Nigerian writer and poet, Peter Okonkwo exhibited his fourth and best-selling poetry trilogy, Escape from the Unseen Dungeons: A Cry for Mercy at this year’s edition of the Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF) in Lagos, a book fair that is considered the biggest book fair in West Africa, and the second largest international book fair in Africa.
The event which held from 8th to 10th May 2024 was attended by literature enthusiasts, publishers, students, local and international authors, university professors, and different other stakeholders in the book industry. The fair was full of literature works, displays, exhibitions, conferences, and other literary activities. The theme for this year’s edition was: “Universal Basic Education and the Book Ecosystem: Setting the Agenda”.
Peter Okonkwo whose literary journey started in 2019 before the publication of his debut in 2020, exhibited his title under “P English Literature—Stand C21”, where he displayed his bestselling collection, A Cry for Mercy, and his other titles. In the course of the exhibition, Okonkwo was interviewed by the prestigious Nigeria TV station, Channel’s TV as he answered questions regarding the inspiration behind his books, the book ecosystem in Nigeria, and the book fair’s experience for him as an exhibition author.
Following his interview, Okonkwo performed his satirical poem, “I Am A Poet” from the collection, Fate, In the Dungeon of Doom at the Authors’ Groove section hosted by the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) which was attended by other poets, authors, writers, and literature enthusiasts.
The ANA Authors’ Groove conference was opened by Olatunbosun Taofeek who was longlisted for the 2023 Nigeria Prize for Literature for his play, “Where is Patient Zero?”. The first to perform his works was Daggar Tolar, who is the author of ten poetry collections and one political writing. This was shortly followed by Peter Okonkwo’s performance of “I Am a Poet”. There were panel discussion sections hosted by Professor Patrick Oloko, a professor of English Literature at the prestigious Lagos State University.
The event was also graced by Tanko Okoduwa, Josephine Oghenekevbe, the ANA Lagos Chairman, Ifeanyi Chukwu Avajah, and the President, Usman Oladipo Akanbi among several others. Hosted at Yard 158 Event Arena, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos. The Authors’ Groove and the Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF) were a success. This year’s edition of the book fair had over fifteen thousand guests in attendance, including two hundred and fifty exhibitors and world-class speakers.
