Music and narrative tell the story of the continent at the Sharjah African Literature Festival 2026
Sharjah, 16th January / WAM / The sessions of the second day of the Sharjah African Literature Festival, organized by the Sharjah Book Authority in University City Square, and which continues until the 18th of January, focused on exploring literature as a tool for communication between cultures.
The “Shared Stories for Young Readers” session discussed the features of children’s literature in Africa and the UAE as a product of oral traditions, folk tales, and societal values, and how to use these narratives to enhance identity. The speakers emphasized the role of children’s stories in establishing empathy and cultural understanding from the early stages of life.
The “African Voices Across Borders” session addressed the impact of globalization on shaping African economies, cultures, and social structures, with a focus on the living experiences of African immigrants in various parts of the world, in addition to discussing issues of identity, belonging, and the opportunities and challenges facing African people in a more interconnected world than ever before.
The festival presented a narrative performance accompanied by traditional music by the South African artist Mwafrika Wa Mokgai, during which she presented, in the style of the African “storyteller,” an artistic work evoking the role of women in preserving memory and lineages. The performance combined poetry, jazz music, and traditional chanting, supported by cinematic visual scenes, linking African traditions such as “kipa” and “malobo.”
The visual art exhibition accompanying the second session of the Sharjah African Literature Festival documents the presence of visual arts as an extension of the contemporary African narrative through works by African artists who present different visions of identity, memory and place.
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