Renowned Nigerian novelist Chigozie Obioma will be among the distinguished authors attending the fourth edition of the Macondo Literary Festival next month, as announced by officials. The festival, hosted by the Macondo Book Society in collaboration with eKitabu—a publishing company that provides accessible print, audio, video, and digital content—will take place at the Kenya Cultural Center from September 20 to 22.
Chigozie is known for his two novels, *The Fishermen* (2015) and *An Orchestra of Minorities* (2019), both of which were shortlisted for The Booker Prize. He has received multiple literary awards for his work, which is celebrated for its uniqueness and captivating quality.
“We are happy to host this year’s literary festival, a vibrant celebration of storytelling and creativity. It is an honor to welcome such distinguished authors and to provide a platform for engaging discussions,
inspiring ideas, and a shared love of literature,” said Anja Bengelstorff, director Macondo Literary Festival.
The theme for this year’s festival is “The Sea is History,” inspired by a poem of the same name by Caribbean Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott. The 2024 edition will expand the festival’s focus to include the spheres of the Swahili Sea and the Indian Ocean, celebrating the historical connections with Africa found in storytelling, art, technology, and cultural memories.
Other distinguished international guests set to attend include M.G. Vassanji and Janika Oza from Canada; Hamza Koudri from Algeria; Shubnum Khan from South Africa; Shubhangi Swarup from India; Johary Ravaloson from Madagascar; Jeferson Tenório from Brazil; and João Melo from Angola. Participating Kenyan authors will be announced in due course.
“The success of Chigozie and the themes he explores will align well with the interests of the young writers and book lovers in Kenya making his participation a highly anticipated aspect of the festival,” said an
official from eKitabu.
Macondo Book Society is a nonprofit organization founded by journalist Anja Bengelstorff and awardwinning Kenyan author Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, to organize regular literary festivals and other events that promote literature and authors of and from Africa beyond linguistic borders.
