This week, our editors-at-large take us around the world for the latest in festivals, book launches, and fairs! From Nairobi’s latest litfest, to a poignant memoir, to the interplay of film and literature in Hong Kong, read on to learn more!
Wambua Muindi, Editor-at-Large, Reporting from Kenya
This year’s NBO Litfest, a collaboration between Book Bunk and the international Hay Festival, was held 27–30 June across three public libraries in Nairobi (McMillan Memorial Library, Eastlands Library, and Kaloleni Library). Nothing short of a treat to literature enthusiasts, the festival was headlined by Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo, Stanley Gazemba, Lola Shoneyin, Taiye Selasi, Amitav Ghosh, and Djamila Ribeiro, among others. The festival’s first day was children-focused with incredible storytelling by Grace Wangari and Orpah Agunda, followed by a lineup of events over the weekend. As it happened against the backdrop of primarily youth-led protests against the 2024 Finance Bill, which by now have mutated to Kenya’s anti-government protests, the festival issued a statement in solidarity with the young people of Kenya.
In other news, at Soma Nami Books on Wednesday July 10, Jacqueline Asiimwe saw the Kenyan launch of her memoir, Facing Mountains. She is a Ugandan human rights lawyer and philanthropy advisor through CivSource Africa, a firm she founded. The evening included a conversation with the author and a book signing. Her book is part travelogue and part memoir, laced with a lyrical narrative embedded in ecological imagery—in this case Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro to illustrate the human spirit and how it surmounts adversity. The metaphorical and literal climbs in the narrative serve to complicate from a feminist epistemic position the resiliency of the human spirit. Facing Mountains joins the canon of Eastern Africa women’s writing that in the recent past has witnessed a dearth across genres.
Charlie Ng, Editor-at-Large, Reporting from Hong Kong
Despite frequent criticism for its commercial focus and perceived lack of strategic initiatives to promote copyright trading and cultural exchange, Hong Kong’s Book Fair remains one of the city’s most significant cultural events. This year’s edition, themed “Film and Television Literature,” will showcase a curated selection of screen adaptations, drama scripts, writings on cinematic culture, and film criticism. By exploring the interplay between literature and visual media, the fair aims to foster cross-textual reading and enhance the enjoyment of both readers and attendees. Featured writers include Joyce Chan, Chiang Hiu Mei, Law Kar, Erica Li, Raymond To, and Norris Wong, who will engage the audience through seminars and talks.
Additional highlights include sessions examining screen adaptations of Jin Yong’s martial arts novels and the role of music in cinematic storytelling. Moreover, members of the Xi Xi Foundation will participate in a roundtable conversation on the themes of time and space in Xi X’s oeuvre of works. The fair will also host an international lineup of guest speakers, including Czech illustrator Galina Miklínová, who will share insights on the art of creating storybooks, Korean writer Kim Ho-Yeon, who will provide perspectives on contemporary Korean literature, SEA Write Award recipient Narisapongse Rakwattananont will explore themes of Thai-Chinese culture. Ge Liang, the winner of the 18th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards Artist of the Year (Literary Arts), will explore the significance of his experience of moving from Nanjing to Hong Kong in his “Homeland and Nation Trilogy” (朱雀, 北鳶, and 燕食記) and most recent novel, 靈隱, reflecting the historical and societal transformations of his homeland, China, and Hong Kong.
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