Closing of the Sharjah African Literature Festival
Sharjah, 19 January / WAM / The activities of the second edition of the Sharjah African Literature Festival concluded yesterday evening, which attracted more than 11,000 visitors and brought together literary and artistic voices from Africa and the UAE in an integrated and diverse program that opened the doors of dialogue and interaction between African literature, art, creativity and the public, reflecting the session’s slogan “In the Footsteps of Africa” and consolidating Sharjah’s position as a platform for cross-border literary dialogue and a bridge for knowledge exchange between the Arab world and the African continent.
The closing day of the Sharjah African Literature Festival witnessed a series of dialogue sessions and literary events that discussed the intersections of culture and narrative between Africa and the Arab world and the impact of cultural exchange in shaping shared literary experiences, in addition to a poetry evening entitled “Breath, Rhythm, and Belonging,” which highlighted the diversity of poetic voices and the ability of the word to express identity and belonging through rhythm and shared human experience.
The festival’s cultural program also witnessed a session entitled “Tales of the Future: African Literature”, which hosted Dilman Dilla, who pointed out that African and Emirati forward-looking literature combines myth, the future, and imagination to reimagine the past, question the present, and anticipate bold horizons for the future. The festival also organized a special session entitled “My Name is Why,” during which the international poet and writer Lemn Sissay spoke.
The festival formed a professional platform for African and Emirati publishers to exchange experiences and publications, and discuss translation and joint publishing opportunities, which strengthened the presence of African literature in the Arab cultural scene, and provided the public with a cultural experience that reflects the continent’s diversity and the richness of its creative expressions.
The second edition of the Sharjah African Literature Festival witnessed the honoring of Zimbabwean writer and novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga with the Sharjah Literary Appreciation Award in recognition of her literary and intellectual career and her contribution to enriching African and international literature.
The festival also presented an integrated cultural program that brought together 29 male and female writers from Africa and the Emirates, and included 20 dialogue sessions that addressed the reality and future of African literature and its relations with the Arab world, in addition to 5 poetry evenings, 20 workshops dedicated to children, and 10 cooking sessions, in addition to performance and musical performances, a fine art exhibition, and spaces dedicated to African fashion, highlighting the literary and cultural movement in Zanzibar, Ethiopia, and South Africa.
His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, confirmed that the Sharjah African Literature Festival in its second edition placed knowledge at the heart of the relationship with the world and dealt with culture as a space for mutual understanding, embodying the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, which believes that literature and knowledge constitute solid bridges of dialogue between peoples.
Al Ameri said that the success of the festival was evident in that it was transformed, with the support of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Book Authority, into an integrated and comprehensive cultural work platform that celebrates the aesthetics of arts, traditions and human dialogue and enhances the position of creative industries in development. African publishers met each other and met with their counterparts from Emirati publishers to exchange experiences and publications and present opportunities for translation and joint publishing. This proved that culture is rich wherever it is, stressing that the organization of the Sharjah Book Authority for the festival gives literary and artistic voices what She deserves respect and appreciation, no matter how diverse her environment is.
- For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Related
