ by Ahmadou Korouma.

Daytime: Kiddies Segment – presentation of works from the Children’s Creativity Workshop; The Green Party – Fun! Fun! Fun!

6pm: Drama Performance (Venue: Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage,
Victoria Island, Lagos). Festival Play: ‘The Killing Swamp’ by Onukaba
Adinoyi Ojo.