The highly anticipated inaugural Abuja International Poetry Festival (AIPFest) 2024, curated by Nasara Creative, will take place from November 14th to 16th 2024. This festival emerges as “an important cultural platform,” bringing together poets, intellectuals, and creatives from diverse fields.
Collaborating with major partners like The African School of Economics, Abuja Literary Society, Jeje Riders, Spine & Label Bookshop, and the All Africa Intellectual Property Rights Summit – Rwanda 2024, AIPFest arrives at a critical moment in the evolution of poetry and its interplay with intellectual property, the digital economy, and the future.
“This comes with many unanswered questions, even as we plough ideas and engage with a fast and evolving world,” the organisers state. “We believe there is magic to be created where these elements meet, and we are excited we will be sharing this experience with you.”
The 2024 festival will explore the theme “Afro Futurism and Digital Culture”, celebrating what it means to be an African poet in the matrix of a digital revolution. Through a rich lineup of events spread across various venues in Abuja, the festival will showcase how “magic happens where Art & Technology intersect.”
This year’s AIPFest promises to be both expansive and immersive, with a combination of virtual and in-person engagements.
Running from Thursday, November 14th to Saturday, November 16th, participants can expect a dynamic schedule that includes Knowledge Diffusion Sessions, Poetry Masterclasses, A Village of Languages, Panels/Readings and Feedback Sessions, the traditional Poetry Concert, and a lively Poetry Party (where, as noted humorously, “poems apostle should not hear”).
A unique Ride-for-Climate-Change activity, hosted in collaboration with Jeje Riders, is also planned, demonstrating the festival’s commitment to pressing global issues.
The event will culminate in a Poetry Slam named after Efe Paul Azino, one of Africa’s most significant performance poets. In line with the festival’s mission, the slam aims to create “relevant cultural market access for young poets.”
In keeping with its vision of inclusivity and creativity, AIPFest invites “poets, dreamers, researchers, intellectuals, and adventurers” to join this cultural celebration. The festival’s opening and closing ceremonies will be held at The Exhibition Pavilion of the International Conference Centre, Garki, Abuja, creating a vibrant space for reflection, performance, and collaboration.