The theme is Native Intelligence, which the
organisers frame as a question about whose intelligence the future is being
built on. In an age of anxious talk about artificial intelligence, that is a
sharp choice. It sets machine learning beside older, human ways of knowing,
from oral tradition to community memory, and invites African writers and
thinkers to say what they think of both.
The Book Buzz Foundation organises the festival, which was founded in 2012 and has hosted more than 1,000 writers, poets, musicians, actors, filmmakers, artists and thinkers. The guest list runs to more than 40
writers and artists. Names announced include the Nigerian-American speculative fiction writer Nnedi Okorafor, whose work spans novels, comics and film, and Nigerian writers Chika Unigwe and Irenosen Okojie.Tickets cost ₦20,000 and have been on sale since September 1. The
ticket covers access to all festival events, the festival guide, the 2026
edition of the Aké Review and an ID card with lanyard. Compared with the cost
of a conference pass in most cities, that is a reasonable price for three days
of programming, though it will still be a stretch for many students.
That cost, along with transport and accommodation, is one reason
some commentators have argued that Aké should one day travel beyond Lagos, so
that readers in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu and other cities can attend.
Whether or not that happens, the 2026 edition is firmly a Lagos event, and
readers from other states should budget early.
Last year’s festival shows what to expect. The 2025 edition,
themed Reclaiming Truth, ran November 20 to 22 and mixed panel
discussions with live music, including performances by the Kuti family, and a
Palmwine and Poetry night. The format blends serious debate with entertainment,
which is a large part of why it has become one of Africa’s most visible
literary gatherings.
For writers, publishers and readers, Aké is the one weekend a year
when the Nigerian book world is gathered in a single place. If you work in
books or write about culture, it is worth being in the room.
Image: courtesy of Aké Arts and Book Festival. All rights reserved.
© Arts and Culture Place
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