What Aké Is—and Why It Matters
Since 2013, the Aké Arts & Book Festival has served as West Africa’s flagship meeting of writers, thinkers, filmmakers, and readers. Curated by the Book Buzz Foundation (founded by novelist Lola Shoneyin), Aké doesn’t treat literature as an island—it places books in conversation with history, politics, language, film, music, visual arts, and the business of publishing. That cross-disciplinary DNA explains the festival’s distinctive mix: morning keynotes, afternoon craft and book chats, policy-inflected panels, and night-time poetry, music, or screenings. It feels equal parts colloquium and carnival: intellectually serious, emotionally warm, and unabashedly reader-centric. Book Buzz FoundationWikipedia
A Short History
Aké launched in Abeokuta in 2013 and later moved to Lagos, growing from a compact writers’ gathering into a high-visibility platform where editors scout talent, critics test ideas, and young readers meet their heroes. Over the years, its official magazine, Aké Review, has become an archive of interviews, essays, and new writing—useful both to scholars and to fans tracking the arc of African literature’s current “long wave.” The event’s Lagos era—often hosted in accessible venues near Ikeja (and previously at Ouida Lagos)—coincides with a widening audience and a maturing ecosystem of indie presses, translators, and booksellers around it. Wikipediaakefestival.org
2025 Theme: “Reclaiming Truth”
The 13th edition’s theme promises programming that interrogates misinformation, memory, archives, and the politics of who gets to narrate the African past and present. Expect conversations that range from fact-checking in a disinformation age to the ethics of historical fiction, from language politics (English/Yorùbá/French) to the role of translators in continental circulation. Brittle Paper’s announcement highlights the theme and the November 20–22 dates. Brittle Paper
What to Expect on the Ground
Programming cadence: Mornings often open with high-profile keynotes. Midday slots host craft clinics and book chats that let you hear authors unpack structure, voice, and research. Late afternoons bring multi-speaker panels—publishers, historians, journalists—before evenings switch the mood to performance: poetry sets, screenings, music, or theater.
Scale and vibe: Aké is big in reputation yet intimate in feel. Speakers mingle, Q&As are generous, and signings are easy to catch.
Who attends: Writers and editors, students, teachers, librarians, festival programmers from across Africa and the diaspora, and a loyal Lagos reading community.
Practical Planning (2025)
Registration & announcements: Follow the official website and social handles for program drops and ticketing windows. The site and venue page currently anchor dates as Nov 20–22, 2025. akefestival.org+1
Where to stay: For minimal Lagos traffic stress, aim for Ikeja/GRA or hotels close to the listed venue zone.
Budgeting: Tickets are typically tiered (day passes vs. full-festival); factor in books (you will buy some), local transport, and evening events.
Pro tip: Bring a small daypack for purchases and a power bank. Save time between sessions by grabbing quick bites at on-site cafes or nearby spots.
Why Aké Is a bellwether
Aké mirrors the current maturation of African literary circuits: more translations, richer genre diversity, and a clear eye on industry sustainability (rights, distribution, residencies). If you want to track where African storytelling is going—and how books intersect with film and visual culture—Aké is the calendar fix you plan your November around.
