CORA Hosts Kenyan Novelist Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor in Lagos Literary Conversation
By Matthew Eloyi
The Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) has announced that acclaimed Kenyan writer and literary activist, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, will headline a special literary event in Lagos on Friday, September 26, 2025.
The gathering, titled “A Conversation with Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor”, will take place at the CORA Library & Resource Centre, Freedom Park, Lagos, from 3:00 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public, with a virtual option also available.
Organized under CORA’s flagship literary campaign, BOOKTrek, and in collaboration with AIESEC Alumni Nigeria, the event will see Owuor read from her award-winning 2014 novel Dust while engaging in dialogue on literature, history, memory, colonial legacies, and Africa’s future.
CORA explained that the conversation will spotlight Owuor’s profound reflections on the continent’s storytelling traditions, as well as the enduring shadows of colonialism and the role of memory in shaping Africa’s present and future.
“This gathering continues our tradition of fostering dialogue around the arts, identity, and history, creating a space where stories shape understanding and inspire new generations,” the organizers said.
The event is part of the build-up to the Lagos Book & Art Festival (LABAF), scheduled for November 10–16 at Freedom Park, themed “CHANGE: Imagining Alternatives.”
Owuor’s visit to Nigeria comes at the invitation of AIESEC Alumni Nigeria. On Thursday, September 25, she will deliver the 2025 Omolayole Lecture (OML Series) at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos, on the topic “Plotlines of Prosperity: African Stories, African Rights & African Returns.”
Born in 1968, Owuor is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, Dust (2014) and The Dragonfly Sea (2019). She won the 2003 Caine Prize for African Writing with her short story “Weight of Whispers.” Her works, including novels, short stories, and essays, explore themes of history, trauma, family, and the resilience of African narratives in the global literary space.
The event is supported by Freedom Park and the Hawthornden Foundation.
