Yerima, Odugbemi, Chukwumerije, Ibrahim, others headline QFest 2021

THE third edition of Quramo Festival of Words, known as QFest 2021, has been announced. It has as theme ‘Transcendence: Words Defying’. QFest 2021 is being organized by Quramo Publishing house. It will hold from October 1-3, 2021 at Eko Hotel, Lagos. In 2020, the Quramo Festival of Words had as theme ‘Creativity Reset: The Future of Words’, as a way of interrogating the adjustments resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic globally.

  A year after, Transcendence: Words Defying will unravel how storytellers and creatives around the world have modified words for enlightenment and restoration, and as an effective tool in the fight for social justice and equality. With the popularity of Podcasts, Zoom, Instagram, ClubHouse, WhatsApp, and many other virtual platforms for expression, words have taken on different forms – from written texts to audio documents and visual texts, and as such this festival will explore the effectiveness of these new forms in the age of clampdowns.

  From social media bans to worsening inflation, brain drain, and numerous killings across Nigeria and Africa, Quramo Festival of Words, QFest, will look at a dynamic range of human issues in the throes and aftermath of a pandemic, and how different artists explore these issues and cope with the harsh impacts of the pandemic on the creative industry.

  According to Executive Publisher of Quramo Publishing and convener of QFest 2021, Mrs. Gbemi Shasore, “This year’s theme ‘Transcendence: Words Defying’ is apt, as it captures the struggles of creatives who, though amongst the worst hit and the most stifled during and after a pandemic, are constantly seeking meaning and restoration through all the traditional and alternative modes of creative expression that words allow.”

  This year’s edition of Quramo Festival of Words (QFest) will explore its theme through poetry, book chats, panel discussions, film, and more. The guest lineup of 50 artists includes Professor Ahmed Yerima, Dike Chukwumerije, Karen Jennings, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Femi Odugbemi, and many more exciting creative voices.

  In a statement from Festival Director, poet, and novelist, Iquo Diana-Abasi, “The Quramo Writers Prize – our flagship prize – which is currently in its fifth year, has since 2019 been incorporated into the Quramo Festival of Words. As is tradition, the prize winner will be unveiled at the festival.”