The Poets in Nigeria Initiative (PIN) has issued an open call for poems and participation in the upcoming Lagos Books and Arts Festival (LABAF) 2024. This year’s festival, marking its 26th anniversary, carries the theme “BREAKOUT: Hope is a stubborn thing.”
PIN is inviting poets to submit works that explore this theme, focusing on stage presence and the theatrics of poetry. The organisation notes that 2024 is being celebrated as a “Soyinka Year,” suggesting a special emphasis on the renowned Nigerian playwright and poet Wole Soyinka.
The poetry event, dubbed “PIN ARTHUB@LABAF 2024,” is scheduled for November 12, 2024, at 5 PM in Freedom Park, Lagos. Poets selected to participate can read or perform their work live at this prestigious cultural gathering.
Some submission guidelines state that poems must address the festival theme and that only poets able to attend the event in person should submit. Also, selected poets will be featured in a special festival brochure.
Interested poets are required to include their name, gender, location, brief biography, and contact information with their submissions. The call for entries opened on October 15 and will close on October 25, 2024.
This initiative aligns with LABAF’s longstanding commitment to promoting literature and the arts in Nigeria. The festival has become a significant cultural event in Lagos, attracting writers, artists, and literature enthusiasts from across the country and beyond.
Poets wishing to participate can send their submissions to poetsinnigeria@gmail.com. As the deadline approaches, anticipation builds for what promises to be a vibrant celebration of Nigerian poetry at one of the country’s premier literary events.
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