The Asian Literary Festival (ALF), a global platform celebrating Asian literature and culture, will make its African debut in Nairobi in April 2026.
Kenya’s capital has been selected as the first African host city for the festival, which is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Kenyan author and critic Alexander Nderitu has been appointed director of the Nairobi chapter with a five-year license to run the event.
In a LinkedIn post following his appointment, Nderitu said:
“In 2014, I published a paper titled ‘Changing Kenya’s Literary Landscape’ in which I argued that Nairobi was ripe for recognition as a UNESCO City of Literature, and this honour is further evidence of that. Post-COVID-19 lockdowns, there are now more literary festivals, book fairs, book clubs, and booksellers in Nairobi than ever before… The inaugural Nairobi festival is scheduled for April 2026. We invite people from all over the world to come and celebrate literature and the arts with us. It’ll also be an awesome opportunity for visitors to experience the many delights that Kenya has to offer – from wildlife safaris to sandy beaches to international trade conferences to cultural and historical sites. We’re expecting no less than a hundred local and international authors to be present; some famous, some unknown but brilliant. There will be book launches, panel discussions, lectures, poetry and music, performances, great food, theatre, art installations, children’s activities, prize-giving, and more. It’s going to be like one big, fat, multicultural wedding!”
The Nairobi festival is expected to feature more than 100 authors from Kenya and abroad. Programming will include book launches, panel discussions, poetry and music performances, theatre, art installations, children’s activities, and prize ceremonies.
Globally, the ALF “caravan of festivals” will begin in Brussels, Belgium, from 3 to 5 October 2025. The event will feature over 30 activities showcasing authors from Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe under the theme “Between Worlds—Reviving the Silk Route of Creative Expression.” The next stop will be Gampaha, Sri Lanka, followed by Montreal, Valencia, Kochi, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
