A very thrilling and fascinating aspect of African Children’s Literature is its ability to seamlessly blend traditional oral storytelling with contemporary themes that draw inspiration from ancient myths, legends, and folktale, allowing young readers to connect with the rich cultural heritage of the African state, thereby providing a measure for addressing modern challenges and tackling relevant issues such as gender inequality and social justice.
The African Writers Conference is an annual event organized by the African Writers Development Trust (AWDT) in collaboration with the Writers Space Africa (WSA), that creates a platform that brings writers, publishers, and other industry professionals together to connect, collaborate and explore potential partnerships particularly as regards African Literature. Since its inception in 2018, the AWC has become a premier platform for writers, readers, publishers, and other creative to come together and celebrate African literature and culture.
The Conference has seen its previous editions held across several other African countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroon, and Ghana. This year’s edition, its 7th, was held in Kigali, Rwanda, from October 22 – 27, 2024, a week-long event packed with a lineup of very exciting activities and mind-blowing educative sessions, workshops, panel discussions, etc., with each new day met with heightened enthusiasm and optimism for what is in store for that day’s activity.
The event started with a tour round the Kigali city of Rwanda where participants had the opportunity to experience firsthand, the beauty of the city, historical sites and a wholesome experience of the Rwandan culture. The “Creative Writing Workshop”, one of the activities as part of the Conference, had sessions that bordered on Spoken word poetry, non-fiction, short stories, and children’s literature.
There was also the “Writers Mingle”, a 90-minute interactive session which includes a diverse panel of creatives from various African countries where they discussed the theme “Nurturing Young Leaders: The Power of Storytelling in African Children’s Literature”. What could be termed as the grand finale of the Conference took place at the Kigali Public Library, on the 26th October, featuring a keynote speech, panel discussions, presentations and entertainment.
The panel discussions session had an array of distinguished panelists in attendance from across various African countries like John Rusumbi (Rwanda), Kolabomi Adeko (Nigeria), Rachel Twinomusigha (Uganda), Anthony ‘Penboss’ Onugba (Nigeria), Immaculate Ajiambo (Kenya), Khumoetsile D’Arcy (Botswana), Grace Tendo (Uganda), and a host of others. and had participants in convergence to discuss the theme of the event “The Role of African Children’s Literature in Shaping the Youth”, with an objective to emphasize and accentuate the importance of children’s literature in shaping young minds, and fostering a love for reading. The conference culminates with the announcement of the winners of the African Writers Awards, an avenue put in place to recognize and celebrate the very best in African literature.
The Conference was wrapped up with a picnic on the 27th October at the Nyandungun Eco Tourism Park, Kigali, which boasts a peaceful environment for writers to enjoy food and beverages, and to network, and that marked the end of the 7th edition of the African Writers Conference, with the participants in attendance relishing the moments of each activities and events that made up the conference, but most importantly, leaving with a resolution to improve the culture of reading as touching African Children’s Literature.
Oluwadamilola Tinuola
Oluwadamilola Tinuola is a dedicated writer with a penchant for social commentary. He has honed his skills as a campus journalist/reporter, developing and building essential skills for individuals in the field. Exploring the African nuances, his published works and unreported pieces delve into the complexities of societal issues, aiming to spark critical thinking and inspire action.
