ANA Abuja to Host Denja Abdullahi as August 2025 Guest Author, Unveils First-Ever Stage Play at Monthly Literary Series

Published By Jerry Adesewo On Aug 15, 2025

ANA Abuja to Host Denja Abdullahi as August 2025 Guest Author, Unveils First-Ever Stage Play at Monthly Literary Series

Charity Onah

The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Abuja Chapter, has announced that its Guest Author for August 2025 will be the distinguished poet, playwright, literary essayist, and cultural advocate Denja Abdullahi.

Themed “Celebrating the Embrace of Theatre and Poetry with Denja Abdullahi,” the August edition will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at the Mamman Vatsa Writers Village, Mpape, Abuja, from 1:00 PM. This month’s session marks a historic milestone for the ANA Abuja Guest Author Series, as it will feature the first-ever live stage play performance in the programme’s history.

A former President of the Association of Nigerian Authors and former Director at the National Council for Arts and Culture, Abdullahi is celebrated as one of Nigeria’s most versatile literary figures. His works, including Mairogo, Death and the King’s Grey Hair, and A Thousand Years of Thirst, merge the emotive depth of poetry with the dramatic vibrance of theatre.

According to the organisers, the August session will highlight:

The convergence of poetic and dramatic forms in Abdullahi’s body of work.
The role of theatre in cultural preservation and social advocacy.
His journey as a writer, mentor, and literary leader across Nigeria.

The event will feature live readings, stage performances, a moderated conversation with the author, and an interactive Q&A session. Guests will also have the opportunity to receive or purchase signed copies of Abdullahi’s books.

Secretary of ANA Abuja, Uthman Qasim, said the chapter was “excited to honour a writer who has not only contributed greatly to Nigerian literature but has also championed the arts as a tool for education, inspiration, and cultural identity.”

This month’s edition is expected to draw writers, theatre enthusiasts, students, and members of the public for what organisers describe as “an afternoon of performance, conversation, and literary celebration.”

ANA Abuja to Host Denja Abdullahi as August 2025 Guest Author, Unveils First-Ever Stage Play at Monthly Literary Series