LABAF 2024: Freedom Park to Host “The Man Died” Exhibition to Celebrate Wole Soyinka’s Legacy
Jerry Adesewo
The Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF) 2024 is set to run from November 11 to 17, 2024, at its traditional venue, Freedom Park, Lagos Island. This year’s edition, themed BREAKOUT: HOPE is a STUBBORN THING, is tagged #TheSoyinkaSession* and will celebrate the 90th birthday anniversary of Africa’s distinguished literary figure, Wole Soyinka.
As part of the celebrations, LABAF will feature *The Man Died*, a conceptual exhibition based on Soyinka’s prison memoirs of the same title. The exhibition will transform the entire Freedom Park, a former colonial prison, into a site-specific space to commemorate Soyinka’s distinguished life and illustrious career.
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The release, signed by the LABAF Programme directorate, stated that the week-long festival will focus on promoting literacy through literature, performing arts, and visual arts, culminating in the festival’s heart from Friday, November 15 to Sunday, November 17. During this period, 15 main books of the festival will be discussed through colloquiums, seminars, symposiums, book treks, and mentorship sessions.
Titled “Conversation Between Soyinka and the Younger Generation,” the 4-day celebration aims to foster a cross-generational dialogue between the Nobel laureate and a group of youths who may not have had the opportunity to fully explore the life and works of Africa’s most celebrated literary figure.
Around 60 participants, predominantly undergraduates, will gather each day from Monday, November 11 to Thursday, November 14, to read and discuss Soyinka’s four memoirs:
- AKE: The Years of Childhood
- ISARA: A Voyage Around Essay
- IBADAN: The Penkelemes Years
- YOU MUST SET FORTH AT DAWN
This event aims to provide the younger generation with a deeper understanding of Soyinka’s rich literary career, his journey as a social and human rights activist, and the cultural context in which his life and works have been shaped.
LABAF, described as the biggest cultural carnival in Africa, has been held consistently since its inception in 1999 when it was launched to celebrate the return of Professor Chinua Achebe to Nigeria after his 1991 accident. Organized by the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), the festival aims to grow human capital capacity in Nigeria and Africa by promoting literacy, education, enlightenment, and empowerment across all ages and backgrounds.
Registration for LABAF 2024 is now open, with details available at: (https://forms.gle/ZmJdfKfFbwtbjo7p7).