Hosting the 2nd Global Association of Literary Festivals in Lagos
It seems so long ago now that about forty of us bonded and shared our experiences in a Dubai hotel meeting room. The month was February 2020 and we were very excited about this convergence of literary festival directors. No one could have imagined how much COVID-19 would change our lives and some of the core elements of the work we do.
The 1st outing of GAOLF was convened by Isobel Abulhoul of the Emirates Festival of Literature. Many festival directors felt like they had finally found their tribe. It was comforting to discover that there were others who derived the same sense of gratification from curating engaging book discussions, and lively debates. Colleagues who also understood the lows that come with the more frustrating aspects of festival organisation such as fundraising or arranging travel. Whenever one of us was talking, half of the room was nodding.
We had a joyous time – listening, picking up best practice tips from one another, making friends, asking questions, exploring Dubai, eating delicious food. Before we all said goodbye, we held a vote to choose which festival would host the next conference in 2022. To my delight, Ake Arts & Book Festival was given the honour.
Being the sole festival from the African continent present, I can’t wait to share Ake/ Nigeria with my colleagues from other countries. I am looking forward to introducing my fellow festival directors/producers to the wealth of creativity that originates from and continues to thrive on the African continent.