The 14th edition of the Aké Arts & Book Festival will bring together writers, poets, publishers, filmmakers, musicians and readers in Lagos from November 19 to 21, 2026, for three days of literary and cultural activities under the theme “Native Intelligence.”
The festival, organised by the Book Buzz Foundation, will feature 24 events, with eight activities scheduled for each day. According to festival founder and director Shoneyin, 22 of the events will feature speakers, including 11 book chats and six panel discussions.
Speaking at a press conference held at Ouida Bookstore in Lagos on Thursday, October 29, Lola Shoneyin outlined the programme, announced this year’s partnerships and explained the ideas behind the festival’s theme.
Supported by the Open Society Foundation, Lagos State Government,and Sterthe programme will feature Nigerian writers Igoni Barrett, Chika Unigwe, Nnamdi Ehirim and Rukiyatu Brume, alongside Khadija Sanusi, Ochai and other authors from Nigeria and the diaspora. Chika Unigwe will discuss her new book, Grace, while Rukiyatu “Rukky” Brume, recently longlisted for the Booker Prize, will also be part of the gathering.
Other books expected to feature in the conversations include Khadija Sanusi’s The Most Unremarkable Things and Ojoma Ochai’s Communities, Networks and Ecosystems: How to Build Them and Why They Fail. The festival’s evening programme will include an opening concert featuring Savvy Henry, a screening of the documentary How to Build a Library and the closing Palmwine and Poetry event.
Explaining the choice of this year’s theme, ‘Native Intelligence’, Lola Shoneyin said it was developed through conversations with her team and family, as well as ideas drawn from events and experiences around them. She said people who have received formal education sometimes regard the knowledge acquired in school as the only form of intelligence, overlooking the wisdom and practical knowledge that communities have developed and passed down through generations. In her words:
“Those of us who are educated, we have come to believe that our own intelligence that we have garnered and gained in school is the only kind of intelligence.”
She added that African communities had been surviving, creating, inventing and developing their own systems of knowledge long before formal education became widespread.
One of the festival’s six panel discussions will examine artificial intelligence and creativity, with Nigerian writer Jerry Falade expected to participate. His appearance comes after the controversy surrounding his crime novel, Call Me, I’ll Hide the Body, which attracted a reported publishing offer worth more than $2 million before his literary agents withdrew the manuscript amid questions about possible AI involvement.
The novel reportedly attracted interest from 14 publishers in the United States, with Minotaur Books, an imprint of Macmillan, securing the US rights. HarperCollins also secured the UK rights before the situation surrounding the manuscript led to the withdrawal of the book from submission.
The festival will also work with the African Speculative Fiction Society (ASFS), which will host a panel on AI and creativity. The discussion is expected to examine how artificial intelligence is affecting creative work and the growing concerns around accusations of AI use against Black and brown writers.
This year’s edition will feature partnerships with the Caine Prize for African Writing, Granta and the African Speculative Fiction Society. The Caine Prize partnership will bring writers Irenosen Okojie and Rotimi Babatunde together for a discussion about the prize’s history and its contribution to African literature. The conversation will consider the impact of the award and how it has supported writers over the years.
The collaboration with Granta will focus on a special Nigeria edition of the magazine. The publication will feature fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, and interviews with Nigerians.
A panel discussion around the edition will include contributors and other participants, with Josie Mitchell, who works with Granta, serving as host. Nnamdi Ehirim and other dignitaries mentioned at the press conference are expected to take part.
The African Speculative Fiction Society will host its own panel, with artificial intelligence and creativity among the central subjects.
The festival will begin its evening programme with a concert featuring Savvy Henry.
On the second evening, audiences will watch How to Build a Library, a documentary about Kenyan women Shiro Koinange and Angela Wachuka and their work restoring and renovating libraries in Kenya.
The festival will close with its Palmwine and Poetry evening, which brings poets together for performances with some palm wine to make the evening relaxing.
This year’s edition has Lagos State Government finally recognizing Aké Arts & Book Festival as a FESTIVAL beyond FESTIVALS. They will be providing book grants worth ₦20,000 each to 100 young people under the age of 25. The recipients will be able to use the grants to purchase books at the festival
Lola Shoneyin announced the initiative at the press conference, explaining that the organisers would publish an application form through the festival’s social media platforms. She said the age of applicants would be an important consideration because the initiative is intended to support young people.
Speaking at the press conference, Sterling Bank’s representative, Donatus Okpako, said the bank’s partnership reflected its commitment to education, literacy, the arts and African culture, adding that the bank would continue supporting initiatives that help bridge knowledge gaps and create meaningful experiences for participants.
Members of the public interested in attending the festival can register online through the official website. At the time of the press conference, the online registration fee was ₦20,000, while tickets purchased at the venue would cost ₦25,000.
There is no formal age restriction for attendance. However, Lola Shoneyin advised parents to consider the subjects covered in some sessions before bringing younger children. This year’s programme will include discussions of sexuality and physical pleasure, including conversations around books by authors such as Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah and Shéa Primus. The festival will also feature books dealing with traumatic and emotionally difficult experiences. She affirmed 16-year-olds would be welcome, but strictly warned that parents should be aware that some discussions may not be suitable for younger children.
Journalists seeking to cover the festival will need media accreditation. The organisers said press passes would be provided to accredited journalists at the festival venue. Other media representatives can apply through the festival’s website or contact the organisers by email.
The 14th Aké Arts & Book Festival will run from November 19 to 21, 2026, at Silkwood Hotel in Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
The Aké Arts & Book Festival 2026 promises to be one of the best literary festivals you will attend in the city of Lagos.
GET YOUR TICKET TODAY! NOT TOMORROW!! AND EXPERIENCE LITERATURE AT ITS FINEST!
