This archive report was first published on 21 September 2019.
The Nairobi International Book Fair, Kenya's premier literary event, is set to take place from September 25 to 29 at the Sarit Centre in Westlands, Nairobi. This year's fair marks the 22nd edition of the event, which has become a significant part of Kenya's annual art and culture calendar.
Organized by the Kenya Publishers Association (KPA), the fair will feature prize-giving ceremonies, writers' workshops, training for teachers, literary conferences, and book signings by authors. The highlight of the event will be the Text Book Centre-Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature awards, which will be presented to winning authors and publishing houses for the year 2018/2019.
According to KPA, this year's fair will feature 66 local exhibitors and 15 international exhibitors from China, Egypt, Uganda, Korea, Senegal, Iran, Tanzania, South Africa, India, Pakistan, the US, and Nigeria. The exhibitors will include publishers associations, digital publishers, book publishers, self-publishers, authors, printers, embassies, NGOs, and government departments.
Notably, the fair will also host Egypt's Minister for Culture, Dr. Ines Abdel-Dayem, as the chief guest on September 26. The presence of the Egyptian minister adds a significant dimension to the event, given Egypt's rich history and cultural heritage.
Another highlight of the fair will be the African Writers Conference (AWC), which will take place from September 27 to 29. The conference is a collaboration between the African Writers Development Trust and the Writers Guild Kenya, and it aims to promote a transnational African literary connection.
Meanwhile, the Macondo Literary Festival, which will take place at the Kenya Cultural Centre from September 27 to 29, will bring together Portuguese and English-speaking authors from nine different countries and Brazil. The festival's theme is 'Re-imagining African Histories through Literature', and it aims to provoke conversations between lusophone and anglophone authors, as well as between authors and audiences.
