Lagos Book and Art Festival

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Lagos Book and Art Festival
StatusActive
GenreArts festival, book festival
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Goethe-Institut, British Council, Freedom Park, Lagos
CountryNigeria
Inaugurated1999
Organized byCommittee for Relevant Art
Websitewww.lagosbookartfestival.org

The Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF) is an annual arts festival founded in 1999 by the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), a Nigerian-based cultural organisation.

History[edit]

The maiden edition of the festival was held in November 1999 at Jazz 38’s permanent site in Lekki, Lagos. The idea behind the festival was to commemorate Nigeria's return[1] to democracy after over three decades of military regimes and to have a feast that would re-energise the scene and refocus both the young and old, especially to book reading culture, which was gradually dying.  Dubbed ‘Africa’s biggest culture picnic'[2]’, the Lagos Book and Art Festival is held over a seven-day[3] period in different venues including Goethe-Institute, the British Council,[4] and Freedom Park, all in Lagos State. 

Festival highlights[edit]

LABAF features a number of different activities including pre-festival activities like book treks[5] and other major festival activities including musical performances, book readings,[6] film screenings, a publishers’ forum],[7] book and art exhibitions,[8] panel discussions, colloquiums,[9] symposiums, book presentations,[10] cultural exhibitions,[11] book reviews,[12] a green festival[13] and more events. The festival also enables the participation of students[14] of primary and secondary schools and universities in Nigeria by introducing competition and mentoring opportunities for them.

The festival also selects different books yearly that are featured as Books of the Festival[15] and form part of the festival's discourse for that year.

The 21st edition of the festival took place from November 4–10, 2019 with the theme "Emerge... Breaking into the New".[16] This theme was dedicated in loving memory of the great multimedia artist David Herbert Dale[17] who passed on Tuesday, 4 August 2019. The festival was also slated to celebrate different literary icons who passed on in the year like Pius Adesanmi, Eddie Ugbomah, Bisi Silva and others. The festivals theme in 2017 was Eruptions: Global fractures and the out common humanity while in 2018, it was Renewal: Towards a world that works for all.[18] The festival is always a time when there will be book reviews, film screenings, documentaries, workshops, plays and lots of presentations to thrill its guests and spectators.

Festival objective and purpose[edit]

LABAF which is also known as biggest culture picnic on the continent is a plethora of different activities some fun filled whilst some are deeply intellectual purpose is to cultivate ad revive the reading culture that is on a steady decline,the active promotion of culture and the need to keep encouraging speaking and writing in our indigenous languages.[19] The festival is promoted not just to sell books but promote arts and the impact of arts,the books on the society in every strata, spectrum and demography.[20] As a result a lot of writing and reading competitions are promoted by LABAF[21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ read, News 1 min (2019-10-27). "Lagos Book & Art Festival, (LABAF) set for November 4-10, 2019". The Lagos Review. Retrieved 2020-08-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "LABAF: Nigeria on hot seat at Culture Picnic". Vanguard News. 2012-11-21. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  3. ^ "A Week of 52 Engaging Events With Loads of Lessons for the Youths". guardian.ng. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  4. ^ Murua, James (2015-11-16). "British Council's publishing Creative Hustle at the Lagos Theatre #LABAF2015". James Murua's African Literature Blog. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  5. ^ Roqeebah (2016-11-11). "Catch up with the 18th Lagos book and art festival (LABAF) » YNaija". YNaija. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  6. ^ Olorunsola, Moyosoluwa (2019-09-14). "LABAF to hold in November". Daily Trust. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  7. ^ "LABAF - Publishers Forum | Quramo Publishing". www.quramo.com. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  8. ^ "Asiri recounts Nigeria's history in colourful exhibition". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  9. ^ admin (2013-11-09). "MAIN Festival -15th Lagos Book & Art Festival, LABAF, Nov.15-17..." African Events .com. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  10. ^ Okeowo, Olamilekan (2019-11-06). "Victor Ekpuk's day in the sun at LABAF". Entertainment News | Celebrity News | Fashion and Style. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  11. ^ "Yoruba Lakotun set for LABAF". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  12. ^ "Winner Emerges For Ken Saro-Wiwa Prize For Review At LABAF 2018". Sahara Reporters. 2018-11-10. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  13. ^ "#LABAF2019 - Opening of GREEN FESTIVAL @Food court". This Is Lagos. 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  14. ^ "LABF's Feast of Ideas and Life Opens in Lagos". guardian.ng. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  15. ^ "11 Books Headline the 21st Lagos Book Festival". The complete file on the arts and media in Nigeria. 2019-09-02. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  16. ^ "Book and Art Festivals in Nigeria worth Traveling for in 2019". Jumia Food Nigeria Blog. 2019-03-21. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  17. ^ "David Dale, Renowned British-Nigerian Artist, Dies at 71 – THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  18. ^ read 1, News 1 min (2019-10-27). "Lagos Book & Art Festival, (LABAF) set for November 4-10, 2019". The Lagos Review. Retrieved 2021-08-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "Soyinka others advocate cultural renaissance at yoruba lakotun". Premuium Times.
  20. ^ "Kayode Kofoworola Nigerian writers now write for prizes". The Sun News Online.
  21. ^ "Winner emerges at Ken Saro Wiwa prize review labaf-2018".

External links[edit]

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