River Nun, book walk beckon as artists converge for Yenagoa Book & Arts Festival
By Editor
AS the countdown to the maiden edition of Yenagoa Book & Arts Festival (YEBAF) 2024 continues, writers and artists visiting the Bayelsa State capital will first make a pilgrimage to the body of water made famous by one of Nigeria’s poets of the riverine lore, Gabriel Okara, known as River Nun in Epetiama Kingdom of Bayelsa Local Government Area. This cultural pilgrimage will offer these men and women of letters and sundry artistic endeavours an opportunity to experience what Okara saw that inspired him to pen the immortal and evocative lines of ‘The Call of the River Nun’ and ‘The Fisherman’s Invocation’, two of his pieces billed to be performed by university students drawn from the locality. Festival starts Monday, September 23 and ends 26, 2024 and will be held at Chief D.S.P. Alamieyseigha Banquet Hall, Onopa, Yenagoa.
The tour to Okara’s picturesque countryside is also to pay homage to the poet laureate who is a celebratory focus of YEBAF 2024. A literary soiree is also being planned for the home of His Royal Majesty, writer and Chairman, Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council, Bubaraye Dakolo of Epetiama Kingdom. The famous local cuisine made of plantain, known as ‘kekefia’, which the king romantically conjured as the mother of all meals in his novel, The Riddle of the Oil Thieves, will be served the adventurous party of festival goers.
Yenagoa Book & Arts Festival 2024 has as theme ‘Resilience: How Storytelling Shapes Our Lives’ which forms the keynote addressed to be delivered by the Secretary to Bayelsa State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei. Respondents to the keynote will be the actor Bimbo Manuel, Helen Opigo (PhD), Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Yenago Branch, Somina Johnbull Esq and Emmanuel Frank Opigo with culture communicator Jahman Anikulapo moderating it. His Majesty King Seiyifa Koroye will chair festival proceedings.
According to the Festival Curator, Annette David-West, “Yenagoa Book & Arts Festival is a tapestry of diverse voices, a kaleidoscope of creative expression, and a symphony of ideas. We have assembled an array of authors, actors, publishers, artists, culture administrators, book sellers, and book enthusiasts, each bringing their unique perspective to the table.”
She said the festival will also pay tribute to two eminent Ijaw sons, noting. “As we gather in this vibrant city, we honor two literary icons whose indelible marks continue to resonate In our collective consciousness. Prof. E.J. Alagoa, a titan of scholarship and a weaver of words, celebrates his 91st year, while Dr. Gabriel Okara, a master poet and novelist, continues to inspire us from beyond the veil. Their contributions to our literary heritage are a testament to the boundless potential of the human spirit.”
Also, a book walk which festival organiser Annette David-West of 1402Book Lounge Initiative describes as a Book Party will hold on Day-2 of the festival. The 3-kilometre walk will see book enthusiasts exchanging book gifts among themselves, as part of sustained efforts to spread the gospel of book reading that the festival is designed to propagate. Book Walkers are enjoined to come with a book to give out, as they would also be gifted with a new book during the walk that will also see them making stops to read to Yenagoa citizens in a first-of-its kind street book reading event.
Festival Curator, Annette David-West
Among other tantalising programme line-ups are ‘The Art in Business: Passion to Profit’ dealing with the business of art which has a cross section of artists speaking on the business side of their art; they include Bimbo Manuel, Black Chalk, Bramiz and Chijoke Amu-Nnadi with Jahman Anikulapo moderating the session. There’s a photography session tagged ‘Resilience & Photography in the Niger Delta’ which will have a pioneering photographer and teacher Dr. Timi Amah leading discussions alongside other seasoned photographers such as Austin Mathias, Bodise Wilson and Perrin Oglafa; ‘Historical Niger Delta’, the celebratory event for Prof. E. J. Alagoa @91, will have HRM King Seiyifa Koroye, Josef Nengi-Ilagha (Pope Pen), Frank Opigo, HRM Bubaraye Dakolo and Dr. Timi Amah while session moderation comes from Jahman Anikulapo; they will speak on the historicisation of the oil-rich region, just as ‘Climate Advocacy on ‘Art of the Niger Delta: Mitigating Flooding’, in partnership with NGO, Let the Earth Breathe Initiative, will have His Majesty and writer King Bubaraye Dakolo, Anote Ajeluorou, Nengi Josef Ilagha and Hannah Onoguwe with Annette David-West moderating the session.
Others are a session on ‘Book Publishing & Marketing: Challenges and Opportunities’ which will feature MD/CEO of Masobe Books, Othuke Ominiabohs, Murphy Biriabebe, Dr. Ikiemoye Iniamagha and Ebidenyefa Tarila-Nikade and moderated Festival Director, Annette David-West. A panel session on Speculative Fiction tagged ‘Where the Past and Future Collide’ will feature the author of How to Make a Space Masquerade and publisher of speculative fiction magazine, Omenala, Mazi Nwonwu and a cast of workshop participants, including Ebi Roberts and Hannah Onoguwe while moderation will come from youngster, Angel James (AJ Writes). A speculative fiction workshop was recently organised by Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Bayelsa Chapter under the supervision of its chapter chairman, Murphy Biriabebe.
Also, Bimbo Manuel, Chijoke Amu-Nnadi, Ebizimo Arabina, Sophia Obi (PhD) and Anote Ajeluorou will have a joint book chat focusing on their recent works. Meanwhile, Amu-Nnadi and Ebizimo Arabina will both perform from their poetry works to delight the audience as well as performances will come from a dance troupe, Ebizimo Arabina, Inetsol Eyal, Harry Batubo and Andris Alagba.
For a maiden edition, Festival Curator David-West has put together a remarkable array of programmes and artists who will make Yenagoa Book and Art Festival a tantalising cultural destination that should attract massive audience to it. Secondary and university students are expected to attend in their numbers and be immersed in the world of books, since Yenagoa Book & Arts Festival is a project of 1402Book Lounge Initiative designed to expand the gospel of books to all nook and crannies of Bayelsa society.
